1、Unit 1A CLASS ACTFlorence Cartlidge1. Growing up in bomb-blitzed Manchester during the Second World War meant times were tough, money was short, anxiety was rife and the pawnshop was a familiar destination for many families, including mine.2. Yet I could not have asked for more enterprising and opti
2、mistic parents. They held our family together with hard work, dignity and bucketloads of cheer. My sturdy and ingenious father could turn his hand to almost anything and was never short of carpentry and handyman work. He even participated in the odd bout of backstreet boxing to make ends meet. For h
3、er part, our mum was thrifty and meticulously clean, and her five children were always sent to school well fed, very clean, and attired spotlessly, despite the hard conditions.3. The trouble was, although my clothes were ironed to a knife-edge, and shoes polished to a gleam, not every item was stand
4、ard school uniform issue. While Mum had scrimped and saved to obtain most of the gear, I still didnt have the prescribed blue blazer and hatband.4. Because of the war, rationing was in place and most schools had relaxed their attitude towards proper uniforms, knowing how hard it was to obtain clothe
5、s. Nevertheless, the girls school I attended made it strict policy that each of its students was properly attired, and the deputy headmistress who ran the daily assembly made it her mission to teach me a lesson.5. Despite my attempts at explaining why I couldnt comply, and despite the fact that I wa
6、s making slow progress towards the full uniform, every day I would be pulled out of line and made to stand on the stage as a shining example of what not to wear to school.6. Every day I would battle back tears as I stood in front of my peers, embarrassed and, most often, alone. My punishment also ex
7、tended to being barred from the gym team or to not taking part in the weekly ballroom dancing classes, which I adored. I desperately wished that just one teacher in this horrid school would open their eyes and see all I could do, rather than constantly telling me what I couldnt do.7. However, in my
8、12-year-old mind I had no choice but to see the punishment through. I knew it was very important not to let my well-meaning mother know about this ritual humiliation. I didnt dare risk her coming to the school to speak up for me as I knew the blinkered, hard-nosed staff would similarly mortify her a
9、nd that would mean two of us unhappy and indignant. And, Heaven forbid, if she ever told my father he would have instantly been on the warpath in my defence.8. Then one day our family won a newspaper competition for a free photographic portrait sitting. I was beside myself with excitement: my imagin
10、ation fuelled by glamorous shots of the popular Hollywood temptresses. I couldnt wait to tell my friends the thrilling news.9. That was, until Mum told me that I would have to wear my best, lace trimmed bright green dress to school that day, as the portrait sitting was straight after classes. She ha
11、d no hint of the torment I faced.10. There was none of my usual pleasure in putting on the cherished dress that day. Heavy-hearted, I dragged myself to school, an emerald green target in a sea of blue. At assembly I didnt bother to wait for the command but trudged up to the stage of my own accord to
12、 endure the sniggers of the other girls and the beady eyes of the deputy head.11. Tears of frustration threatened to break free as I wondered for the umpteenth time why the unfeeling teacher couldnt look past my clothes for once and see the obedient and eager-to-participate young girl beneath.12. Af
