Hot Potato / Cold Potato

热土豆和凉土豆

A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances ,but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.

(人的快乐并非取决于环境，而在于他所持有的态度。）~Hugh Downs 

 01 

“I hate you!”I yelled,as I ran up the stairs to my room.Throwing open my dresser drawers, I pulled out a clean t-shirt and jeans,threw them in my backpack and ran back down the steps.Mom and Dad stood there,looking like they were in shock.

（“我恨你！”我大叫着冲上楼梯的房间。猛地拉开衣橱抽屉，我取出一件干净的T恤和一条牛仔裤，然后将它们塞进背包，冲下楼去。爸爸妈妈站在那里，他们看起来十分惊恐。）

“Where are you going?”Mom asked.

（“你要去哪里？”妈妈问。）

“Anywhere but here,”I shouted as I ran out the door.They weren’t fast enough to grabme, and I slipped away into the night.It was cold,but my hot temper warmed me, and I didn’t feel it. Not at first,anyway.

（“除了这儿，哪儿都可以！”我冲她大叫，跑出了家门。我跑得很快，他们没有追上，我迅速隐没在黑暗中。天气很冷，但满腔的怒气却让我热血沸腾。在刚离家的那段时间，我感觉不到丝毫寒意。）

 02 

I hit the streets with my thumb out. Hitchhiking wasn’t safe,but I didn’t care. It was the only way I knew, at fourteen years old, to get away from them. We’d moved three times in the last four years,so I was always the new kid in class,the one who didn’t know what chapter we were working on or what project was due next week. I was always playing catch-up and trying to fit in.

（我漫无目的地从一条大街游荡在另一条大街。搭顺风车不太安全，但我也顾不了那么多了，这是我这个十四岁的孩子所能想到的唯一一种摆脱父母的方法。过去四年我们搬了三次家，我永远是个插班生，不断地被介绍给新同学认识。该学哪一课，下周该交哪门课的作业，我一概不知。每天我都在拼命地补齐功课，努力适应新环境。）

Worse than trying to fit in at school was trying to make new friends wherever we moved.There were cliques of popular students who had known each other since grade school.Then there were the geeks and jocks who just didn’t seem to interest me. I wasn’tathletic and didn’t excel at anything, really. Just an average high school kid looking for friends. Deep down inside,I knew my parents loved me, just like God loved me,but it wasn’t enough.

（比这些更糟糕的是，每次来到新环境，我都必须认识新的朋友。那些受大家欢迎的学生从小学就开始形成的朋友圈让我觉得很难融入，而那些枯燥乏味的同学我又不愿与之为伍。我不太热衷于运动，几乎对任何事情都不擅长，千真万确，我就是一个普普通通的高中生，渴望交到朋友。从内心来讲，我很清楚父母是爱我的，正如我知道上帝爱着我，但这种爱无法满足我的需求。）

I slept curled up on a park bench the first night I took off. It was hard as a rock, and I was surprised to find that I wasn’t alone. With my arms wrapped tightly around me for warmth, I huddled on the beach closest to the streetlight. Peeking through half-closed eyes, I could see other homeless people just like me,only they looked like they’d been there a long time. Some of them looked kind of scary, with dirty beard and baggy clothes. Some pushed grocery carts filled with their entire life’s treasure. I didn’t sleep much that night, and when the sun rose, I washed up in the park’s restroom and hit the road.

（搭着顺风车一路走来，第一夜我蜷缩在公园的长椅上。椅子很硬，我惊奇地发现，这里原来不只我一个人。我紧紧抱住双臂想要留住些许温暖。躺在离路灯最近的长椅上，我半眯着眼睛偷偷打量这些和我一样无家可归的人，他们看起来已经在外面流浪了很长时间，一些人已经胡子拉碴，衣衫褴褛，这让我感到有些不安，有些人用超市里的购物车盛放他们的全部家当。那天晚上我几乎没怎么合眼，天亮后我去公园的公共厕所里洗漱了一下又继续上路。）

By the end of the second day, I’d made my way to another city sixty-five miles away where I found a halfway house for runaways. I was tired, cold and hungry. By the time I got there, the kitchen was closed. All that was left on the table was a cold potato. I lifted it to my lips and bit into the wrinkled skin. It was crumbly and dry and stuck in my throat when I tried to swallow. That night I slept on a cot in a room with four other runaways. It wasn’t a whole lot better than the park. The cot was hard and the blanket was scratchy, and those other kids looked like they’d been there a long, long time. I tossed and turned all night.

