现代大学英语精读Book4-Unit6课文.pdf

Book4-Unit5

TextA

TheTelephone

AnwarF.Accawi

1.WhenIwasgrowingupinMagdaluna,asmallLebanesevillageintheterraced,rocky

mountainseastofSidon,timedidntmeanmuchtoanybody,exceptmaybetothosewho

weredying.Inthosedays,therewasnorealneedforacalendarorawatchtokeeptrackofthe

hours,days,months,andyears.Weknewwhattodoandwhentodoit,justastheIraqigeese

knewwhentoflynorth,drivenbythehotwindthatblewinfromthedesert.Theonlytimepiece

wehadneedofthenwasthesun.Itroseandset,andtheseasonsrolledbyandwesowed

seedandharvestedandateandplayedandmarriedourcousinsandhadbabieswhogot

whoopingcoughandchickenpox—andthosechildrenwhosurvivedgrewupandmarriedtheir

cousinsandhadbabieswhogotwhoopingcoughandchickenpox.Welivedandlovedand

toiledanddiedwithouteverneedingtoknowwhatyearitwas,oreventhetime

ofday.

2.Itwasntthatwehadnosystemforkeepingtrackoftimeandoftheimportanteventsinour

lives.Butourswasanaturalor,rather,adivine—calendar,becauseitwasframedbyactsof

God:earthquakesanddroughtsandfloodsandlocustsandpestilences.Simpleasourcalendar

was,itworkedjustfineforus.

3.Take,forexample,thebirthdateofTetaImKhalil,theoldestwomaninMagdalunaandallTake,forexample,thebirthdateofTetaImKhalil,theoldestwomaninMagdalunaandall

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7.Well,thatwasenoughforme.Youcouldntbemoreaccuratethanthat,now,couldyou?

8.Andthatsthewayitwasinourlittlevillageforasfarbackasanybodycouldremember.Oneof

themostunusualofthedateswaswhenawhirlwindstruckduringwhichfisha