登陆注册
670800000029

第29章 A Walk in The Woods (1)

·Justin·

I was puzzled! Why was this old woman making such a fuss about an old copse which was of no use to anybody? She had written letters to the local paper,even to a national,protesting about a projected by-pass to her village,and,looking at a map,the route was nowhere near where she lived and it wasn’t as if the area was attractive. I was more than puzzled,I was intrigued.

The enquiry into the route of the new by-pass to the village was due to take place shortly,and I wanted to know what it was that motivated her. So it was that I found myself knocking on a cottage door,being received by Mary Smith and then being taken for a walk to the woods.

“I’ve always loved this place”,she said,“it has a lot of memories for me,and for others. We all used it. They called it ‘Lovers lane’. It’s not much of a lane,and it doesn’t go anywhere important,but that’s why we all came here. To be away from people,to be by ourselves”she added.

It was indeed pleasant that day and the songs of many birds could be heard. Squirrels gazed from the branches,quite bold in their movements,obviously few people passed this way and they had nothing to fear. I could imagine the noise of vehicles passing through these peaceful woods when the by-pass was built,so I felt that she probably had something there but as I hold strong opinions about the needs of the community over-riding the opinions of private individuals,I said nothing. The village was quite a dangerous place because of the traffic especially for old people and children,their safety was more important to me than an old woman’s whims.

“Take this tree”,she said pausing after a short while.“To you it is just that,a tree. Not unlike many others here”. She gently touched the bark.“Look here,under this branch,what can you see?”

“It looks as if someone has done a bit of carving with a knife”I said after a cursory inspection.

“Yes,that’s what it is!”she said softly.“There are letters and a lover’s heart”.

I looked again,this time more carefully. The heart was still there and there was a suggestion of an arrow through it. The letters on one side were indistinct,but on the other an‘R’was clearly visible with what looked like an ‘I’after it.“Some budding romance?”I asked,“did you know who they were?”

“Oh yes,I knew them”,said Mary Smith,“it says RH loves MS”.

I realized that I could be getting out of my depth,and longed to be in my office,away from here and this old lady,snug,and with a mug of tea in my hand.

She went on ...“He had a penknife with a spike for getting stones from a horse’s hoof,and I helped him to carve my initials. We were very much in love,but he was going away,and could not tell me what he was involved in the army. I had guessed of course. It was the last evening we ever spent together,because he went away the next day,back to his Unit.”

Mary Smith was quiet for a while,then she sobbed.“His mother showed me the telegram. ‘Sergeant R Holmes ... Killed in action in the invasion of France’”.

“‘I had hoped that you and Robin would one day get married”she said,“He was my only child,and I would have loved to be a Granny,they would have been such lovely babies’—she was like that!”

“Two years later she too was dead. ‘Pneumonia,following a chill on the chest’was what the doctor said,but I think it was an old fashioned broken heart. A child would have helped both of us.”

There was a further pause. Mary Smith gently caressed the wounded tree,just as she would have caressed him.“And now they want to take our tree away from me.”Another quiet sob,then she turned to me.“I was young and pretty then,I could have had anybody,I wasn’t always the old woman you see here now. I had everything I wanted in life,a lovely man,health and a future to look forwards to”.

同类推荐
  • 英文爱藏:打开生命的窗

    英文爱藏:打开生命的窗

    人生于世,不过是匆匆过客。急急流年,滔滔逝水。生命中没有什么恒久不变的风景。我们的理智使我们一次次看透人生,我们的激情又使我们一次次重受蒙蔽。生命原本就是一场得失共存的行走,既然来走了这一遭,那就千山万水,随意行去。透过这一篇篇的哲理故事,打开通向灵魂的窗户,在一花一木中抵达生命的豁然之境。作为双语读物,《打开生命的窗》为中英双语对照版,既是英语学习爱好者、文学爱好者的必备读物,也是忙碌现代人的一片憩息心灵的家园,让读者在欣赏原法原味和凝练生动的英文时,还能多角度、深层次地品读语言特色与艺术之美,再配合文章后附加的多功能、全方位巩固题型,更有助于理解并学习英文。
  • 365天日常口语放口袋

    365天日常口语放口袋

    《365天日常口语放口袋》以简单、实用作为选材标准,内容取材十分广泛,均以生活中真实发生的实景为蓝本。以句型为基础,将各个单元主题中常见的句型进行归纳和讲解。
  • 那些年,那些诗(每天读一点英文)

    那些年,那些诗(每天读一点英文)

    《每天读一点英文:那些年,那些诗(诗歌卷)(英汉对照)》精选《乡愁》、《面朝大海,春暖花开》、《西风颂》、《一见钟情》等中外名诗,让你在诵读名句中,感受隽永的情谊!
  • 临时应急会话宝典

    临时应急会话宝典

    本书主要是为英语口语学习者准备的,以句子的形式表达各种情况。句子中包括了实用的词汇及短语。对于有相同说法的词语或句子,书中也做了说明。本书以主题划分,分为十大主题,主题以下又划分为具体的状况,比如:逛街购物时如何讨价还价,挑选衣服;面试找工作时,应聘者如何自我介绍,面试者如何提问;身在外国时需要去药店、去医院等等,涉及日常生活、工作、出国等方方面面,读者可以很轻松地找到应急的那句话。同时还配备MP3,让你听到原汁原味的英音。
  • 谜语绕口令英语