（第二天的傍晚，我来到了离家约六十五英里的另一座城市，在那里我找到了一处流浪儿童收容所。我极度疲惫，又冷又饿，到达时厨房已经上了锁，桌子上仅有一个冰冷的土豆，我将这个土豆送进嘴里，牙齿触碰到土豆表面皱巴巴的外皮，我竭力想要咽下，然而又干又面的土豆哽在喉咙里半天下不去。那一晚我同其他四名流浪的孩子睡在一间房间的简陋的床上，这里的环境并不比公园好多少。这里床板很硬，毯子也很扎人，那些流浪的孩子看起来在这里住了很长时间。一晚上我辗转反侧，完全无法入眠。）

 03 

The next day, I changed into the only clean clothes I had and was shown how to use the washer and dryer to do my own laundry.

（第二天，我换上了随身带的惟一一套干净的衣服，其他人教我如何用洗衣机和烘干机。）

“The soap is over there,”Carly told me. She was one of the other four runaways in my room. “Don’t use too much,just half a corp is all you need.”

（“洗衣皂在那儿。”卡莉告诉我，她是和我住在一间房的女孩儿，“别太浪费，半勺就够了。”）

I wanted to ask her how long she’d been there,but she interrupted my thoughts.

（我正要问她在这里待了多长时间，然而她的话打断了我的思考。）

“I’ve been here almost four months now.”Carly said. “We have rules for what you can and can’t do, so you better get used to it. You can’t use the laundry before 8:00 in the morning and you can’t watch TV after 10:00 at night. You have to be down at the kitchen table right at 12:00 and 5:00, or you don’t eat, and you have to rotate chores every week. This is my week on kitchen duty. I help make lunches and dinners, and I clean up afterward. So,don’t go makin’a big mess in there.”

（“我已经在这里四个月了，”她说道，“这里有规矩，你能干什么不能干什么，最好快点熟悉。早上八点之前不能使用洗衣机，晚上十点之后必须关闭电视机。中午十二点和下午五点必须按时到厨房吃饭，要么就没得吃。每周要轮流做家务。这周轮到我在厨房干活，我需要帮忙准备午饭和晚饭，然后洗碗收拾厨房，你要保持厨房的整洁。”）

“When are you going home?” I asked her.

（“你打算什么时候回家？” 我问她。）

“I don’t  know and I don’t care. My parents know I’m here but won’t come by to even to talk to me, and so what! You got something to say about that?”

（“我不知道，无所谓。父母知道我在这儿，但他们甚至连来这儿和我说几句话都不愿意，那又怎样？你还有什么想问的？”）

Carly glared at me as she talked.

（卡莉一边说一边盯着我。）

“No,” I responded, but I felt sad for Carly. Her parents know didn’t ever care! I was scared. Maybe my parents didn’t care,either.

（“没有。”我回答，但是内心里我很替她难过。她的父母竟然对她漠不关心！我感到害怕，害怕我的父母也会这样。）

 04 

Three days later,my dad showed up at the front door of the halfway house. I don’t know how he found out I was there, but part of me was glad he did,though I wouldn’t admit it out loud. After gathering my few things,we drove home in silence. I could almost see the questions running through his head. Why did she run away from home? What was so awful there that we couldn’t talk about it? I could see by the look on his face that he felt responsible for all my anger and sadness. I regretted shouting at my parents the night I ran away. It wasn’t their fault that I felt this way.

