"Can I see my baby?" the happy new mother asked.
When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped1. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
Time proved that the baby's hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was marred2. When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother's arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks.
He blurted3 out the tragedy. "A boy, a big boy...called me a freak."
He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music.
"But you might mingle4 with other young people," his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart.
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The boy's father had a session with the family physician... "Could nothing be done?"
"I believe I could graft5 on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured," the doctor decided6. Whereupon the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man.
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, "You're going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it's a secret."
The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs.
Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. One day, he asked his father, "Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her."
"I do not believe you could," said the father, "but the agreement was that you are not to know...not yet."
The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come. One of the darkest days that ever pass through a son. He stood with his father over his mother's casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth7 a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to reveal the mother had no outer ears.
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"Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," his father whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did they?"
1 gasped
v.喘氣( gasp的過去式和過去分詞 )；喘息；倒抽氣；很想要
參考例句：
She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她驚訝得屏住了呼吸。 People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 體操運動員的高超技藝令人贊嘆。 來自《現(xiàn)代漢英綜合大詞典》
2 marred
adj. 被損毀, 污損的
參考例句：
The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行為不軌，把比賽給攪了。 Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措詞不當影響了他演說的效果。 <a hRef=http://www.zequeka.cn/miNifoRm.html>蘇州小學生作文培訓</a>
3 blurted
v.突然說出，脫口而出( blurt的過去式和過去分詞 )
參考例句：
She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我還沒來得及制止，她已脫口而出。 He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎說出了真相，說是他犯了那個罪。 來自《簡明英漢詞典》
4 mingle
vt.使混合，使相混；vi.混合起來；相交往
參考例句：
If we mingle with the crowd,we should not be noticed.如果我們混在人群中，就不會被注意到。 Oil will not mingle with water.油和水不相融。
5 graft
n.移植，嫁接，艱苦工作，貪污；v.移植，嫁接
參考例句：
I am having a skin graft on my arm soon.我馬上就要接受手臂的皮膚移植手術(shù)。 The minister became rich through graft.這位部長透過貪污受賄致富。
6 decided
adj.決定了的，堅決的；明顯的，明確的
參考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.這使他們比對手具有明顯的優(yōu)勢。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英國人和中國人打招呼的方式有很明顯的區(qū)別。
7 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
參考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.風吹得樹輕輕地來回搖晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快連續(xù)發(fā)表了一系列的作品。
《Who Gave Me the Ears?》添加時間：2024-12-14；更新時間：2025-03-09
