He was driving home one evening, on a two lane country road. Work in this small mid-western community, was almost as slow as his beat-up Pontiac. But he never quit looking. Ever since the factory closed, he'd been unemployed1, and with winter raging on, the chill had finally hit home. It was a lonely road. Not very many people had a reason to be on it, unless they were leaving. Most of his friends had already left. They had families to feed and dreams to fulfil.
But he stayed on. After all, this was where he buried his mother and father. He was born here and he knew the country. He could go down this road blind, and tell you what was on either side, and with his headlights not working, which came in handy. It was starting to get dark and light snow flurries were coming down. He'd better get a move on.
You know, he almost didn't see the old lady, stranded2 on the side of the road. But even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering3 when he approached her. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so.
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Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe, he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing4 out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you. He said, "I'm here to help you ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan".
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack5, skinning his knuckles6 a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening7 up the lug8 nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. She asked him how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She had already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped.
<a hRef=http://www.zequeka.cn/miNiFoRm.html>蘇州中考語文培訓(xùn)</a>
Bryan never thought twice about the money. This was not a job to him. This was helping9 someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past... He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed, and Bryan added "...and think of me". He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight10.
A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy11 looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar12 to her. The cash register was like the telephone of an out of work actor - it didn't ring much. Her waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase13. The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude.
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The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan. After the lady finished her meal, and the waitress went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, the lady slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. She wondered where the lady could be, then she noticed something written on the napkin under which were 4 more $100 bills. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote. It said:
"You don't owe me anything, I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you".
Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard. She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's gonna be all right; I love you, Bryan."
1 unemployed
adj.失業(yè)的，沒有工作的；未動(dòng)用的，閑置的
參考例句：
There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.這個(gè)國家現(xiàn)有四百萬失業(yè)人員。 The unemployed hunger for jobs.失業(yè)者渴望得到工作。
2 stranded
a.擱淺的，進(jìn)退兩難的
參考例句：
He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一個(gè)陌生的城市里， 身無分文，一籌莫展。 I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既沒有錢，又沒有朋友。
3 sputtering
n.反應(yīng)濺射法；飛濺；陰極真空噴鍍；噴射v.唾沫飛濺( sputter的現(xiàn)在分詞 )；發(fā)劈啪聲；噴出；飛濺出
參考例句：
A wick was sputtering feebly in a dish of oil. 瓦油燈上結(jié)了一個(gè)大燈花，使微弱的燈光變得更加陰暗。 來自漢英文學(xué) - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26） Jack ran up to the referee, sputtering protest. 賈克跑到裁判跟前，唾沫飛濺地提出抗議。 來自辭典例句
4 standing
n.持續(xù)，地位；adj.永久的，不動(dòng)的，直立的，不流動(dòng)的
參考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震過后只有幾幢房屋還立著。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他們堅(jiān)決反對(duì)對(duì)法律做任何修改。
5 jack
n.插座，千斤頂，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛舉；n.（Jake）杰克
參考例句：
I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找尋頭戴式耳機(jī)插孔。 He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤頂把車頂起來換下癟輪胎。
6 knuckles
n.（指人）指關(guān)節(jié)( knuckle的名詞復(fù)數(shù) )；（指動(dòng)物 ）膝關(guān)節(jié)，踝v.（指人）指關(guān)節(jié)( knuckle的第三人稱單數(shù) )；（指動(dòng)物 ）膝關(guān)節(jié)，踝
參考例句：
He gripped the wheel until his knuckles whitened. 他緊緊握住方向盤，握得指關(guān)節(jié)都變白了。 Her thin hands were twisted by swollen knuckles. 她那雙纖手因腫大的指關(guān)節(jié)而變了形。 來自《簡(jiǎn)明英漢詞典》
7 tightening
上緊，固定，緊密
參考例句：
Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋緊水管之前，檢查一下洗衣機(jī)是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。 It needs tightening up a little. 它還需要再收緊些。
8 lug
n.柄，突出部，螺帽；(英）耳朵；（俚）笨蛋；vt.拖，拉，用力拖動(dòng)
參考例句：
Nobody wants to lug around huge suitcases full of clothes.誰都不想拖著個(gè)裝滿衣服的大箱子到處走。 Do I have to lug those suitcases all the way to the station?難道非要我把那些手提箱一直拉到車站去嗎？
9 helping
n.食物的一份&adj.幫助人的，輔助的
參考例句：
The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可憐的孩子們總是要求我把我的漢堡包再給他們一份。 By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 這樣一來, 他在某些時(shí)候,有助于競(jìng)爭(zhēng)的加強(qiáng)。
10 twilight
n.暮光，黃昏；暮年，晚期，衰落時(shí)期
參考例句：
Twilight merged into darkness.夕陽的光輝融于黑暗中。 Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充滿紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。
11 dingy
adj.昏暗的，骯臟的
參考例句：
It was a street of dingy houses huddled together. 這是一條擠滿了破舊房子的街巷。 The dingy cottage was converted into a neat tasteful residence.那間臟黑的小屋已變成一個(gè)整潔雅致的住宅。
12 unfamiliar
adj.陌生的，不熟悉的
參考例句：
I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在這兒人地生疏。 The man seemed unfamiliar to me.這人很面生。
13 erase
v.擦掉；消除某事物的痕跡
參考例句：
He tried to erase the idea from his mind.他試圖從頭腦中抹掉這個(gè)想法。 Please erase my name from the list.請(qǐng)把我的名字從名單上擦去。
《What Goes Around, Comes Around》添加時(shí)間：2024-12-14；更新時(shí)間：2025-03-09
