【现代大学英语精读】（第一册）第一课 半天(2/5)

英语自学网

选自美国作家Naguib Mahfous的短篇小说《半天》的一到七段。文章描述了一个小学生去学校学习的半天，然而回来却已经翻天覆地的变化了，甚至自己还有外孙了，耐人寻味。
Hints：有引号I took a few steps. Then the faces of the boys and girls came into view. I did not know a single one of them, and none of them knew me. I felt I was a stranger who had lost his way. But then some boys began to glance at me in curiosity, and one of them came over and asked ":Who brought you? "
     "My father," I whispered.
     "My father's dead," he said simply.
　　I did not know what to say. The gate was now closed. Some of the children burst into tears. The bell rang. A lady came along, followed by a group of men. The men began sorting us into ranks. We were formed into an intricate pattern in the great courtyard surrounded by high buildings; from each floor we were overlooked by a long balcony roofed in wood.
　　"This is your new home, "said the woman. "There are mothers and fathers here, too. Everything that is enjoyable and beneficial is here. So dry your tears and face life joyfully."
　　Well, it seemed that my misgivings had had no basis. From the first moments I made many friends and fell in love with many girls. I had never imagined that school would have this rich variety of experiences.