One of my favourite days was happening.
We a11 made a large circle around a picnic table covered with hamburgers, hot dogs ,and every type of salad I had ever seen. It was the end-of-school party, at a colleague ''''''''s house who lives on a lake in Nottingham, New Hampshire. The conversation started out easy and comfortable. It centered on the just-completed school year. To my dismay, most of my colleagues started to discuss how our school was being destroyed by the lack of funds, school board politics, and a 1ack of values in the underclassmen and underclasswomen,(God, I hate being political1y correct),brought to school from their homes.
The conversation also centered on how our profession was becoming the political l)fodder of both state and national policy. After a while, the conversation grew 2)vicious and because I had just finished my fifth Old Brown Dog I made the mistake of opening my mouth.
“Does anyone remember why we got into teaching, in the first place?”
My question produced silence from all of my co-works in the circle. The silence didn’t last long because it was replaced by a unified display of the "who the hell made you king of arrogance" look.
"No, I mean it! Does anyone remember the philosophy which made all of us take the VOWS of 3）celibacy, 4）servitude, and of course poverty?"
Well, a veteran history teacher, whose longevity in the school almost outweighed his size, asked me to remind them of what their philosophy was. Being the story teller I told the group that I would use a metaphor to describe what "teaching" is to me.
I tell them that the beginning of each year was like taking a group of young men and women to the base of a mountain. Always observing my students, I see that they are afraid and uncomfortable with what they were expected to do. I tell them that for the next 186 days I will show them how to climb the cliffs, and reach the 5）plateau that was above the clouds and seemingly out of reach.
Then, we start the climb by having me show them how to put one foot in front of the other; how to use their hands, legs, and more importantly their minds to reach the next stone. All my kids start to fall. I tell them that it is OK to fall, to make a mistake, because this is how we all learn and get better at what we are trying to do. Some of my kids give up and simply fall down to the bottom of the mountain. I try and encourage them to continue but they simply do not want to take the chance to fail. I feel bad, yet I realize that I can''''''''t help everyone: I can on1y try.
Looking around my small group of colleagues I notice that everyone is listening. I smile, take another sip, and continue. Halfway up the mountain, I see that my kids are beginning to build up a confidence themselves. They help each other to climb to the next level. Every now and then a child falls, but, the farther we climb up the mountain, fewer children make the decision not to continue. Now it is no longer a case of me showing them how to clime, as they work with each other, and find easier and better ways of achieving success. Every now and then I fall and I find my students helping me now. students become teachers. We all become one, in the knowledge that we need each other to continue, and thus succeed.
We finally reach the plateau and are 6）dumbfounded by what we see. We observe the colors of life: the greens of their futures, the reds and oranges of their passion, and the blues of all their dreams. The air is new and clear. There are no clouds on the plateau, just an image that everything is do-able and achievable. I walk over to the edge where the view is even more dramatic and beautiful and te11 them to come to the 7)perimeter with me. They hesitate and tell me that they are still afraid. I 8）chastise them: I teach them once more and tell them that they earned looking out at their futures. That, because of their hard work and perseverance, they have become competent in everything they attempt to do.
They come to the edge of the plateau. I push them off.
And I watch them fly!
The group surrounding the picnic table, which was now half-filled with food and empty p1ates,stayed silent for the next few minutes. An English teacher told me that I should write down my thoughts. I just smiled and said I probab1y would. I always do! The conversation then turned very positive. It became fined with hopes and visions of the next school year. Yes, a favorite day of mine was coming to an end, with another favorite day not far away.
The day when I group my students together, and tell them how we win climb the mountain.
