高中英语教学：birth of a sister

BIRTHOFASISTER

ByTanShih-hua

Myuncle'sschoolmovedtoanothertemple-alittlelargerthantheoldone,but

furtherawayfromourhouse.Topreventmefromgettingtootired,walkingtoandfromthe

school,hetookmetolivewithhim,andsentmehomeeverySaturday.Headoptedthe

Europeanmethodofholidays.Inhisschool,justasinthepublicschools,wehadoneday

aweekforrest.InprivateschoolsthepupilshadtositovertheirbooksfromoneChinese

holidaytoanother,andholidaysinChinaareasrareasspringsinadesert.

OneweekdayIwascalledoutfromtheclass.Ourmaidwaswaitingforme.I

gatheredthatsomethingmustbewrongwithmymother.Wehadamaidinthehouseonly

ondayswhenmotherwasunabletowork.Iwalkedhomeinagreathurry.Onthewaythe

maidtoldmenewswhichIhadnotexpectedatall.

“Yourmotherhasborneyouasister."

Iwasglad;Ihadalwaysbeensolonelyathome.

Themaidturnedmeovertomygrandmother.Craftilyandsolemnlytheoldwoman

ledmeintomother'sroom.Mymotherwaslyingsilentonherbed.Shewaspaleandthin.

Herarmswerestretchedoutonthecover.Afunnylittlebitofabedstoodnexttohers.

Somethingwrappedinwhiteandmadeentirelyoflittleballsandwrinkleswasinit.

“Alittlegirl,"saidmygrandmother.

Iwantedtotouchmylittlesister,butmygrandmotherwouldnotletme.Havingfailed

inthis,Idecidedtogoimmediatelytoastoreandgethersomesweets.Mygrandmother

satdownonmymother'sbedandreleasedherhigh,thinlaughter.Shewouldstop,lookat

me,thenlaughagain.Ipaiddearlyforthosesweets.Mygrandmotherlovedtoteaseme.

Isaidtoher,ultisnicetohaveagirl.^^

“No,itisverybad,“shesaid."HereinSzechwan,wehavetogiveadowrywiththe

bride.Itisjustanexpense.ItwouldbedifferentifwewerelivinginKiangsu—therepeople

paythebride'sfamily.^^

Ididnotagreewithmygrandmother.Butshedidnotcare.Shewaslaughingagain,

probablyrememberingthosesweets.

Carefulnottospillit,themaidbroughtmymotherabowlofboiledchicken.Every

womaninChinagetsboiledchickenforafewdaysafterherlabor.Chickenisgood.I

lookedlonginglyatthebowl.Motherputmenexttoheronthebed,andweatethe

chickentogether.

Takingawaytheemptybowl,mygrandmotherlookedatme,andsaidseriouslyand

inabusinesslikemanner,uReally,Shih-hua,itwouldnotbebadifyourmotherboreyoua

sisterorabrothereveryyear;thenyouwouldeatchickenquiteoften.

Amonthlater,ourhousewasbuzzingwithrelatives.Suchalotofthem.Mymother

waswalkingabout,sweetandaffable,butstillwhiteandthin,althoughshehadnot

workedallthatmonth.Sheenteredthesittingroomwithmylittlesisterinherarms,andall

therelatives,oneafteranother,cameuptoherandtouchedthelittlebig-eyedgirl,whose

smallstomachwascoveredwitharedflannelapron-aprotectionagainstthecold.The

relativesarguedaboutwhosenosethelittlegirlwasgoingtohave,whoseeyes,whose

mouth.Theywishedhergoodfortune.

“Mayshegrowuptobeasintelligentashermother.”

"Mayshebecomeagoodhostess/5

“MayshebethemostbeautifulbrideinHsien-Shih.^^

“Shewillbeafamousauthoress.

Thislastwishwasexpressedbymyelderuncle.Iknewitbecause,beinghimself

fondofwriting,healwayssaidthesamethingtoeverynew-bornbaby.

