A Secret For Two(64)

------------------------------------------作者xxxx------------------------------------------日期xxxxASecretForTwo(64)【精品文档】【精品文档】【精品文档】【精品文档】【精品文档】【精品文档】ASecretForTwo1Montrealisaverylargecity,but,likealllargecities,ithassomeverysmallstreets.Streets,forinstance,likePrinceEdwardStreet,whichisonlyforblockslong,endinginaculdesac.NooneknewPrinceEdwardStreetaswellasdidPierreDupin,forPierrehaddeliveredmilktothefamiliesonthestreetforthirtyyears.2DuringthepastfifteenyearsthehorsewhichdrewthemilkwagonusedbyPierrewasalargewhitehorsenamedJoseph.InMontreal,especiallyinthatpartofMontrealwhichisveryFrench,theanimals,likethechildren,areoftengiventhenamesofsaints.WhenthebigwhitehorsefirstcametotheProvincaleMilkCompanyhedidn’thaveaname.TheytoldPierrethathecouldusethewhitehorsehenceforth.Pierrestrokedthesoftnessofthehorse’sneck;hestrokedthesheenofitssplendidbellyandhelookedintotheeyesofthehorse.3“Thisisakindhorse,agentleandafaithfulhorse,”Pierresaid,“andIcanseeabeautifulspiritshiningoutoftheeyesofthehorse.IwillnamehimafterthegoodSt.Joseph,whowasalsokindandgentleandfaithfulandwhohadabeautifulspirit.”4WithinayearJosephknewthemilkrouteaswellasPierre.Pierreusedtoboastthathedidn’tneedreins–henevertouchedthem.EachmorningPierrearrivedatthestablesoftheProvincaleMilkCompanyatfiveo’clock.ThewagonwouldbeloadedandJosephhitchedtoit.Pierrewouldcall“bonjour,vieilleami,”asheclaimedintohisseatandJosephwouldturnhisheadandtheotherdriverswouldsmileandsaythatthehorsewouldsmileatPierre.ThenJacques,theforeman,wouldsay,“Allright,Pierre:goon,”andPierrewouldcallsoftlytoJoseph,“Avance,monami,”andthissplendidcombinationwouldstalkproudlydownthestreet.5Thewagon,withoutanydirectionfromPierre,wouldrollthreeblocksdownSt.CatherineStreet,thenturnrighttwoblocksalongRoslynAvenue;thenturnleft,forthatwasPrinceEdwardStreet.Thehorsewouldstopatthefirsthouse,allowPierreperhapsthirtysecondstogetdownfromhisseatandputabottleofmilkatthefrontdoorandwouldthengoon,skippingtwohousesandstoppingatthethird.Sodownthelengthofthestreet.ThenJoseph,stillwithoutanydirectionfromPierre,wouldturnaroundandcomebackalongtheotherside.Yes,Josephwasasmarthorse.6PierrewouldboastatthestableofJoseph’sskill.“Inevertouchthereins.Heknowsjustwheretostop.Why,ablindmancouldhandlemyroutewithJosephpullingthewagon.”7Soitwentonforyears–alwaysthesame.PierreandJosephbothgrewoldtogether,butgradually,notsuddenly.Pierre’shugewalrusmustachewaspurewhitenowandJosephdidn’tlifthiskneessohighorraisehisheadasmuch.Jacques,theforemanofthestables,nevernoticedthattheywerebothgettingolduntilPierreappearedonemorningcarryingaheavywalkingstick.“Hey,Pierre,”Jacqueslaughed.“Maybeyougotthegout,hey?”“Maisoui,Jacques,”Pierresaidabituncertainly.“Onegrowsold.One’slegsgettired.”“Youshouldteachthathorsetocarrythemilktothefrontdoorforyou.”Jacquestoldhim.“Hedoeseverythingelse.”HekneweveryoneofthefortyfamiliesheservedonPrinceEdwardStreet.ThecooksknewthatPierrecouldneitherreadnorwrite,soinsteadoffollowingtheusualcustomofleavinganoteinanemptybottleifanadditionalquartofmilkwasneededtheywouldsingoutwhentheyheardtherumbleofhiswagonwheelsoverthecobbledstreet,“Bringanextraquartthismorning,Pierre.”“Soyouhavecompanyfordinnertonight,”hewouldcallbackgaily.Pierrehadaremarkablememory.Whenhearrivedatthestablehe’dalwaysremembertotellJacques,“ThePaquinstookanextraquartthismorning;theLemoinesboughtapintofcream.”Jacqueswouldnotethesethingsinalittlebookhealwayscarried.Mostofthedrivershadtomakeouttheweeklybillsandcollectthemoney,butJacques,likingPierre,hadalwaysexcusedhimfromthistask.AllPierrehadtodowastoarriveatfiveinthemorning,walktohiswagon,whichwasalwaysinthesamespotatthecurb,anddeliverhismilk.Hereturnedsometwohourslater,gotdownstifflyfromhisseat,calledacheery“Au’voir”toJacques,andthenlimpedslowlydownthestreet.OnemorningthepresidentoftheProvincaleMilkCompanycametoinspecttheearlymorningdeliveries.JacquespointedPierreouttohimandsaid:“Watchhowhetalkstothathorse.SeehowthehorselistensandhowheturnshisheadtowardPierre.Seethelookinthathorse’seyes?Youknow,Ithinkthosetwoshareasecret.Ihaveoftennoticedit.Itisasthoughtheybothsometimeschuckleatusastheygooffontheirroute.Pierreisagoodman,MonsieurPresident,butheisgettingold.Woulditbetooboldofmetosuggestthatheberetiredandbegivenperhapsasmallpension?”Headdedanxiously.