大學(xué)英語(yǔ)綜合教程第一冊(cè) Unit 2a

[00:00.00 How do you feel when old friends are far away? [00:05.30]Do you make an effort to keep in touch? [00:09.67]Somethimes it is easy to put off writing a letter, [00:14.63]thinking that there will be plenty of time tomorrow. [00:19.59]But then sometimes,as this story shows,we leave it too late. [00:26.44]Perhaps reading it will make you want to reach for your pen. [00:32.31]ALL THE CABBIE HAD WAS A LETER by Foster Furcolo [00:38.56]He must have been completely lost in something he was reading [00:44.93]because I had to tap on the windshield to get his attention. [00:50.86]"Is your cab available?"I asked when he finally looked up at me. [00:57.21]He nodded,then said apologetically [01:01.88]as I settled into the back seat,"I'm sorry,but I was reading a letter. [01:08.73]"He sounded as if he had a cold or something. [01:13.48]"I'm in no hurry,"I told him. "Go ahead and finish your letter." [01:19.36]He shook his head. "I've read it several times already. [01:24.66]I guess I almost know it by heart." [01:29.21]"Letters from home always mean a lot,"I said. [01:34.07]"At least they do with me because I'm on the road so much." [01:40.02]Then,estimating that he was 60 or 70years old,I guessed: [01:47.28]"From a child or maybe a grandchild?" [01:52.14]"This isn't family,"he replied."Although,"he went on, [01:58.10]"come to think of it,it might just as well have been family. [02:03.85]Old Ed was my oldest friend. [02:08.21]In fact,we used to call each other 'Old Friend'-when we'd meet,that is. [02:14.97]I'm not much of a hand at writing." [02:19.42]"I don't think any of us keep up our correspondence too well,"I said. [02:25.48]"I know I don't. [02:28.72]But I take it he's someone you've known quite a while?" [02:33.68]"All my life,practically.We were kids together,so we go way back." [02:40.44]"Went to school toghether?" [02:43.60]"All the way through high school. [02:47.37]We were in the same class,in fact,through both grade and high school." [02:54.34]"There are not too many people who've had such a long friendship,"I said. [03:00.19]"Actually,"the driver went on, [03:04.16]"I hadn't seen him more than once or twice a year over the past25 or 30years [03:11.32]because I moved away from the old neighborhood [03:15.76]and you kind of lose touch even thought you never forget. [03:21.53]He was a great guy.""You said 'was'.Does that mean-?" [03:28.80]He nodded. "Died a couple of weeks ago." [03:34.36]"I'm sorry,"I said. "It's no fun to lose any friend- [03:40.81]and losing a real old one is even tougher." [03:46.46]He didn't reply to that,and we rode on in silence for a few minutes. [03:52.91]But I realized that Old Ed was still on his mind when he spoke again, [04:01.06]almost more to himself than to me: "I should have kept in touch. [04:08.03]Yes,"he repeated,"I should have kept in touch." [04:13.36]"Well,"I agreed,"we should all keep in touch in with old friends more than we do [04:20.21]But things come up and we just don't seem to find the time." [04:26.06]He shrugged. "We used to find the time,"he said. [04:30.79]"That's even mentioned in the letter." [04:34.94]He handed it over to me. "Take a look." [04:39.41]"Thanks,"I said,"but I don't want to read your mail.That's pretty personal." [04:46.17]The driver shrugged. "Old Ed's dead. [04:50.90]There's nothing personal now.Go ahead,"he urged me. [04:56.46]The letter was written in pencil. [05:00.41]It began with the greeting "Old Friend," [05:04.98]and the first sentence reminded me of myself. [05:10.33]I've been meaning to write for some time, [05:15.06]but I've always postponed it. [05:19.01]It then went to say that [05:23.68]he often thought about the good times they had had together when they both lived in the same neighborhood [05:30.74]It had references to things that probably meant something to the driver, [05:36.67]such as the time Tim Shea broke the window, [05:42.33]the Halloween that we tied Old Mr.Parker's gate, [05:47.98]and when Mrs.Culver used to keep us after school. [05:53.44]"You must have spent a lot of time together,"I said to him. [05:58.40]"Like it says there,"he answered, [06:02.37]"about all we had to spend in those days was time."He shook his head: "Time." [06:10.63]I thought the next paragraph of the letter was a little sad: [06:15.88]I began the letter with "Old Friend" [06:20.55]because that's what we've become over the years-old friends. [06:26.90]And there aren't many of us left. [06:30.87]"You know,"I said to him, [06:34.53]"when it says here that there aren't many of us left,that's absolutely right. [06:41.48]Every time I go to a class reunion,for example, [06:46.60]there are fewer and fewer still around." [06:50.96]"Time goes by ,"the driver said. [06:55.32]"Did you two work at the same place?"I asked him. [07:00.18]"No,but we hung out on the same corner when we were single. [07:05.74]And then,when we were married, [07:09.27]we used to go to each other's house every now and then. [07:14.94]But for the last20 or 30years it's been mostly just Christmas cards. [07:21.29]Of course there'd ve always a note we'd each add to the cards- [07:27.24]usually some news about our families,you know, [07:32.60]what the kids were doing,who moved where,a new grandchild,things like that- [07:39.86]but never a real letter or anything like that." [07:44.72]"This is a good part here,"I said. [07:48.87]"Where it says Your friendship over the years has meant an awful lot to me, [07:56.32]more than I can say because I'm not good at saying thing like that. [08:02.59]"I found myself nodding in agreement. [08:06.71]"That must have made you feel good,didn't?" [08:10.95]The driver said something that I couldn't understand [08:16.27]because he seemed to be all chocked up, [08:20.43]so I continued: [08:23.80]"I know I'd like to receive a letter like that from my oldest friend." [08:29.65]We were getting close to our destination so I skipped to the last paragraph. [08:36.21]So I thought you'd like to know that I was thinking of you. [08:41.48]And it was signed,Your Old Friend,Tom. [08:47.12]I handed back the letter as we stopped at my hotel. [08:52.06]"Enjoyed talking with you,"I said as I took my suitcase out of the cab. [08:58.51]Tom?The letter was signed Tom? [09:03.79]"I thought your friend's name was Ed,"I said."Why did he sign it Tom?" [09:11.94]"The letter was not from Ed to me,"he explained. [09:17.17]"I'm Tom.It's a letter I wrote to him before I knew he'd died. [09:24.74]So I never mailed it." [09:28.58]He looked sort of sorrowful, [09:32.66]or as if he were trying to see something in the distance. [09:37.70]"I guess I should have written it sooner." [09:42.06]When I got to my hotel room I didn't unpack right away. [09:48.62]First I had to write a letter-and mail it. [09:55.17]cabbie\be lost in\windsield\cab [10:08.73]available\apologetically\or something\go ahead [10:21.48]know by heart\ estimate\ might as well\ not much of [10:37.41]keep up\correspondence\practically\kid [10:46.79]all the way\ neighborhood\sort of\lose touch [10:57.74]a couple of\guy \tough\on one's mind [11:07.90]keep in touch\come up\shrug\urge [11:17.93]postpone\reference\absolutely\renion [11:28.54]go by\hang out\every now and then\mostly [11:38.57]awful\ choke\ choke up\ destination [11:48.83]skip\ sorrowful\ in the distance\ unpack [11:59.86]right away

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