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课文B

The joy of a prideful tradition 光荣传统带来的快乐

I first met him in 1965, when I rushed into his little shop to have the heels of my shoes repaired. He greeted me with a cheerful smile and instant hospitality. \

第一次见他是在 1965 年，当时我匆匆进入他的小店去修我的鞋跟。他露出开心的笑容，马上热情地招呼我，“你刚搬到这附近，是吗？” Indeed, I had moved into a house at the end of the street only a week before.

的确，一周前我才刚搬进街道尽头的那栋房子。 \“这一带挺好的，”他说，“你生活在这儿会开心的。”

I sat there with my shoes off, watching as he got ready to stitch up my shoes I'd entrusted to him. He looked sadly at the leather covering the mount of the heel. It was worn through because I had failed to have the shoes patched a month ago. I grew a little impatient, for I was rushing to meet a friend. \

我脱了鞋坐在那儿，看着他准备动手缝补我交给他的鞋。他惋惜地看着包鞋跟底的皮革。一个月前鞋就该补了，现在那块皮已经磨穿了。因为还要急着去见一位朋友，我有点不耐烦了。“请快点儿，”我请求道。 He looked at me over his spectacles. \This handicraft is my specialty and I want to do a good job.\moment. \

他从眼镜上方看了看我。“别急，要不了多久的。这手艺是我最拿手的，我想做好点。”他沉默了一会儿。“你知道，我得遵守传统。” A tradition? In this simplistic little shop that was no different from so many other shoe-repair shops on the residential side streets of Washington? The thought seemed a bit absurd.

传统？就这家和华盛顿住宅区那么多街边修鞋店没什么区别的简陋小铺子？这想法好像有点荒唐。

He must have sensed my bias, for he smiled with a gleam in his eyes as he went on. \the best job on every shoe that comes into the shop, and be proud of your fine work. If you work with dedication, you'll always have happiness and money.

他准是觉察到了我的不屑，因为他两眼闪烁着光芒，微笑着继续说道：“是的，我继承了一个传统。我父亲总对我说：?儿子，每只拿到店里的鞋都要修到最好，并且为自己的细活骄傲。如果你尽心工作，就总会拥有快乐和金钱。?”

As he handed me the finished shoes, he said, \time. I've utilized good leather,

把修好的鞋递给我时，他说：“这鞋能穿很长时间，我用的是好皮料。” I left in a hurry but I had a warm and grateful feeling. On my way home I passed the little shop again. There he was, sitting amongst his tools, still working. He saw me, and he waved and smiled, as cordial as could be. That was the beginning of our friendship, a fellowship that came to mean more and more to me as time passed.

我急匆匆地离开了，但觉得既温暖又感激。回家途中我又经过那家小店，他坐在工具中间，还在工作。看见我，他热诚友好地挥手微笑致意。从此我们的友谊就开始了，这是一段随着时间流逝对我越来越重要的交情。

Thereafter, we waved to each other in a friendly greeting when I passed his shop every day. At first I went in only when I had repair work to be done. Then I found myself lingering in his store or dropping in every few days, just to chat with him for the joy he would impart.

从那以后，我每天经过他的店的时候，我们都友好地彼此挥手问好。刚开始我只是在有东西要修的时候才进去，后来我发现自己呆在他的店里或隔几天去拜访一下完全是为了和他聊天，享受他带来的快乐。 He was a tall man, bent from long years of work. What little hair he had was gray; his face was deeply lined. His personality was clear, but never stern. And, I remember best his fine dark eyes, alive with his charitable, carefree, and humorous spirit.

他身材高大，多年工作弄得有点驼背，不多的头发已经灰白，脸上皱纹纵横。他个性鲜明，但从不严苛。此外，我尤其记得他那双动人的黑眼睛，洋溢着和善、快乐与幽默。

He was the happiest man I've ever known. Often, as he stood in front of his door overseeing the street, working at a pair of shoes, he sang a beautiful melody in a high, clear voice. Neighbors nicknamed him \

cobbler\work to referee arguments or give out candy. He had no patience for bullying and would insist the children play fair in front of his store.

他是我见过的最快乐的人。经常，他站在店门口，朝着大街，一边修理鞋子，一边高声清晰地唱着动听的曲子。街坊们戏称他为“鞋匠歌手”。周边的孩子都喜欢他，他时不时会停下工作去调解争吵或者分发糖果。他不能容忍欺凌弱小，坚持让孩子们在他店前面公平游戏。 One day, I came away from my house filled with fury because of a poor job some painters had done on my house. My friend waved to me as I walked by, so I went into his shop to vent my frustration. He let me speak angrily about the poor work and carelessness of present-day workmen. 'They had no pride in their work,\doing nothing! The undutiful attitude these days is almost a sin.\

有一天，因为几个油漆匠把我的房子弄得不像样子，我怒气冲冲地从家里出来。路过他的小店时，已是朋友的他冲我招手，我便走进他的店里发泄郁闷。他听我气愤地诉说现今工人工作糟糕，粗心马虎。“他

们对自己的工作没有荣誉感，”我说，“他们只想挣钱却不想做事。如今这种不负责的态度简直就是一种罪过。”

He consoled me, saying, \we should not blame them too rashly. Maybe their parents had no pride in their work. That's hard on a child. It keeps a child from learning what's important.\

他安慰我说：“身边有许多那样的人，不过我们或许不要太急于怪罪他们。可能他们的父母就对自己的工作没有自豪感。这对孩子来说很不好，让他们没法知道什么东西才是重要的。”

\“对此我们能做什么呢？”我问。

He pondered that for a minute before answering. Then he looked at me seriously. \

inherited a prideful tradition must start building one. In this country, each of us can make our own contribution to the fabric of society, and we must endeavor to make it a good one. No matter what sort of work a person does, if we give it our best each day, we're starting a tradition for our children to live up to. When a person amends their ways and learns to take pride in their work, a lifetime of happiness will ensue.\

回答之前他想了一会儿，然后认真地看着我，“只有一个办法。一个人如果没有光荣传统可以继承，那他/她就必须开始去建立一个。在这个国家，我们每个人都能为社会建设做出自己的贡献，我们必须努力把它做好。不管一个人做什么样的工作，只要我们每天都把它做到最好，我们就在为自己的孩子建立一个可遵循的传统。当一个人修正自己的方式并学会以自己的工作为荣时，快乐的一生就会随之而来。” I traveled for a few months on business, and shortly after my return, I walked down the street, looking forward to seeing my friend again. Yet when I arrived, I found the door closed. There was a little sign: \shoes at shop next door.\