（三天后，爸爸来到旅馆，我不知道他是如何找到这里的。尽管嘴上没说，但心里还是为他的到来感到高兴。简单收拾了一下我们就开车返回。一路上谁都没有说话。我能感觉出那时爸爸的心里有许多疑问：她为什么要离家出走？有什么话我们不能做下来好好谈一谈？从他脸上的表情，我可以看出他对我的委屈和愤怒感到相当自责。对于那晚我向父母发飙后离家出走的行为，我感到很后悔，现在想想其实他们并没有错。）

I had a long time to think as we drove those many miles home,and I wondered why I hadn’t seen all the things Dad had done for the family. He was trying to make a better life for us, moving us from one city to the next so he could get a better job.He was doing his best to put clothes on my back and shoes on my feet. It was up to me to make the best of new school and to open up to new classmates. Hanging my head in the halls and not talking to anyone who even said “hi” couldn’t help me make friends. Maybe I could make more of an effort to reach out to others.

（回家路上这段时间，我一直在思考，为什么之前我不理解爸爸为这个家的付出，他想要给我们提供更好的生活，频繁地搬家是为了找到薪水更高的工作。我身上穿的衣服不都要靠他的辛勤工作才能换来吗？我决心要尽快适应学校的新环境，把功课赶上去，这是我应该做的。一天到晚低着头，对周围同学的问候置之不理，这种状况下的我是交不到朋友的。或许我应该对其他同学更加主动一些。）

 05 

When we finally reached our house, Mom opened the front door as we walked up the stairs, I smelled a roast cooking and knew there’d be hot baked potatoes to go with it. As I stepped inside, she opened her arms wide and I fell into them. Dad was right behind me and put his arms around both of us. Ordinarily, I’d pull away, but this time I didn’t.

（我们终于回到了家，妈妈打开门，我们一起走了进去，一进屋就闻到了饭菜的香味，一定是烤土豆。妈妈张开双臂，我立刻扑了过去。爸爸站在我的身后搂住了我和妈妈。要在平时，我一定会躲开，但是这次我没有。）

They both released me a few moments later, and that’s when I saw the tears in Mom’s eyes. I lowered my head and blinked twice really fast, trying to hide my own tears. I made a promise to myself not to hurt them like that again. They were doing the best they could. It was up to me to meet them halfway.

（过了一会儿，爸爸妈妈放开了手，这时我看见了母亲眼里的泪水。我低下头，迅速地眨了两下眼睛，试图掩饰我的泪水。我暗暗发誓再也不让他们伤心了，他们已经尽全力让我的生活过得更好，现在我也应该用努力回报他们。）

I knew the changes I had to make wouldn’t take place overnight, but as I looked at my parents and felt the warmth in my house, I realized there’s no place like home.

~B.J.Taylor

（我知道改变并非一朝一夕能够做到，但是看着父母，感受着家庭的温暖，我意识到再没有任何一个地方可以像家一样。）

—— B.J.泰勒

 读美文记单词： 

(部分单词有多个意思，下面写的只是在本文中的含义)

1. potato 英 [pəˈteɪtəʊ]  美 [pəˈteɪtoʊ]

    n.马铃薯， 土豆

2. yell 英 [jel]   美 [jɛl]

    vt.& vi.叫喊，大声叫;叫喊着说

    n.叫喊，大声叫;（拉拉队鼓动运动员的）呼喊声

3. dresser drawer 衣橱抽屉

4. backpack 英 [ˈbækpæk]  美 [ˈbækˌpæk]

    n.（指登山者、步行者使用或背小孩时使用的）背包， （有轻金属框的）箱形背包

    ( vi.背着背包徒步旅行 )

文中句子：

Throwing open my dresser drawers, I pulled out a clean t-shirt and jeans,threw them in my backpack and ran back down the steps.

