substitutes.
6) Morrie was far from better off in material things, but he was wealthy in spiritual ways. For years, Morrie hadn?t bought anything new — except medical equipment. And his bank account was rapidly depleting. But he was rich in love, friendship, caring and he derived plenty of satisfaction and gratification from teaching, communication, and such simple pleasures as singing, laughing, and dancing.
7) He advised us to devote ourselves to loving others, to our community around us, and to creating something that gives us purpose and meaning. In other words, if we want to find a meaningful life, we should be ourselves and never show off either for people at the top or for people at the bottom. Instead, we should be kind and candid and ready to offer others what we have to give.
2. Text A can be divided into four parts, with the paragraph number(s) of each part provided as follows. Write down the main idea of each part.
Paragraph(s) Main Idea
1-3 ________________________________________________ Part One
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
4-9 ________________________________________________ Part Two
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
10-14 ________________________________________________ Part Three
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
15-30 ________________________________________________ Part Four
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
▆ ▆ Answers for Reference:
Paragraph(s) Main Idea
1-3 The author brought Ted Turner?s news story to Morrie for Part One
his opinion.
4-9 Part Two Morrie explained that Ted Turner?s problem was caused by the endlessly repeated stress on the significance of material things.
Part Three
10-14 In order to get happiness, people are trying to substitute material things for love or tenderness, and they fail to distinguish what they want and what they really need in life.
Part Four
15-30 The way to get satisfaction is to offer with an open heart to others what you have to give: devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you 6
Section B In-Depth Study
purpose and meaning.
On his graduation, Mitch Albom, the narrator, told his favorite professor, Morrie Schwartz, that he would keep in touch. However, Mitch didn’t resume the contact with his old professor until one night on TV when he saw Morrie being interviewed in a wheelchair. It turned out that Morrie had developed ALS (重症肌无力), a terminal disease (不治之症). Soon Mitch realized that he still had a lot to learn from his teacher. He visited Morrie every Tuesday until the fourteenth one, when Morrie passed away. On those Tuesdays he had “classes”, where Morrie gave lessons and wisdom to him. The text you are going to read is the eighth Tuesday’s class where Morrie talks about what role money or material things are supposed to play in life.
The Eighth Tuesday We Talk About Money
Mitch Albom
1 I held up the newspaper so that Morrie could see it: 2 “I DON?T WANT MY TOMBSTONE TO READ I NEVER OWNED A NETWORK.” 3 Morrie laughed, then shook his head. The morning sun was coming through the window behind him, falling on the pink flowers of the hibiscus plant that sat on the sill. The quote was from Ted Turner, the billionaire media mogul, founder of CNN, who had been lamenting his inability to snatch up the CBS network in a corporate megadeal. I had brought the story to Morrie this morning because I wondered if Turner ever found himself in my old professor?s position, his breath disappearing, his body turning to stone, his days being crossed off the calendar one by one — would he really be crying over owning a network? 4 “It?s all part of the same problem, Mitch,” Morrie said. “We put our values in the wrong things. And it leads to very disillusioned lives. I think we should talk about that.” 5 Morrie was focused. There were good days and bad days now. He was having a good day. The night before, he had been entertained by a local a cappella group that had come to the house to perform, and he relayed the story excitedly, as if the Ink Spots themselves had dropped by for a visit. Morrie?s love for music was strong even before he got sick, but now it was so intense that it moved him to tears. He would listen to opera sometimes at night, closing his eyes, riding along with the magnificent voices as they dipped and soared. 6 “You should have heard this group last night, Mitch. Such a sound!” 7 Morrie had always been taken with simple pleasures, singing, laughing, dancing. Now, more than ever, material things held little or no significance. When people die, you always hear the expression “You can?t take it with you.” Morrie seemed to know that a long time ago. 8 “We?ve got a form of brainwashing going on in our country,” Morrie sighed. “Do you know how they brainwash people? They repeat something over and over. And that?s what we do in this country. Owning things is good. More money is good. More property is good. More commercialism is good. More is good. More is good. We repeat it — and have it repeated to us — over and over until nobody bothers to even think otherwise. The average person is so fogged up by all this that he has no perspective on what?s really important anymore. 