美国故事 SENEWS-2007-1229-FEATURE

Now, a VOA Special English story for the New Year. It is called "Bright Hill". Our storyteller is Shep O'Neal.

A few days before Christmas, Chantal Yardley visited Jacob Samuels in the old people's home.

"Do you know they aim to blow it up?" said Mr. Samuels as he looked out a window. His face was nearly the same red as the hanging Christmas decorations. He was angry at the thought that the house on Bright Hill, the shelter¹ of his happy years when his wife Irma was alive, his house, was to be destroyed. "The people who bought the house said it would be a fine place to raise their children. If my wife was alive she would not talk to me for a year."

Chantal tried to change the subject. "Do you know it has been almost thirty years?" she asked the old man.

"I remember," said Jacob Samuels, "Irma and I spent the whole week before calling the people in the community trying to put together a welcome for you."

"A week?"

"Yep, " answered the old man quietly, "We saw what was going on with the riots² in the big cities and all the wrong people with guns from the South. We thought all that was not the friendly American way."

Chantal remembered being a little afraid thirty years ago, no black family had ever lived in the Bright Hill community. Her husband Rafe was leading the big moving truck driving their small blue car. Rafe stopped the car when they saw fifteen or twenty people in front of their new home on Tully Lane³. Someone stepped toward⁴ them in the street. Chantal held her throat with fright⁵. Then, a man in front of their new house held up a sign written in big colorful letters. It said "Welcome!" people motioned⁶ with hands for Rafe to drive on up. When Rafe and Chantal Yardley stepped out onto their new property⁷, people hurried up to them and shook their hands. The man holding the ''Welcome'' sign said he was Jacob Samuels from the house at the top of Bright Hill. People filled Chantal's and Rafe's arms with sweets, cooked dinners and more. There was so much food.

"What a day that was!" said Chantal. "What a day!" agreed Jacob Samuels.

It was a beautiful community. Children could walk to school or play happily up at the Samuels's house, and their parents need not worry if the children were safe. Most important, nobody wanted to move out of the Bright Hill community just because people moved in who were a little different.

"Remember Mrs. Hancock’s picture in the newspaper?" asked Chantal.

"Sure do," answered Jacob Samuels with a smile, "when Mr. and Mrs. Ho came from Vietnam⁸ and we drew a little Buddha⁹ on their welcome sign."

"Then the men in white cloth came," said Chantal.

One morning there were men standing¹⁰ in front of the whole family's house. The men were covered from head to toe in white cloth with holes cut out for their eyes. One of the men held up a wood cross and set fire to it. All the people in the other houses on Tully Lane ran out their doors and toward Mr. and Mrs. Ho's house. Bob Hobart carried a long iron-point African war weapon. Jacob Samuels came running wearing a silver Swedish¹¹ war hat, carrying a meat cutting knife high in his right hand. The men in white cloth were much surprised by the sudden¹² appearance¹³ of more than fifty people. White cloth flew everywhere as these men of hate ran off in all directions. Old Mrs. Hancock threw a stick under the feet of a white cloth flying around the corner of her house. The man fell. Mrs. Hancock jumped from her front steps onto the man's back and hit him with an empty flour can. Jake Griffin had to pull her off the man. Later, Jake said he never knew a seventy-eight-year-old woman could be that strong.

The next day, a newspaper ran a picture of Mrs. Hancock without her false teeth. Under the picture was printed the words: Bright Hill Hero. From then on, everybody in the country knew about Bright Hill. Somebody called it "the community that hates hate". That description stuck.

Old Mrs. Hancock died the next year. The Alavis bought her house. They had fled¹⁴ Iran when the Ayatollah took over. The Shens from Kunming China moved into the community soon after. Then the Ankolis from Uganda, the Kummars from Bombay India, the Santiagos from Nicaragua. There were parties for all the new people, in the streets or in the house on Bright Hill. And after the battle of the white cloths, the community held some kind of celebration¹⁵ almost every week. Now someone was going to tear down the house on Bright Hill.

