英语口语大师mp3下载 成就篇第2课 A Brother Like That-哥哥的心愿

A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it.
　　“Is this your car, Mister?” he said.
　　Paul nodded. “My brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was [1]astounded. “You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn’t cost you anything? Boy, I wish . . .” He hesitated.
　　Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.
　　 “I wish,” the boy went on, “That I could be a brother like that.”
　　Paul looked at the boy [2]in astonishment, then impulsively he added,“Would you like to take a ride in my car?”
　　 “Oh yes, I’d love that.”
　　After a short ride, the boy turned with his eyes aglow, said, “Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?”
　　Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. “Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked.
　　He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little [3] crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of [4] squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.
　　 “There she is, [5]buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent. And some day I’m gonna give you one just like it . . . then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”
Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride. 　
That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he said: [6]“It is more blessed to give . . .”

automobile // n. (美) 汽车
urchin // n. 顽童 小孩
jar // (n.) 震动v. 震动，刺激
impulsively // adv. 冲动地
aglow // adj. (脸) 通红的 adv. 发红地
memorable // (adj.) 值得纪念的

我的朋友保罗的哥哥送他一辆新车作为圣诞礼物。圣诞节之夜，保罗离开办公室时，一个男孩绕着那辆闪闪发亮的新车，赞叹着。
　　“先生，这是你的车？”
　　保罗点点头：“这是我哥哥送给我的圣诞节礼物。”男孩满脸惊讶，支支吾吾地说：“你是说这是你哥送的礼物，没花你一分钱？天哪，我真希望……”
　　保罗当然知道男孩希望什么。他希望能有一个那样的哥哥。但是小男孩接下来说的话却完全出乎保罗的意料。
　　“我希望自己就是那样的哥哥，”男孩继续说。
　　保罗惊愕地看着那男孩，冲口而出：“你要不要坐我的车去兜风？”
　　“哦，当然好了，我太想坐了！”
　　车开了一小段路后，那孩子转过头来，眼睛闪闪发亮，对我说：“先生，你能不能把车子开到我家门前？”
　　保罗微笑，他知道孩子想干什么。那男孩必定是要向邻居炫耀，让大家知道他坐了一辆大轿车回家。但是这次保罗又猜错了。“你能不能把车子停在那两个台阶前？”男孩要求道。
　　男孩跑上台阶，过了一会儿保罗听到他回来了，但动作似乎有些缓慢。原来他把他跛脚的弟弟背出来了，将他安置在第一个台阶上，紧紧地抱着他，指着那辆新车。
“你看，这就是我刚才在楼上对你说的那辆新车。这是他哥哥送给他的圣诞礼物哦！他一分钱也没花。将来我也会送你一辆像这样的车，到那时候你就能自己去看那些在圣诞节时挂在窗口上的漂亮饰品，就象我告诉过你的那样。”
　　保罗走下车子，把跛脚男孩抱到车子的前座。兴奋得满眼放光的哥哥也爬上车子，坐在弟弟的身旁。就这样他们三人开始了一次难忘的假日兜风。
那个圣诞夜，保罗才真正体会耶稣所说的“施比受更有福”的道理。

增值英语
1.astounded：astound，使（人）大吃一惊，但它一般多用于被动语态。“He was astounded at the news”那消息让他大吃一惊。

2.in astonishment：和in surprise意思差不多，表示很惊讶。但吃惊的程度要深一些。

3.crippled：cripple即可作名词，也可作动词，意为跛子，或使跛足。在这里用crippled，是用分词做形容词，跛足的。

4.squeezed up against him：squeeze是挤压的意思，在这里，很形象地说明小男孩紧紧抱着跛脚的弟弟，怕他摔倒了。

5.buddy：老兄，老弟。这是美国俚语中常见的说法，一般只用于打招呼。

6.It is more blessed to give：施比受更有福。给予是一种幸福，因为你是富有的，这种富有通常跟财富无关，更主要的是精神上的富有。