Language Point 1
My Teacher, My Salvation (the Title)
Meaning: My teacher, Miss Burd, is the person who saved me from misery and loss.
salvation: n.
1) a person or thing that prevents or saves sb. or sth. from danger, loss, or failure
I get too depressed about life, only work is my salvation. 我对生活十分悲观，埋头工作才可得到解脱。
The construction of a new factory turned out to be the salvation of local economy. 结果是新建的工厂挽救了地方经济。
2) the act of saving or the state of being saved
You have no choice but to work out your own salvation. 你别无选择，只能自己想办法解救自己。
Your salvation depends on quick action not passive waiting. 你要想解脱，必须立即采取行动，而不是被动等待。
Language Point 2
I stepped off the ship on a gray March day in 1949, a small boy with a new American visa shoved in his pocket, a boy who had lost his mother and was emigrating to America to live with a father he did not know. (Para.1)
Meaning: It was a gray day in March 1949. I, a small boy with a new American visa put in his pocket, stepped off the ship. I had lost my mother and was moving to America to live with a father I did not know at all.
visa: n. a stamp or mark put on a passport by officials of a foreign country to show that the holder may enter, pass through or leave their country
You'd better extend your visa before it expires. 你最好在你的签证到期之前办理续签。
We waited for a long time to have our visas examined by security officers. 我们等了很长时间让安检官员检查我们的签证。
shove: vt. put (sth.) carelessly
Tidying the room seems to mean shoving everything under the bed. 整理房间似乎就意味着把什么东西都塞到床底下。
He usually shoves his hands into his pockets while walking. 他走路时通常把手塞进口袋里。
v. push in a rough or careless way
Peter shoved his way through the crowd in search of his son. 彼得挤过人群寻找他的儿子。
The children were pushing and shoving each other noisily. 孩子们互相推挤，大声喧闹。
emigrate：vi. leave one's own country to go and live in another
He emigrated from Britain to Australia to find work. 他从英国移居到澳大利亚寻找工作。
The young couple emigrated a few years ago and now are back to see friends and relatives. 这对年轻人几年前移居国外，现在回来探望亲友。
Language Point 3
I was very suspicious of the heavy, bald man who embraced my sisters and me at the dock. (Para.1)
Meaning: I did not trust the fat and hairless man who hugged my sisters and me at the dock.
bald: a.(of a person) having little or no hair on the head
Daddy started going bald when he was in his thirties. 爸爸30多岁时就开始秃顶。
My best friend married a fat, bald man. 我最好的朋友嫁给了一个肥胖而且秃顶的男人。
Language Point 4
Still, he was the very image of American people in his gleaming black shoes, gray overcoat, and new hat. (Para.1)
Meaning: He was wearing shining black shoes, a gray overcoat, and a new hat, a typical image of American people.
gleam: vi. shine softly
His eyes behind the thick glasses seemed to gleam with pride. 他带着厚厚的眼镜，两眼发出自豪的光芒。
The furniture gleamed after being polished. 家具擦过之后闪闪发光。
n. a soft light, esp. one that shines for a short time
A few faint gleams of sunshine lit up the gloomy mood. 几缕微弱的阳光使抑郁的心境明亮起来。
gleaming: a. shining, bright
His father voiced a praise grudgingly, but with gleaming eyes. 他父亲很不情愿地称赞了一句，但眼睛里闪烁着光芒。
A gleaming Rolls Royce was parked in front of the house. 一辆闪闪发光的劳斯莱斯车停在房前。
Language Point 5
After several years in an elementary school class for those with low IQ — there were no classes for non-English-speaking children—I made it to junior high school. (Para.2)
Meaning: I could not speak English at that time, but there were no classes for children like me, so I had to stay in an elementary school class for children who were not intelligent. After several years in this class, I succeeded in entering junior high school.
IQ：abbr. short form for “intelligence quotient”
Forest Gump's IQ is only 75, but he has lived a very happy life. 阿甘的智商只有75，但是他的生活很快乐。
Jack is a genius; his IQ must be over 160. 杰克真是一个天才，他的智商一定在160以上。
make it (to): (infml.) arrive (at) in time
We just made it to the hospital before the baby got too ill. 在孩子病情加重之前我们赶到了医院。
I had hoped to get to the meeting, but I found at the last minute that I could not make it. 我希望能够准时到会，但到了最后一刻才知道我做不到。
Language Point 6
“We're going to put out a newspaper,” she yelled，rapping her desk with a ruler,... (Para.2)
Meaning: “We're going to publish a newspaper,” she shouted while striking her desk with a ruler, ...
put out: publish
The president decided to put out a weekly newspaper; all of us are in favor of this idea. 校长决定出一份周报，我们大家都很赞成这个主意。
The publisher put out fifty new books last season. 上季度出版社出版了50种新书。
rap: v. hit or knock (sth.) quickly
After he heard the news, Peter was so angry that he rapped the table with his fist.彼得听到消息后非常生气，用拳头击打桌子。
The prisoner who was put into the prison yesterday rapped out a message on the cell wall. 昨天才进来的囚犯敲打囚室的墙来传递信息。
Language Point 7
“... I suggest you go across the hall to the Theater Club rehearsal now, because you're going to work your tails off here!” (Para.2)
Meaning: "... I suggest you go across the hall and join the Theater Club in their practicing performance now, because you're going to work very hard here."
