Unit 8 善良女孩的一米阳光
①Then one day, I met a girl, a wonderful girl, an army nurse, whose faith and stability were to change my whole life. ②As our acquaintance ripened into friendship, she discerned, behind a shell of gaiety, my recurring plateaus of depression. ③She said, "Stop knocking on closed doors. ④Keep up your beautiful music. ⑤I know your opportunity will come. ⑥You're trying too hard. ⑦Why don't you relax, and have you ever tried praying? "
⑧The idea was strange to me. ⑨It sounded too simple. ⑩Somehow, I had always operated on the premise that, if you wanted something in this world, you had to go out and get it for yourself.⑪Yet, sincerity and hard work had yielded only meager returns, and I was willing to try anything.⑫Experimentally, self-consciously, I cultivated the daily practice of prayer.⑬I said: God, show me the purpose for which you sent me to this world.⑭Help me to be of use to myself and to humanity.
⑮In the years to follow, the answers began to arrive, clear and satisfying beyond my most optimistic anticipation. ⑯One of the answers was Enchanted Hills, where my nurse friend and I have the privilege of seeing blind children come alive in God's out-of-doors.
Key words and phrases
stability [stəˈbɪlətɪ] n．稳定性
acquaintance [əˈkweɪntəns] n．熟人
experimentally[ɪkˌsperɪˈmentəlɪ]ad．实际上，实验地
optimistic[ˌɒptɪˈmɪstɪk]a．乐观的
句构分析
译 直到有一天，我遇见一个女孩，一个了不起的女孩，她是一名随军护士，她的信念和执著将改变我的一生。
结构分析 本句是整段的中心句，后面又详细介绍了作者与女孩之间发生的故事。
译 我们相识发展出友谊，她也慢慢察觉出，在快乐的外表之下，我的内心却时常愁云密布。
译 她对我说：“停止敲已经锁紧的门。”
④Keep up your beautiful music.
译 坚持你的美好的音乐梦想。
译 我相信机会终将来临。
译 你太辛苦了。
译 为何你不放松一下，你有没有试过祈祷？
译 我从未想到过祈祷。
译 听起来太天真了。
译 不知怎的，我的行事准则都是，如果你想得到世界上的某样东西，你就必须靠自己去努力争取。
译 然而，从前的热诚和辛劳回报甚微，我什么都愿意尝试。
译 虽然有些不自在，我尝试着每天都祷告。
译 我说：上帝啊，你派我来到世上，请告诉我你赐予我的使命。
译 帮帮我，让我于人于己都有用处。
译 在接下来的几年里，我得到了清晰而令人满意的回答，超出了我最乐观的预期。
译 其中一个回答就是魔山盲人休闲营地，在那里，我和我的护士朋友每年都有幸看到失明的孩子们在大自然的怀抱中是多么生气勃勃。