Theinspectionwasover,thelittlegirlwaswrappedupagainandcarriedaway.The

relativespresentedmymotherwithgifts.Therewereeggsinwovenbaskets,cackling

hens,bagsofsugar,selectedrice-beautifulrice,whichonewouldliketostringona

threadandwearforanecklace,sobeautifulitwas-andsweets....

Mygrandmotherglancedfromthebagofsweetstome,andbeganlaughingagain.

Theprocessionofrelativesmovedtothediningroom.Atthetable,thereturngifts

fromourfamilyweredistributed,eachrelativereceivingtworedeggs.Iwassad;wedid

nothaveenoughmoney,soIcouldnotstickagilt-paperhieroglyphicmeaning“luck”on

theeggs.

Ayearlater,onmysister'sbirthdaythesamerelativesagaincrowdedintoourhouse.

Aredtableclothwasputonatableinthesittingroom,andallsortsofobjectswerespread

out:aneedleandthread,asaucepan,ateapot,apaint-brush,aninkpot,aknife,abookof

verses,abookofstories,aflexiblefencing-foil,apieceofprintedsilk.

Thenthelittlegirl,who,inherembarrassment,wastryingtostickherfootintoher

mouth,wasbroughttothetable,toseewhatobjectshewouldpickupfirst.Ifshetakesa

brush,shewillbeanauthoress;ifshegrabsatasaucepan,shewillbeahousewife;ifshe

touchessilk,shewillbeawell-dressedwoman;ifshepicksupafoil,shewillmakeherself

famousasaheroineorachieftain.

Idon'tknowwhatobjectmylittlesisterchose.Judgingbythefactthatsheisnowin

PekingUniversity,andshowsagreatdealofinterestinliterature,shemusthavechosena

brushorabook.However,shewasanieceoftwoteachers.Somanybooksandsomuch

stationerywerepiledupthatdayontheredcloththattheinsignificantneedleandthread

hadnochanceofgettingintothehandsoflittleShih-kuen.

Inthosedays,shewastheimportantpersoninthehouse.ButIdidnotmind.Iwas

grownup.Iwassixyearsolderthanshe.

1.adoptedtheEuropeanmethodofholidays

2.sitovertheirbooks

3.asrareasspringsinadesert.

4.Igatheredthatsomethingmustbewrongwithmymother.

5.turnedmeovertomygrandmother

6.craftilyandsolemnly

7.releasedherhigh,thinlaughter

8.teaseme

9.giveadowrywiththebride

10.anexpense

11.afterherlabor

12.lookedlonginglyatthebowl

13.Amonthlater,ourhousewasbuzzingwithrelatives.

14.sweetandaffable

15.wishedhergoodfortune

16.Theinspectionwasover.

17.waswrappedupagain

18.string...onathread

19.Theprocessionofrelatives

20.Thesamerelativesaqaincrowdedintoourhouse.

21.stickherfootintohermouth

22.makeherselffamousasaheroine

23.Somanybooksandsomuchstationery

24.theinsignificantneedleandthread

25.Wehadamaidinthehouseonlyondaysmotherwasunabletowork.

26.OnthewaythemaidtoldmenewsIhadnotexpectedatall.

27.Herarms(stretch)outonthecover.

28.Something(wrap)inwhiteand(make)entirelyoflittleballsand

wrinkles(be)init.

29.(fail)inthis,Idecidedtogoimmediatelytoastoreandgethersomesweets.

30.Shewaslaughingagain,probably(remember)thosesweets.

31.(take)awaytheemptybowl,mygrandmotherlookedatme,andsaid

seriouslyandinabusinesslikemanner,uReally,Shih-hua,it(notbe)badif

yourmother(bear)youasisterorabrothereveryyear;thenyou

(eat)chickenquiteoften.55

32.Alltherelatives,oneafteranother,cam