“Butofcourse,”thepresidentlaughed.“Iknowhisrecord.Hehasbeenonthisroutenowforthirtyyearsandneveroncehastherebeenacomplaint.Tellhimitistimeherested.Hissalarywillgoonjustthesame.”ButPierrerefusedtoretire.Hewaspanic-strickenatthethoughtofnotdrivingJosepheveryday.“Wearetwooldmen,”hesaidtoJacques.“Letuswearouttogether.WhenJosephisreadytoretire–then,I,too,willquit.”Jacques,whowasakindman,understood.TherewassomethingaboutPierreandJosephwhichmadeamansmiletenderly.Itwasasthougheachdrewsomehiddenstrengthfromtheother.WhenPierrewassittinginhisseat,andwhentheyfinishedtheirwork,thenPierrewouldlimpdownthestreetslowly,seemingveryoldindeed,andthehorse’sheadwoulddropandhewouldwalkverywearilytohisstall.ThenonmorningJacqueshaddreadfulnewsforPierrewhenhearrived.Itwasacoldmorningandstillpitch-dark.Theairwaslikeicedwinethatmorningandthesnowwhichhadfallenduringthenightglistenedlikeamilliondiamondspiledtogether.Jacquessaid,“Pierre,yourhorse,Joseph,didnotwakeupthismorning.Hewasveryold,Pierre,hewastwenty-fiveandthatislikebeingseventy-fiveforaman.“Yes,”Pierresaidslowly.“Yes.Iamseventy-five.AndIcannotseeJosephagain,”“Ofcourseyoucan,”Jacquessoothed.“Heisoverinhisstall,lookingverypeaceful.Gooverandseehim.”Pierretookonestepforwardthenturned.“No…no…youdon’tunderstand,Jacques.”Jacquesclappedhimontheshoulder.“We’llfindanotherhorsejustasgoodasJoseph.Why,inamonthyou’llteachhimtoknowyourrouteaswellasJosephdid.We’ll…”ThelookinPierre’seyesstoppedhim.ForyearsPierrehadwornaheavycap,thepeakofwhichcamelowoverhiseyes,keepingthebittermorningwindoutofthem.NowJacqueslookedintoPierre’seyesandhesawsomethingwhichstartledhim.Hesawadead,lifelesslookinthem.TheeyesweremirroringthegriefthatwasinPierre’sheartandhissoul.Itwasasthoughhisheartandsoulhaddied.“Taketodayoff,Pierre,”Jacquessaid,butalreadyPierrewashobblingoffdownthestreet,andhadonebeennearonewouldhaveseentearsstreamingdownhischeeksandhaveheardhalfsmotheredsobs.Pierrewalkedtothecornerandsteppedintothestreet.Therewasawarningyellfromthedriverofahugetruckthatwascomingfastandtherewasthescreamofbrakes.ButPierreapparentlyheardneither.Fiveminuteslateranambulancedriversaid,“He’sdead.Waskilledinstantly.”Jacquesandseveralofthemilk-wagondrivershadarrivedandtheylookeddownatthestillfigure.“Icouldn’thelpit,”thedriverofthetruckprotested,“hewalkedrightintoitasthoughhewereblind.”Theambulancedoctorbentdown.“Blind?Ofcoursethemanwasblind.Seethosecataracts?Thismanhasbeenblindforfiveyears.”HeturnedtoJacques,“Yousayheworkedforyou?Didn’tyouknowhewasblind?”“No…no…”Jacquessaid,softly.“noneofusknew.Onlyoneknewasecret,Ithink,justbetweenthosetwo.”Questions:1.Fillintheblanks:1)Thetextisaboutthe__________________betweenamilkmananda_________.2)PierrewasamilkmanandJosephwas__________________________.3)ChooseseveraladjectivestodescribePierre:______________________________.4)WhathappenedtoPierreandJosephattheendofthestory?Howdidthiscomeabout?2.VocabularyFindawordorphrasethatbestfitsthemeaninggivenbelowbyreferringtotheparagraphindicatedbythenumberinparentheses.1._________________(1)Handedover2._________________(2)Afourwheeledroadvehicledrawnbyhorsesoroxen3._________________(4)Alongnarrowbandofleather,bywhichahorseiscontrolledorguided4._________________(4)Fastened5._________________(5)Passingover6._________________(14)Walkedwithanunevenstep,onelegmovinglesswellthantheother7._________________(15)Examine8._________________(15)Anamountofmoneypaidregularlytosomeonewhocannolongerearnmoneybyworking9._________________(17)Stopworkingandleave10._________________(28)Humanbodyblockdeliverwagonsainthenceforthsheensplendidbellyfaithfulrouteboastreinstableloadhitchclaimforemanstalkcombinationskipwalrusmustachegoutadditionalquartrumblecobbledgailyremarkablepintcurbstifflycheerylimpinspectchuckleboldpensionanxiouslycomplaintpanic-strickenwearoutquittenderlystalldreadfulpitch-darkglistenpilesootheclappeakstartlegriefhobblesmothersobbrakeapparentlyambulanceinstantlyfigureprotest(64/1511)