上外版大学英语写作精选例文(10)

文章作者 100test 发表时间 2007:10:24 12:23:04
来源 100Test.Com百考试题网

UNIT 10

TEXT

I first heard this story a few years ago from a girl I had met in New Yorks Greenwich Village. Probably the story is one of those mysterious bits of folklore that reappear every few year， to be told anew in one form or another. However， I still like to think that it really did happen， somewhere， sometime.

Going Home

They were going to Fort Lauderdale —— three boys and three girls —— and when they boarded the bus， they were carrying sandwiches and wine in paper bags， dreaming of golden beaches and sea tides as the gray， cold spring of Now York vanished behind them.

As the bus passed through New Jersey， they began to notice Vingo. He sat in front of them， dressed in a plain， ill-fitting suit， never moving， his dusty face masking his age. He kept chewing the inside of his lip a lot， frozen into complete silence.

Deep into the night， outside Washington， the bus pulled into Howard Johnsons， and everybody got off except Vingo. He sat rooted in his seat， and the young people began to wonder about him， trying to imagine his life： perhaps he was a sea captain， a runaway from his wife， an old soldier going home. When they went back to the bus， one of the girls sat beside him and introduced herself.

"Were going to Florida，" she said brightly. "I hear its really beautiful."

"It is，" he said quietly， as if remembering something he had tried to forget.

"Want some wine？" she said. He smiled and took a swig from the bottle. He thanked her and retreated again into his silence. After a while， she went back to the others， and Vingo nodded in sleep.

In the morning， they awoke outside another Howard Johnsons， and this time Vingo went in. The girl insisted that he join them. He seemed very shy， and ordered black coffee and smoked nervously as the young people chattered about sleeping on beaches. When they returned to the bus， the girl sat with Vingo again， and after a while， slowly and painfully， he began go tell his story. He had been in jail in New York for the past four years， and now he was going home.

"Are you married？"

"I dont know."

"You dont know？" she said.

"Well， when I was in jail I wrote to my wife，" he said. "I told her that I was going to be away a long time， and that if she couldnt stand it， if the kids kept askin questions， if it hurt her too much， well， she could jus forget me. Id understand. Get a new guy ， I said —— shes a wonderful woman， really something —— and forget about me. I told her she didnt have to write me. And she didnt. Not for three and a half years."

"And youre going home now， not knowing？"

"Yeah，" he said shyly. "Well， last week， when I was sure the parole was coming through， I wrote the again. We used to live in Brunswick， just Before Jacksonville， and theres a big oak tree just as you come into town， I told her that if she didnt have a new guy and if shed take me back， she should put a yellow handkerchief on the tree， and Id get off and come home. If she didnt want me， forget it —— no handkerchief， and Id go on through."

"Wow，" the girl exclaimed. "Wow."

She told the others， and soon all of them were in it， caught up in the approach of Brunswick， looking at the pictures Vingo showed them of his wife and three children —— the woman handsome in a plain way， the children still unformed in the much-handled snapshots.

Now they were 20 miles from Brunswick， and the young people took over window seats on the right side， waiting for the approach of the great oak tree. Vingo stopped looking， tightening his face， as id fortifying himself against still another disappointment.

Then Brunswick was 10 miles， and then five. Then， suddenly， all of the young people were up out of their seats， screaming and shouting and crying， doing small dances of joy. All except Vingo.

Vingo sat there stunned， looking at the oak tree. It was covered with yellow handkerchiefs —— 20 of them， 30 of them， maybe hundreds， a tree that stood like a banner of welcome billowing in the wind. As the young people shouted， the old con slowly rose from his seat and made his way to the front of the bus to go home.

PHRASES &. EXPRSSIONS

dream of

wish for ardently　向往，渴望

pull into

enter， arrive at　（车等）驶入；到达

take back

agree to receive sb. whom one has dismissed　允许……回来，接受

come through

arrive as expected 如所预料地到来

be caught up in

be very interested in 对……入迷

take over

occupy 占用；接管

make ones way

move along 去，前往