9 “Wherever I went in my life, I met people wanting to gobble up something new. Gobble up a new car. Gobble up a new piece of property. Gobble up the latest toy. And then they wanted to tell you about it. ?Guess what I got? Guess what I got?? 10 “You know how I always interpreted that? These were people so hungry for love that they were accepting substitutes. They were embracing material things and expecting a sort of hug back. But it never works. You can?t substitute material things for love or for gentleness or for tenderness or for a sense of comradeship. 11 “Money is not a substitute for tenderness, and power is not a substitute for tenderness. I can tell you, as I?m sitting here dying, when you most need it, neither money nor power will give you the feeling you?re looking for, no matter how much of them you have.” 12 I glanced around Morrie?s study. It was the same today as it had been the first day I arrived. The
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books held their same places on the shelves. The papers cluttered the same old desk. The outside rooms had not been improved or upgraded. In fact, Morrie really hadn?t bought anything new — except medical equipment — in a long, long time, maybe years. The day he learned that he was terminally ill was the day he lost interest in his purchasing power. 13 So the TV was the same old model, the car that Charlotte drove was the same old model, the dishes and the silverware and the towels — all the same. And yet the house had changed so drastically. It had filled with love and teaching and communication. It had filled with friendship and family and honesty and tears. It had filled with colleagues and students and meditation teachers and therapists and nurses and a cappella groups. It had become, in a very real way, a wealthy home, even though Morrie?s bank account was rapidly depleting. 14 “There?s a big confusion in this country over what we want versus what we need,” Morrie said. “You need food, you want a chocolate sundae. You have to be honest with yourself. You don?t need the latest sports car, you don?t need the biggest house. 15 “The truth is, you don?t get satisfaction from those things. You know what really gives you satisfaction?” What? 16 “Offering others what you have to give.” 17 You sound like a Boy Scout. 18 “I don?t mean money, Mitch. I mean your time. Your concern. Your storytelling. It?s not so hard. There?s a senior center that opened near here. Dozens of elderly people come there every day. If you?re a young man or young woman and you have a skill, you are asked to come and teach it. Say you know computers. You come there and teach them computers. You are very welcome there. And they are very grateful. This is how you start to get respect, by offering something that you have. 19 “There are plenty of places to do this. You don?t need to have a big talent. There are lonely people in hospitals and shelters who only want some companionship. You play cards with a lonely older man and you find new respect for yourself, because you are needed. 20 “Remember what I said about finding a meaningful life? I wrote it down, but now I can recite it: Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning. 21 “You notice,” he added, grinning, “there?s nothing in there about a salary.” 22 I jotted some of the things Morrie was saying on a yellow pad. I did this mostly because I didn?t want him to see my eyes, to know what I was thinking, that I had been, for much of my life since graduation, pursuing these very things he had been railing against — bigger toys, nicer house. Because I worked among rich and famous athletes, I convinced myself that my needs were realistic, my greed trivial compared to theirs. 23 This was a smokescreen. Morrie made that obvious. “Mitch, if you?re trying to show off for people at the top, forget it. They will look down on you anyhow. And if you?re trying to show off for people at the bottom, forget it. They will only envy you. Status will get you nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone. ” 24 He paused, then looked at me. “I?m dying, right?” Yes. 25 “Why do you think it?s so important for me to hear other people?s problems? Don?t I have enough pain and suffering of my own? 26 “Of course I do. But giving to other people is what makes me feel alive. Not my car or my house. Not what I look like in the mirror. When I give my time, when I can make someone smile after they were feeling sad, it?s as close to healthy as I ever feel. 27 “Do the kinds of things that come from the heart. When you do, you won?t be dissatisfied, you won?t be envious, you won?t be longing for somebody else?s things. On the contrary, you?ll be overwhelmed with what comes back.” 28 He coughed and reached for the small bell that lay on the chair. He had to poke a few times at it, and I finally picked it up and put it in his hand. 29 “Thank you,” he whispered. He shook it weakly, trying to get Connie?s attention. 30 “This Ted Turner guy,” Morrie said, “he couldn?t think of anything else for his tombstone?”