这是令我难忘的一天。
我们在野餐桌旁围成一个大圈,桌上汉堡包、热狗和各色沙拉应有尽有。已经是学年末了, 我们来到一个同事位于新罕布什尔州诺丁汉的家中聚会。开始时, 大家只是在闲聊一些过去学年里发生的事情, 气氛也很轻松愉快。可渐渐地, 大家越说越激动, 都认为学校的办学质量在下降, 原因包括资金的捉襟见肘, 校董会内部的纷争矛盾, 还有学生素质的低下, 大一大二的男女学生( 老天! 政治正确的说法真烦人!) 对事物缺乏价值判断, 他们把在家里学到的一套都带回了学校。
大家还谈到教师行业已经沦为州政府和联邦政府的政治稻草。气氛渐渐变得尖酸刻薄。我那时刚刚喝完第五杯老棕狗牌的啤酒, 然后很不识趣地开了腔。
"当初我们是怎样投身到教育行业里面来的? 还有人记得吗?"
我的问题一时间让所有的人都鸦雀无声, 可这种寂静并没有维持多久, 因为大家脸上都流露出"你以为你是谁"的鄙视表情。
"大家别误会,我是说真的。还记得当初入行时的理想吗? 为了做一个好老师,我们可以忍受孤独、艰辛,当然了,还有贫穷!
事实上, 是一位退休的历史老教师注目叫我讲的,他在我们的那所学校已经熬了很多个年头, 他让我提醒大家入行时的理想。我自己本身就喜欢讲故事, 所以就答应了下来, 并用了一个比喻来阐述我对"传道授业解惑"的理解。
在我看来,新学年的开始就如同带一帮青年男女登山一样。凭我的观察, 我知道学生们对要做的事情很惶恐不安。于是我告诉他们, 在未来的186天里,我会教他们如何攀登, 抵达去宵之上看似高不可攀的山峰。
然后,我们开始攀登,首先由我向学生示范怎样一步一个脚印地往上爬,怎样手脚并用,以及更重要的是, 怎样凭着意志前行。刚开始的时候学生们都会摔倒。我告诉他们摔跤和犯错其实都没有关系, 因为只有在挫折中才能成长和前进。有一些学生决定放弃, 从此一撅不振。我努力鼓励他们重新再来, 可惜他们不愿意冒险, 害怕再次失败。我为他们难过,但是也明白我不可能帮助每一个人, 只能尽力而为。
说到这里, 我看看大家, 发现他们都在认真地听, 我笑了, 喝了口酒, 然后继续。爬上半山腰后, 我感觉到学生已经建立了自信心。他们相互扶持, 继续攀登。不时会有人摔倒,但是, 随着我们越来越接近峰顶, 决定放弃的学生越来越少。这时,我不再需要为他们示范， 因为学生们已经学会彼此合作，一起寻找更理想更快捷的登顶路径。我自己也不时会摔倒，反而由学生帮我一把。他们成了我的老师。我们更加亲密无间, 因为大家都明白在通往成功的道路上, 我们需要相互扶持。
终于,我们登上了一座高峰,为眼前的景色震撼。我们看到了生命的色彩: 看到他们绿色的无限未来, 红和橙的火热激情,以及他们蓝色的梦想。空气清新。万里无云，一切仿佛都无所不能，触手可及。我走到悬崖边，那里的景色更加奇陷瑰丽。我让学生们过来看，他们却犹豫了，说还是有点害怕。于是我严厉叱责他们，让他们知道在经历千心万苦后，应该去展望未来。也正是这些努力和坚持，将使他们无往而不利。
于是学生来到悬崖边缘。这时我注视他们展翅高飞！
同事们连续几分种没有说话, 桌上的食物吃剩了一半。一位英语老师建议我把此番感想写下来。我笑了, 说可能会的, 事实上我一直都这样做。大家重新变得正面和积极, 话语间充满了对下学年的希冀和展望。是的, 这难忘的一天即将过去, 但是下一个同样难忘的一天也不远了。
到了那天,我会把学生聚集在一起, 告诉他们我们要去攀登高峰。
1.fodder n. 草料，素材，弹药
2.vicious adj. 恶性的
3.celibzcy n. 独身生活
4.servitude n. 劳役
5.plateau v. 高原
6.dumbfound v. 在短期内使人惊讶得发呆
7.perimeter n.边缘
8.chastise v.惩罚，责骂
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