13、ter assembly our first class was English Literature, my favourite lesson with my favourite teacher. I consoled myself that I could at least lose myself in Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities for a while at the back of the class to recover and regain my composure. Imagine my dismay when, immediately
14、 the class began, Miss McVee ordered me to come and sit in the front row, directly before her. I slowly rose and, blinking back tears, headed to the front of the class. Surely Miss McVee hadnt crossed into the enemy camp, too?13. With downcast eyes and bowed head, tears once again threatened to betr
15、ay my dejection, even though I had always tried my hardest not to show how miserable I was at being singled out time after time.14. As I took my seat at the front, Miss McVee cocked her head to one side and looked me up and down carefully. And then she came out with the most welcome sentence I had e
16、ver heard at that mean-spirited place.15. “My dear, I declare you are the brightest and loveliest sight in this entire dreary school. I am only sorry that I shall have the pleasure of looking at you for just one lesson and not the entire day.”16. The block of ice that was my young heart thawed insta
17、ntly and my shoulders rose back to their full height. Im sure the smile I gave that woman must have been the widest shed ever seen. I floated through the rest of the day buoyed by the warmth generated by her thoughtfully chosen words.17. Although English Literature was her forte, that day Miss McVee
18、 taught me, and perhaps the whole class, a lesson in compassion that I have never forgotten. She taught me that one kind word in a time of need can last a lifetime. Indeed, her thoughtful words strengthened a part of my soul that has never been weakened by anyone or anything since.课堂义举弗洛伦斯卡特里奇1. 二战时
19、，曼彻斯特饱受空袭之苦。成长在那里，意味着岁月艰难、钱财短缺、心情焦虑，也意味着许多家庭都是当铺的常客，包括我家。2. 不过，我的父母最是乐观向上。他们用勤劳、自尊和满屋子的欢笑撑起了这个家。我父亲身体结实，心灵手巧，他那双手几乎无所不能，从不缺木匠和手工活儿。他甚至偶尔还会参加偏僻街道的拳击比赛来补贴家用。我母亲勤俭节约，把家收拾得干净利落 。尽管条件艰苦，但她总能让自己的五个孩子吃得饱饱、穿得整整齐齐、干干净净地上学去。3. 问题是：虽说我的衣服熨得有棱有角，皮鞋擦得铮亮铮亮的，可总有些地方不符合标准校服的要求。尽管母亲缩衣节食为我筹到了大部分装束，但我仍然没能凑齐学校指定的蓝色运动上衣和
20、帽圈。4. 由于战争影响，开始实施配给制度，大部分学校也放宽了对正规校服的要求，因为学校明白能有衣服穿已属不易。然而，我就读的女子学校却严格规定，每位学生必须穿正规的校服。于是那位负责每天集合的副校长就将训斥我视为她的任务来做。5. 尽管我试图去解释我为何没能按规定着装，尽管我也正逐渐向全套校服靠近，我每天依然会被揪出队列，在台上罚站，作为对违反校服规定者的惩戒。6. 我每天站在同学面前，只能强忍泪水，不仅羞愧难耐，而且常常只有我一人挨罚 。对我的惩罚还扩大到不能上体操课或者我钟爱的每周一次的交谊舞课。我多么希望在这所可怕的学校里，哪怕只有一位老师能睁开双眼看看我能够做什么，而不是不停地告诉我
21、不能做什么啊！7. 不过，12 岁的我在心里也毫无选择，只有眼睁睁地挨受惩罚。我明白不能让仁厚的母亲知道我所遭受的这种习惯性羞辱，这点非常重要。我也不敢冒险让她到学校替我求情，因为我知道那些心胸狭隘、不讲情面的教员们也同样会令她难堪，这意味着到时我们母女俩都要伤心、愤怒。老天！要是母亲再告诉父亲的话，他立马会大发雷霆，冲到学校来保护我。8. 一天，我们全家在一家报纸举办的不收取费用的肖像模特摄影比赛中获了奖。我为此兴奋不已：那些好莱坞女星魅力四射的照片更令我想入非非。我迫不及待地想把这个激动人心的消息告诉朋友们。9. 在那之前，母亲告诉我必须穿那件绿色蕾丝镶边裙 我最好的服装 去上学，因为摄影
22、比赛正好安排在放学之后。她丝毫没有意识到我所要面临的痛苦。10. 那天，我没有往常穿上这件心爱衣服时的喜悦。我心情郁闷地拖着沉重的步伐来到学校，发现自己成为了蓝色海洋中的一颗绿宝石。集合的时候，我没等人下命令就慢步走上台，去承受其他女生的窃笑和副校长那尖刻的眼神。11. 当我第无数次想到，这位老师怎么会如此麻木不仁，竟然从未透过我的着装，看看这颗顺从听话、渴望参与的女孩的心灵的时候，沮丧的泪水几欲夺眶而出。12. 集合之后的第一节课是我钟爱的英国文学，上课的教师也是我所钟爱的。我安慰自己说，至少我可以在后排座位上暂时沉浸在查尔斯狄更斯的 双城记之中，以便能回过神儿镇定下来。可是上课铃一响，麦克
23、维小姐就叫我坐在前排正对她的座位上。可想而知，我当时是多么惊慌失措。我缓慢地站了起来，忍着泪水，走到前排。心想，麦克维小姐不会也加入到敌人的阵营里了吧？13. 我垂着双眼低着头。在一次又一次地被叫出队列之后，虽然我始终竭力不让自己的痛苦外露，但泪水还是又差点出卖了我内心的沮丧。14. 当我在前排坐下，麦克维小姐将头扭到一边，上下仔细地打量着我。接着，她说出了我在那所讨厌的学校里听到的最中听的一句话。15. “亲爱的，我敢说你是这所死气沉沉的学校里一道最亮丽、最可爱的风景。可惜啊，我只能有幸看你一节课，而不是一整天。 ”我幼小心灵中的那块坚冰瞬间消融了，我也不禁挺直了肩膀。16. 我相信我当时回敬她的笑容是她所见过的最灿烂的笑容了。她仔细斟酌的话语温暖了我，让我兴高采烈地度过了整整一天。17. 虽然麦克维小姐的专长是英语文学，但那天她却给我 给全班 上了一堂持怜悯之心的课，我永志不忘。她让我明白，一句及时的友善之言可以让人受益终生。着实，她贴心的话让我内心变得坚强起来，再也不为什么人、什么事所伤害。