▇ 课文参考译文
相约第八个星期二：关于金钱
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米奇·阿尔博姆
1 我举起报纸，让莫里能看见这句话： 2 “我不愿意我的墓碑上刻着 ‘我不曾拥有一个广播电视公司?。” 3 莫里笑了，然后摇摇头。早晨的阳光从他身后的窗户照进来，落在窗台上那株木槿的粉红色花朵上。那句话出自特德·特纳之口。特纳是个亿万富翁、媒体巨头，是有线电视新闻网（CNN）的创始人，因未能在一次公司的巨额交易中攫取哥伦比亚广播公司（CBS）而哀叹唏嘘。今天早上，我把这条新闻带给莫里，因为我想知道，如果特纳身处我的老教授的境地——呼吸渐渐衰竭，身体慢慢僵硬，日子一天天从日历上划掉——他真的会因一个广播公司未得手而悲恸吗？ 4 “这完全属于同一个问题，米奇，” 莫里说。“我们的价值观错了，这导致生活的幻想破灭。我想我们该探讨这个话题。” 5 莫里精神集中。他近来光景时好时坏。这天状态不错。前一天晚上，当地的一个无伴奏演唱组来到他家表演，他很快乐。他兴致勃勃地讲述这件事，仿佛上门来表演的是墨水点乐队。莫里在生病前就酷爱音乐，现在这种热爱更加强烈，他会感动得热泪盈眶。他有时候夜里听歌剧，闭上眼睛，仿佛乘着抑扬美妙的歌声，时而俯冲，时而翱翔。 6 “昨晚你该来听听这个乐队，米奇。如此棒的声音！” 7 莫里一直喜爱简单的乐事，如唱歌、大笑、跳舞。现在与以往相比，物质的东西更加不重要了。当人死的时候，你总会听到这句话：“生不带来，死不带去。”莫里似乎早就明白了这个道理。 8 “在全国范围内，我们一直接受某种形式的洗脑，”莫里叹口气说，“你知道他们如何给人洗脑的吗？他们对你一遍一遍地重复，这就是我们这个国家的做法。拥有东西是好的。钱越多越好，财产越多越好。商业行为越多越好。越多越好。越多越好。我们对别人这么重复着——也让别人这么对着我们重复着——一遍又一遍，直到人人都懒得换一个思路。每个人都被这一切雾一般地笼罩着，再也看不清什么才是重要的。 9 “我这一生无论去哪里，都遇到渴望占有新东西的人。急速买辆新车。迅速获得一笔财产。慌忙购得最新式的玩具。他们接着就想向你炫耀，?猜我买了什么？猜我买了什么？? 10 “你知道我对此是如何理解的吗?这些人渴望得到爱，于是就接受替代品。他们满心欢喜地接受着物质东西，期待类似于拥抱的感情回报。可是，不管用。你无法用物质代替爱、柔情、温情、甚至是志同道合的感觉。 11 “金钱无法替代温情，权力也无法替代温情。我作为将死之人坐在这里，可以对你说，当你最需要温情时，金钱或权势，无论你拥有多少，都无法把你正在寻觅的这份情感给予你。” 12 我环顾莫里的书房，和我第一次来的时候没有两样。书放在书架上同样的地方。资料同样堆在那张旧书桌上。外面的房间也未曾有什么改善。事实上，在很长的时间，也许是好多年，除医疗器械以外，莫里真的没买过一样新东西。从他知道自己得了绝症的那一天起，他就对自己的购买力不再有兴趣。 13 因此，还是那个老款式的电视机，夏洛特还开着那辆老款汽车，碟子、餐具、毛巾——一切如旧。然而，这座房子却发生了巨大的变化。它充满了爱、教诲和交流；充满了友情、亲情、真诚和眼泪；充满了同事、学生、冥想师、治疗专家、护士和无伴奏组合。从真正的意义上说，它成了一个非常富有的家，尽管莫里银行账户里的金额在迅速减少。 14 “在我们国家，我们严重地混淆了想要什么和需要什么。”莫里说，“你需要的是食物，
可结果你想要的却是巧克力圣代冰激凌。你必须对自己诚实。你不需要最新款式的跑车，你也不需要最大的房子。 15 “事实是，你不能从这些东西上得到满足。你知道什么才能给你真正的满足吗？”是什么？ 16 “把该付出的给与别人。” 17 听起来像个童子军说的话。 18 “我不是说金钱，米奇。我说的是，你花时间关心别人，和别人交谈。这没有那么难。这附近