In the quiet week between Christmas and the New Years, Jacob Samuels sat and thought about his old house. On a day not long after, Chantal called Jacob Samuels. "Rafe says maybe the town officials can declare the house a historic¹⁶ building," said Chantal on the telephone, "that way it could not be torn down. He is going to talk with a friend in the government." The next morning Rafe hurried off to talk with the town officials. Chantal was leaving for work.

A funny figure on a bicycle came riding up Tully Lane wearing a shiny¹⁷ hat and a big red cloth tied around his neck. Chantal laughed. It was Jacob Samuels. Mr. Samuels waved and shouted, "They thought no one would notice if they came in soft like and started tearing down the house." He pointed¹⁸ behind him at a big earthmover and two trucks coming up Tully Lane.

Mr. Samuels got off the bicycle at his old front door and pulled his special meat knife from under his neck cloth. The workman¹⁹ driving the earthmover tried to talk with him. But Mr. Samuels would not let the man come close. The workmen²⁰ talked together quietly for a while, then they climbed into their vehicles²¹, started their engines and drove²² toward different parts of the little house. Mr. Samuels was everywhere at once, throwing himself in front of the earthmover or a threatening truck. He moved very fast for an old man. Again, other people in the community came out of their doors just as on the day of the white cloths. Fred Jenson wanted to know what was going on. Chantal told him some men had come to tear down the Samuels's house on Bright Hill.

"In a pig's eye, not if I can help it," Fred shouted and he broke into a run.

Jacob Samuels took the red cloth from around his neck to wave and defend his house like a Spanish bullfighter. Then, one of the trucks drove straight at Jacob. Jacob was slow to move. The truck just missed hitting him. The driver could not turn the truck in time and ran into the side of the house on Bright Hill. The little house shook. Everybody stopped short, even the trucks and the earthmover. Rafe Yardley drove his blue car slowly through the crowd, stopped and climbed out. He held up a paper.

"Judge Martin Klein signed a court order this morning," he said, "nothing can be done to this house until Judge Klein has a hearing about it. The town officials will meet after the New Year holiday. There are enough votes so Bright Hill will be named as a historic house."

Jacob Samuels looked at the sad little house with its now broken windows and fallen stones. "Now I have to buy it back," he said, "but I do not have enough money."

"We have some saved," said Rafe as he looked toward Chantal. Then Mrs. Shen stepped forward, "We have some extra too, Mr. Samuels. You will take and my husband can help with the work." All over the little hill, people began to speak up offering²³ money and willing²⁴ hands to work, even one of the workmen. Church bells far off played ''Joy to The World''.

Rafe stepped to his open car. ''The people of France make a wonderful drink called champagne²⁵.'' He smiled. "I was saving²⁶ this for New Year's Eve, but December 29th is close enough." Rafe opened some bottles and passed them into the crowd. The church bells far away played ''Should Old Friendships be Forgot''.

Then, Rafe turned to Jacob Samuels, held a bottle high and said in a loud voice, "Here's to Jacob Samuels and all the people of the Bright Hill community. You are the spirit of the real America." And the voices of the Yardley family, and the Shen family, and the Kummar family, and the voices of all the people who came to Bright Hill from all around the world rose up to meet the bells with happy shouts and bright song.

 

1 shelter   

n.掩蔽，掩蔽处，避身处；庇护所，避难所，庇护；vt.庇护，保护，隐匿；vi.躲避

参考例句：

• We took shelter from the rain in a cave.我们在一个山洞里避雨。
• Trees are a shelter from the sun.树木可以遮挡阳光。

2 riots   

n. 暴乱, 骚乱, 暴动 vi. 骚乱, 闹事

参考例句：

• the instigators of the riots 煽动骚乱的人
• The riots are a clear manifestation of the people's discontent. 骚乱清楚地表明了人们的不满情绪。

3 lane   

n.(乡间)小路(巷)；车(跑，泳)道；航道

参考例句：

• There is a shop at the end of this lane.这条胡同的顶头有一家商店。
• The champion is running in lane five.冠军跑在第五跑道上。

4 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

5 fright   

n.惊骇；吃惊

参考例句：

• A tree fell on the house and gave him a fright.一棵树倒在房子上，吓了他一大跳。
• She turned pale with fright.她吓得面色刷白。

