为你读书：Follow Your Dream《追逐梦想》

每个人都曾有过美丽而羞涩的梦想，有些梦傲然绽放，而有些却如昙花一现，最终归于沉寂。追梦的道路开满鲜花，但也遍布荆棘。于是，有的人最终止步，将梦想埋葬心底。选文主人公也是个追梦少年，师长的反对给他带来了沉重打击。但面对旁人的否定，他并未退却，最终用努力浇灌出梦想之花，绽放于天地之间。

——编者语

 

 

There was a young man born in a poor family, as a result, his school career was continually interrupted.

一个年轻人因家境贫困导致求学过程不太顺利。

 

Once he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up. That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of some day owing a horse ranch. He wrote his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on the 200-acre dream ranch. He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher.

一次，他被要求写一篇关于“长大后自己想要做什么”的论文。 当晚，他写了整整七页纸，讲述了他希望将来能拥有一个大牧场的梦想。他详细地写下了这个梦想，还画了一张有关这个200亩大的农场的平面图，并作了一个详细的计划，打算在这200亩大的农场上，建一座4000平方英尺的房子。他投入了很多心血在这个作业上。第二天，他把论文交给了老师。

 

Two days later, he received his paper back, on the front page was a large red F with a note that read “see me after class”. The boy with dream went to see the teacher after class and asked, “Why did I receive an F?” The teacher said, “This is an unrealistic dream for young boy like you. You have no money. You have no resources from your family. There is no way you could ever do it.” Then the teacher added, “If you rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.”

两天后，他拿到了论文反馈。论文封面写了一个又红又大的F，并附上一张便条——“下课后来见我。” 于是，这个心怀梦想的男孩下课后找到老师，问道，“为什么给我不及格？”老师说：“对于和你一样的年轻男孩来说，这是一个不切实际的梦想。你没有钱，也没有家庭背景。你根本没有办法实现这个梦想。”接着他又说：“如果你重新写一个比较现实的目标，我会给你重新打分。”

 

The boy went home and thought about it for a long time. He asked his father what he should do. His farther said, “Look, son. You have to make up your own mind on this, however, I think it is a very important decision for you."

男孩回到家里，他思考了很久。他问父亲他应该怎么做。他的父亲说：“听着，孩子。这件事情上你必须自己拿主意。而我认为，这对你来说，是一个非常重要的决定”

Finally, after sitting with it for a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He stated, “You can keep the F and I will keep my dream.”

男孩花了一周时间思考这一问题。最终，他还是把论文原封不动地交回给老师。他说，“您可以继续给我不及格，但我会坚持我的梦想。”

 

Recollecting the story, the boy was sitting in a 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of 200-acre ranch. Two years ago, the teacher brought 30 kids to camp out on this ranch. When the teacher was leaving, he said to the boy, “Look, kid, I can tell you this now: when I was your teacher, I was something of a dream stealer. During those years, I stole a lot of kids’ dreams. Fortunately, you had enough gumption not to give up on yours.”

再次回想起这件事时，这个男孩正和我坐在一座4000平方英尺的房子里，而这座房子正是坐落在那个200亩大的农场上。两年前，那位老师带了30个孩子来男孩的农场露营。在老师准备离开的时候，他说道：“孩子你看，我现在可以告诉你了。当我还是你的老师时，我就像一个‘小偷’。那些年，我偷走了许多孩子的梦想。幸好你有这般毅力，最终坚持了自己的梦想。”

 

词汇点津：

ranch [rɑːn(t)ʃ] n. 大农场；大牧场

例句：

He lives on a cattle ranch in Texas.

他住在德克萨斯州的一个养牛的大牧场里。

 

diagram ['daɪəgræm] n. 图表、示意图

例：

a circuit diagram 电路图

 

floor plan n. 建筑物的平面图

例句：

Can you show us the floor plan first?

你可以先让我们看看建筑平面图吗?

 

make up one’s mind 下定决心

例句：

The boy finally made up his mind to follow his dream.

这个男孩最终下定决心去追逐自己的梦想。