    谜语绕口令英语

    谜语和绕口令是英语文学中两种比较独特的语言艺术形式。前者既饶有情趣,又可以启发心智,增进思考和想像能力;后者结构巧妙,诙谐风趣,富有音乐性,最适合口头背诵,深受广大英语读者的喜爱。
热门推荐
  • 康熙大帝:乱起萧墙

    康熙大帝:乱起萧墙

    《乱起萧墙》是《康熙大帝》的第四卷,着重描写了康熙选择皇储及诸皇子为争当皇储而互相倾轧的事。 康熙晚年出现了许多弊政。如官吏们贪脏枉法,冤案迭起;皇亲旧勋们借支库银,国库亏空;田赋不均,土地高度集中。康熙曾派人多次清理整顿,皆因皇太子胤懦弱无能,贪色好淫,不谙政务,忙于党争,只好半途而废。康熙对此十分不满,不得不将他废黜,以后又立,再立再废。众皇子趁机作乱,拉帮结党,争当皇太子,以致引起兄弟阋墙。康熙后来索性“放鹿中原”,任其相互逐鹿。四皇子胤一向待人刻薄,人称“冷面王”,由于谋士邬思道的指点,他在革除弊政中,政绩显著,被康熙选中。康熙立下谴诏:传位于四皇子,即为以后的雍正皇帝。
  • 鏖兵台儿庄

    鏖兵台儿庄

    蒋介石是当时中国军队的最高统帅,他调兵遣将,任命李宗仁为第五战区司令长官,策定津浦线防御战;他下令处决韩复榘;他同李宗仁及台儿庄前线各高级将领保持密切的电报联系;在台儿庄最危险的时刻,他亲临前线巡视;在举国欢庆台儿庄大捷时,他通电全国,告诫军民保持清醒头脑,“闻胜勿骄”。
  • 长生仙道

    长生仙道

    后世宅男重生仙侠世界,再掀修仙狂潮!得夺灵异宝,吞噬万千灵气,造无穷丹药!!承血帝功法,跳脱诸天轮回,证长生仙道!!叙写一段荆棘丛生,路途坎坷的修仙之旅,且看林进一个血魔宫的无名小卒,是如何……
  • 让钱流进你的口袋

    让钱流进你的口袋

    瑞奇曼,经济学硕士。常审视自己的经营理念并以“投资之神”巴菲特和“管理大师”大前研一为师,反复思考后发现,成为富人,不能只靠钱滚钱,更重要的是观念的转变。他的座右铭是:“好的观念能让你以小搏大,不好的观念则会让你因小失大。”
  • 老干部工作实录

    老干部工作实录

    干部是党和国家的宝贵财富,挖掘利用好这一群体的丰富资源,是做好新形势下老干部工作和关心下一代工作的重要内容,是推动科学发展,促进社会和谐的内在要求,《老干部工作实录》全书主要积累了服务老干部的一些工作方法。
  • 苦夏

    苦夏

    丫豆儿由年迈的爷爷照料,她对爹娘的思念只能寄托于一根电话线;她被全叔性骚扰,她听人议论爹娘在城里干见不得人的勾当,这些给她幼小的心灵蒙上了阴影……
  • 这样说别人才会愿意听 这样做别人才会重视你

    这样说别人才会愿意听 这样做别人才会重视你

    谁都想让自己说的话有人听,都想让自己做的事情被人重视,那么如何去说、去做就是个需要认真考虑的问题。一个人是否具有良好的人缘,是否受到别人的欢迎,是否能够得到他人的大力支持,不仅受到其地位和出身的影响,更取决于他是否学会了说话做事的艺术。这也就是为什么在现实生活中,有些人虽然才华横溢,却总是四处碰壁,步履维艰;而有些人尽管资质平庸,却能够步步为营,无往不利。很多人为此困惑,迷茫,而本书就是为了解决这个问题。本书从说话的技巧和做事的诀窍入手,告诉人们说话做事如何才能有效率,以生动的例子和含义深刻的评述告诉读者说话有人愿意听,做事有人重视的奥秘所在。"
  • 群众工作力

    群众工作力

    《群众工作力》由洪向华主编。围绕保持党的先进性和纯洁性,在全党深入开展以为民务实清廉为主要内容的党的群众路线教育实践活动,着力解决人民群众反映强烈的突出问题,提高做好新形势下群众工作的能力。党在自己的工作中实行群众路线,一切为了群众,一切依靠群众,从群众中来,到群众中去,把党的正确主张变为群众的自觉行动。我们党的最大政治优势是密切联系群众,党执政后的最大危险是脱离群众。党风问题、党同人民群众联系问题是关系党生死存亡的问题。人民是历史的创造者,群众是真正的英雄。人民群众是我们力量的源泉。我们深深知道,每个人的力量是有限的,但只要我们万众一心、众志成城,就没有克服不了的困难;
  • 血色码头

    血色码头

    本书以抗日战争时期的水旱码头--古镇碛口为背景,讲述了当地盛、程两大家族,八路军,晋绥军的10个主要人物的爱恨情仇与可歌可泣的故事。作者以风土人情的笔风描写各位主人公的传奇故事,为读者重现了一个存在于过去的碛口,同时用朴实的带有山西风味的语言,把一个个活生生的碛口人带到读者面前。
  • 妖有妖道

    妖有妖道

    事情的发展便超出了他的控制……--情节虚构,请勿模仿,认为有必要整顿一下妖部内部懒惰成性不求上进的现状,于是把小道姑设计陷害,妖皇看上了认真上进的小道姑。带到了妖界