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开了一个老人中心，每天有几十位老人去那里。如果你年轻，且有一门才艺，你就会受邀来这儿上课。比如，你懂得计算机，你去那里教他们计算机。他们非常欢迎你，感激你。你奉献你有的东西，就这样，你开始赢得尊重。 19 “有许多地方可以这样做。你不需要有很高的天赋。医院和收容所里那些孤独的人们，他们只需要有人陪伴。和一个年老而孤独的人打打牌，你就能重获尊重，因为有人需要你。 20 “还记得我曾说过的关于寻找人生意义的那几句话吗？我写下来了，而且现在能背诵：奉献自己，关爱他人；奉献自己，为社区作贡献；奉献自己，营造有目的、有意义的人生。 21 “你会发现，”他露齿一笑，继续说，“这里没有提及薪水。” 22 我在黄色便签簿上记下莫里说的一些话。我这么做，主要是因为我不想让他看见我的眼睛，看透我的心思，看出我毕业后大半生中一直是何等人——一直追求他所斥责的每一样东西：更大的玩具，更好的房屋。因为我在闻名而富有的运动员当中工作，我曾深信，和他们相比，我的需求实实在在，而我的贪心微不足道。 23 这是一道烟幕，而莫里一手拨开了烟雾。“米奇，如果你试图向社会顶层的人炫耀，别抱希望。他们无论如何都会鄙视你。如果你试图向社会底层的人炫耀，也打消这个念头。他们只会嫉妒你。社会地位帮不了你，只有一颗敞开的心能让你自在而平等地与人共处。” 24 他停下来，然后看看我。“我要死了，是吗？” 是的。 25 “你想，为什么倾听别人的难处对我这么重要？难道我自己没有足够的疼痛和苦难？ 26 “当然有。但是对别人付出让我感到自己活着。车，房子，镜中的模样，都给不了我这种感觉。当我付出时间，使原本悲伤的人脸上绽放笑容，我感到自己几乎又健康如初了。 27 “所做的事情必须发自内心。这么做，你就不会流露不满，不会嫉妒，不会渴望得到别人的东西。相反，如果这么做了，你会因为回报而激动不已。” 28 他咳嗽起来，伸手要拿椅子上的小铃铛。他的手试了几次，最后我拿起铃铛，放在他手里。 29 “谢谢，”他低声说。他无力地摇摇铃铛，想叫康妮过来。 30 “那个叫特德·特纳的家伙，”莫里说，“难道他不能为自己的墓碑想点别的什么吗？”
Good Usage (Para. 3)
snatch up
a corporate megadeal
found himself in my old professor?s position his body turning to stone
his days being crossed off the calendar one by one crying over
Good Usage (Paras. 4-5)
It?s all part of the same problem. put our values in the wrong things disillusioned lives relayed the story dropped by for a visit moved him to tears dipped and soared
Good Usage (Paras. 6-7)
been taken with simple pleasures held little or no significance
Good Usage (Paras. 8-9)
nobody bothers to even think otherwise is so fogged up
has no perspective on
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