6 motioned   

vt.打手势（motion的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• When the doorman motioned them away, they took no notice. 当门卫示意让他们离开时，他们没注意。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He motioned me to a seat. 他示意我坐下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 property   

n.财产，所有物，所有权，性质，特性，（小）道具

参考例句：

• He has made over his property to a hospital.他已将财产转交给了一家医院。
• Oil has the property of floating on water.油有浮在水上的特性。

8 Vietnam   

n.越南

参考例句：

• Vietnam is suffering from food shortage.越南正遭受食物短缺之苦。
• Laos is on the west of Vietnam.老挝在越南西面。

9 Buddha   

n.佛；佛像；佛陀

参考例句：

• Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.几个妇女跪在佛像前祈祷。
• He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.为了图吉利他一直保存着这尊佛像。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 Swedish   

n.瑞典人，瑞典语；adj.瑞典的，瑞典人的，瑞典语的

参考例句：

• From his looks I'd say he was Swedish.从他的相貌上看，我敢说他是瑞典人。
• He is going after that pretty Swedish girl.他正在追求那位美丽的瑞典女郎。

12 sudden   

n.突然，忽然；adj.突然的，意外的，快速的

参考例句：

• All of a sudden he turned about and saw me.他突然转过身来看见了我。
• The horse was badly frightened by the sudden noise.那匹马被突然而来的嘈杂声吓坏了。

13 appearance   

n.出现，露面；容貌

参考例句：

• In appearance, he was a little like his father.他看起来有点像他的父亲。
• She was a young woman of good appearance.她是一位年轻貌美的女子。

14 fled   

v.逃走，逃掉( flee的过去式和过去分词 )；逃离，逃避

参考例句：

• The robbers fled empty-handed. 抢劫犯一无所获地逃走了。
• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 celebration   

n.庆祝，庆祝会；典礼

参考例句：

• The celebration passed off successfully.庆祝活动圆满结束。
• The celebration of Christmas is a custom.庆祝圣诞节是一种习俗。

16 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

17 shiny   

adj.有光泽的，发光的，辉煌的

参考例句：

• What shiny shoes you're wearing!你穿的鞋子擦得真亮啊！
• All the cups are clean and shiny.所有的杯子都很干净明亮。

18 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

19 workman   

n.工人，工匠，技工

参考例句：

• A bad workman finds much fault with his tools.蹩脚的工匠总是埋怨自己的工具不好。
• There was a workman up the ladder.有一个工人在梯子上工作。

20 workmen   

n.技术工人，工匠( workman的名词复数 )；工人；工匠；工作者；体力劳动者

参考例句：

• The workmen sawed and hammered all day. 工人又锯又锤，干了整整一天。
• workmen with picks and shovels 手拿镐铲的工人

21 vehicles   

n.运载工具；传播媒介；（为展露演员才华而）特意编写的一出戏（或电影等）；[画]展色剂；交通工具( vehicle的名词复数 )；车辆；传播媒介；手段

参考例句：

• There is not much clearance for vehicles passing under this bridge. 车辆在这座桥下通过时没有多少余隙。
• to carry out random spot checks on vehicles 对车辆进行抽检

22 drove   

vbl.驾驶，drive的过去式；n.畜群

参考例句：

• He drove at a speed of sixty miles per hour.他以每小时60英里的速度开车。
• They drove foreign goods out of the market.他们把外国货驱逐出市场。

23 offering   

n.提供，奉献物，牲礼

参考例句：

• What is your competition offering?你的竞争者提出的条件是什么？
• The police are offering a big reward for information about the robbery.警方出大笔赏金要求提供那起抢劫案的破案线索。

24 willing   

adj.愿意的，自愿的，乐意的，心甘情愿的

参考例句：

• We never lack food and clothing if we're willing to work.如果我们愿意工作,就不会缺吃少穿。
• He's quite willing to pay the price I ask.他很愿意照我的要价付钱。

25 champagne   

n.香槟酒；微黄色

参考例句：

• There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
• They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

26 saving   

n.节省，节约；[pl.]储蓄金，存款

参考例句：

• Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
• Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。