猛地拉开衣橱抽屉，我取出一件干净的T恤和一条牛仔裤，然后将它们塞进背包，冲下楼去。

5 .grab 英 [græb]   美 [ɡræb]

    vt.夺取或抓住;

6. hitchhiking英 ['hɪtʃhaɪkɪŋ]   美 ['hɪtʃhaɪkɪŋ]

    v.搭乘;<美><口>作搭便车式的旅行( hitchhike的现在分词 )

7. clique 英 [kli:k]   美 [klik, klɪk]

    n.派系;<贬>小集团，小圈子

8. grade school 英 [ɡreid sku:l]   美 [ɡred skul]

    n.<美>小学，初等学校

There were cliques of popular students who had known each other since grade school.

那些受大家欢迎的学生从小学就开始形成的朋友圈让我觉得很难融入

9. geek英 [gi:k]   美 [ɡik]

    n.笨蛋，蠢货;对电脑痴迷的人;不可救药的人

10. jock 英 [dʒɒk]   美 [dʒɑ:k]

    n.[体]大学的运动员;乔克（男子名）;

11. athletic 英 [æθˈletɪk]   美 [æθˈlɛtɪk]

    adj.运动的;运动员的;

12.excel at英 [ikˈsel æt]   美 [ɪkˈsɛl æt]

（在某一活动方面）表现杰出，擅长于（某项活动）

13. deep down inside 内心深处

14. curl up 蜷曲

15. huddle 英 [ˈhʌdl]   美 [ˈhʌdl]

      vi.挤在一起;（因寒冷或害怕）蜷缩

16. half-closed eyes 半眯着眼

17.peek 英 [pi:k]   美 [pik]

     vi.偷看，窥视;眯着眼睛看

Peeking through half-closed eyes, I could see other homeless people just like me,only they looked like they’d been there a long time.

我半眯着眼睛偷偷打量这些和我一样无家可归的人，他们看起来已经在外面流浪了很长时间.

18. beard英 [bɪəd]   美 [bɪrd]

      n.胡须;[虫]口鬃，[动]颌毛;（牡蛎等的）鳃;[植]芒

19.grocery cart杂货车/购物的手推车

20. hit the road 英 [hit ðə roʊd]   美 [hɪt ði rəʊd]

    v.上路;开始流浪;出发;滚吧（俚语）

21. halfway house 路边歇脚的小店

22. bit into 咬了一口

He bit into his sandwich. 他咬了一口他的三明治。

23. crumbly 英 [ˈkrʌmbli]   美 [ˈkrʌmbli]

        adj.易碎的，脆的

24. throat 英 [θrəʊt]   美 [θroʊt]

    n.咽喉;

25. cot 英 [kɒt]   美 [kɑ:t]

    n.小床;小房子

26.  a whole lot 英 [ə həul lɔt]   美 [e hol lɑt]

    adj.相当多

It wasn't a whole lot better than the park.

这里的环境并不比公园好太多。

It will free us of a whole lot of debt.

它会使我们摆脱巨额债务。

27. scratchy英 [ˈskrætʃi]   美 [ˈskrætʃi]

    adj.( 衣服或织物) 扎人的；粗糙刺激皮肤的

The cot was hard and the blanket was scratchy.

床板很硬，毯子也很扎人。

28. toss and turn 翻来覆去;转辗反侧;

29. change into换上衣服;（使）变为

30. scoop 英 [sku:p]   美 [skup]

     n.一勺[铲]之量;

31. rotate chores 轮流做家务

 句子赏析： 

1. I shouted as I ran out the door. 我冲她大叫，跑出了家门。

2.I slipped away into the night. 我迅速隐没在了黑暗中。

3.It was cold,but my hot temper warmed me. 天气很冷，但满腔的怒气却让我满血沸腾。

4. I hit the streets with my thumb out. 我漫无目地从一条街游荡到另一条大街。

5. Part of me was glad he came here,though I wouldn't admit it out loud.

尽管嘴上不说，但我的心里还是为他的到来而高兴。

6.What was so awful there that we couldn't talk about it?

    有什么我们不能坐下来好好谈一谈？

    awful 英 [ˈɔ:fl]   美 [ˈɔfəl]   adj.可怕的;糟糕的;非常的;极坏的

7.He was doing his best to put clothes on my back and shoes on my sheet.

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