Lesson Two text A Going Home

Lesson Twotext A Going Home1They were going to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. （佛罗里达州的劳德岱尔堡）There were six of them, three boys and three girls, and they got on the bus at 34th Street, carrying (modifying got on)sandwiches and wine（葡酒）in paper bags. They were dreaming of golden beaches and sea tides （潮汐）as（由于）the grey, cold spring of New York vanished(disappeared) behind them. Vingo （温戈）was on the bus from the beginning.2.As（When）the bus passed through New Jersey,（新泽西）they began to notice that Vingo （温戈）never moved. He sat in front of the young people, his dusty face masking（covering/disguising）his age, （he was）dressed(modifying he)in（wearing）a plain brown suit（set of clothes）that did not fit him. （不合体的浅棕色套装）His fingers were stained （dyed）from cigarettes and he chewed （bit）the inside of his lip a lot. He sat in complete silence and seemed completely unaware of the existence of the others.(description of Vingo)Be fit forBe suitable forchain3.Deep into the night, the bus pulled into（stopped） a Howard Johnson's restaurant and everybody got off the bus except Vingo. The young people began to wonder（be curious）about him, trying to imagine（think）his life: perhaps he was a sea captain; maybe he had run away from his wife; he could be an old soldier going home. When they went back to thebus, one of the girls became so curious that she decided to engage him in a conversation. She sat down beside him and introduced herself."We're going to Florida," the girl said brightly.(cheerfully) "You going that far?" "I don't know," Vingo said."I've never been there," she said." I hear it's beautiful.""It is," he said quietly, as if （he was）remembering something he had tried to forget."You live there?""I was there in the Navy, at the base in Jacksonville.（杰克逊威尔的海军基地）""Want some wine?" she said. He smiled and took a swig(large gulp of drinks)（喝了一大口）from the bottle. He thanked her and retreated(returned/moved back) again into his silence. After a while, she went back to the others as （because）Vingo nodded in sleep.When speaking4.InsistedDemandedRequiredrequestedSuggestedMovedIn the morning they awoke (woke up )outside another Howard Johnson's (霍德华.约翰逊连锁餐饮店)and this time Vingo went in. The girl insisted that he （should）join them. He seemed very shy and ordered black coffee(不加糖的)and smoked nervously, as（while）the young people chattered (talked rapidly)about sleeping on beaches. When they got back on the bus, the girl sat with Vingo again: After a while, slowly and painfully, hebegan to tell his story. He had been in jail in New York for the last four years, and now he was going home."Are you married?""I don't know.""You don't know?" she said."Well, when I was in jail I wrote to my wife. I said, 'Martha, I understand if you can't stay married to me. I said I was going to be away a long time, and that if she couldn't stand it, if the kids kept asking questions, if it hurt her too much, well, she could just forget me. Get a new guy-----she's a wonderful woman, really something（真的不一般）—and forget about me. I told her she didn't have to write to me or anything, and she didn't. Not for three-and-a-half years.""And you're going home now, not knowing?""Yeah," he said shyly. "Well, last week, when I was sure the parole(conditionalrelease of prisoner(美)假释出狱(出狱仍在警察监管下))) was coming through（was approved）I wrote her again. I told her that if she had a new guy, I understood. But, if she didn't, if she would（愿意）take me back she should let me know. We used to live in Brunswick,（布朗兹威克）and there's a great oak(橡树) tree just as （when）you come into town（在进镇的地方）. I told her if she would take me back, she should tie a yellow ribbon to the tree, and I would get off （）and come home. If she didn't want me, forget it,（就忘掉这一切）no ribbon and I'd understand and keep going on through.""Wow ," the girl said. "Wow .（expressing surprise）"5.She told the others, and soon all of them were caught up in（被抓住/被….吸引）the approach (coming)ofBrunswick(布朗兹威克), looking at the pictures/photoes, Vingo showed them of his wife and three children. Now they were 20 miles from Brunswick, and the young people took the window seats on the right side, waiting for the approach of the great oak tree(期待着看到那棵大树). Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face into the ex-con's (ex-convict/former prisoner)mask, （脸绷得紧紧的，又恢复了之前那副假释犯的冷漠神情）as if fortifying (making more powerful)himself against still another disappointment(好象在鼓起勇气面对又一次失望的打击). Then it was 10 miles, and then five, and the bus became very quiet.6.Then suddenly all of the young people were up out of their seats, screaming and shouting and crying, doing small dances, shaking clenched fists in triumph(兴奋的紧握拳头庆祝胜利) and exaltation()(feeling of extreme happiness). All except Vingo.7.Vingo sat there stunned,（astonished）looking at the oak tree through his misty(unclear because of tears) eyes. The tree was covered with yellow ribbons(黄丝带), 30 of them, 50 of them, maybe hundreds, a tree that stood like a banner of welcome, blowing and billowing(随风飘扬waving in the air) in the wind. As the young people shouted, the old con（prisoner）slowly rose from his seat, holding himself tightly, and made his way to the front of the bus to go home. Walked toDeath rateBirth rateDivorce rate1. About the author and the text:The text is based on "Yellow Ribbon", a story written in the 1960's by Pete Hamill, a successful American journalist and author. The story was made into a Japanese movie in 1977 in which the song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree" became quite popular in the United States.The 1960's--70's was a very trying time for the, American people, as the country was deeply troubled by its involvement (参与) in the Vietnam War. It was a time when such traditional values as human sympathy, understanding, trust and love seemed to be losing out. Through the experience of a former prisoner and his journey with a group of young people, the story seems to express a strong desire for "going home", where such good old values are to be found again.2. Fort Lauderdale (para. 1):A town located on the east coast of the state of Florida (佛罗里达州), which is known for its warm climate and beautiful scenery.3. New Jersey (新泽西州) (para. 2):A state to the south of New York (纽约州), USA.4. He sat in front of the young people, his dusty face masking his age, dressed in a plain brown suit that did not fit him. (para. 2)The structure "his dusty face masking his age" is a non-defining (非限定性) clause with its own subject, known as nominative absolute(独立主格结构). It gives more information about the main clause, and is generally used in written English. More examples:The old man stood up, tears running down his face.She gave Bob a letter, her hands trembling.The boys quickened their steps, their stomachs crying for food.5. "It is," he said quietly, as if remembering something he had tried to forget. (para. 4)In this sentence, "as if remembering something" has the same meaning as "as if he was/were remembering something." More examples: He gave out a terrible cry, as if seeing a ghost.Tim spoke very softly, as if fearing to be heard.Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face into the ex-con's mask, as if fortifying himself against still another disappointment.6. Jacksonville (para. 4):A city in the very north of Florida where a large navy base is located.7. Howard Johnson's (霍华德.约翰逊) (para. 5):A fast food restaurant chain in the United States, similar to McDonald's.8. Brunswick (para. 9):A city on the southeast coast of Georgia (佐治亚州) to thenorth of Florida.。