大学英语综合教程 第一册 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.