rehearsal: n. practice of a play, concert, etc. for later public performance
Once a week, the troupe gets together for rehearsal. 这个剧团一个星期彩排一次。
The play will need a lot of rehearsals. 这出戏需要排练很多次。
work one's tails off：(infml.) work very hard
The children spent the whole day planting trees; they told their parents that they had worked their tails off. 孩子们一整天都在种树，他们告诉父母他们是玩命干活。
The farmers work their tails off and then only get six hours of rest a day. 农民拼命干活，一天只休息六小时。
Language Point 8
I was soon under the spell of this formidable and eloquent woman. (Para.3)
Meaning: I quickly became greatly attracted by this powerful and persuasive woman.
under the spell of : totally charmed by, strongly attracted by
He is under the spell of her beauty. 他被她的美貌迷住了。
Many women fall under the spell of his charm. 很多女人都为他的魅力所倾倒。
formidable: a. arousing fear, dread, or alarm; inspiring awe, admiration, or wonder
The head of the research section was a formidable old professor. 研究室主任是个令人望而生畏的老教授。
Though a true hero, he was also a thoroughgoing bureaucrat and politician, a formidable combination. 虽然他是一个真正的英雄，但他也是一个十足的官僚和政客，兼而有之,令人畏惧。
eloquent: a. able to express ideas effectively so that the listeners are influenced
Those with “verbal intelligence” are likely to be eloquent speakers, who think in words rather than in pictures. 有“文字才能”的人可能是能言善辩者，他们是用文字而不是用图像进行思考。
He gave an eloquent speech after dinner. 用餐之后他发表了雄辩的讲话。
Language Point 9
I was fascinated by the way she could read a story or a piece of verse, then open it up like a fan, displaying its various facets, colors, and meanings. (Para.3)
Meaning: I was greatly attracted by the way she could read a story or poem，then explain it in a way that would reveal its various aspects, colors, and meanings, just like opening a fan.
fascinate: vt. attract or interest (sb.) greatly
The children were fascinated by the colorful toys in the toy exhibition. 孩子们被玩具展上色彩鲜艳的玩具给吸引住了。
Chinese culture fascinates me. 中国文化让我着迷。
verse : n. writing arranged in the form of poetry
Christmas cards are very colorful, often decorated with hearts, flowers or birds, and have humorous verses printed inside. 圣诞卡色彩鲜艳，常有心形、花朵或小鸟图案装饰，里面还印有幽默的诗句。
It was in the last verse that the poet pointed to the happiness in the world. 正是最后一句，诗人道出了人间的幸福美好。
facet: n. any one of the numerous aspects of (sth.)
We should think about another facet of this knotty problem. 对于这个棘手的问题我们应该考虑其另一个方面。
During their freshman years, many students feel their way towards active participation in one or more facets of college life. 在大一期间，很多学生摸索着如何积极参与大学生活的一个方面或方方面面。
Language Point 10
One day she assigned us to compose a concise essay from our own experience. (Para. 4)
Meaning: One day she gave us a task to write a short and clear essay based on our own experience.
concise: a. short and clear; expressing a lot in a few words
You know an abstract should be concise, clear, and easy to follow. 你知道，摘要必须简短、清晰、易于理解。
Do you believe that a 7-year-old child was able to give such a concise summary of what had happened? 你相信一个七岁孩子能如此简洁地概述所发生的事情吗？
Language Point 11
That was the last thing I wanted to write about,...(Para.5)
Meaning: Composing an essay from my own experience was the thing that I really didn't want to do, ...
the last thing (one wants to do / needs): sth. that is not desired in the least
Telling him the heart-breaking news is the last thing I want to do. 告诉他这个伤心的消息是我最不愿意做的事情。
The last thing we need is to get more people involved in the matter. 我们最不需要的是让更多的人卷入此事。
Language Point 12
The chorus of bird song, the buzz of insects, and the perfume of freshly cut grass distracted me. (Para. 5)
Meaning: The songs of the birds, the humming sound of insects, and the fragrance of newly cut grass drew my attention away from writing.
chorus: n.（pl. choruses）
1) a piece of music written to be sung by a large group of people
a female chorus 女声合唱
a mixed chorus 男女合唱
2) a group of people who sing together
He is an exceptional singer; he has been a member of a famous chorus. 他是一个非凡的歌手，一直是一个著名合唱团的成员。
I sing with the university chorus. 我是大学合唱队的成员。
buzz: n. (usu. sing.) a continuous noise like the hum of a bee
The buzz of a mosquito made me unable to fall asleep. 蚊子的嗡嗡声让我无法入睡。
The garden is full of buzz of bees. 花园里到处是蜜蜂的嗡嗡声。
vi. make a continuous noise like the hum of a bee
The bees are buzzing among the flowers. 蜜蜂在花丛中发出嗡嗡声。
distract: vt. take (a person or their attention) away from sth.
Children are so easily distracted. 孩子们很容易分心。
Don't distract my attention. 不要分散我的注意力。
Language Point 13
... "I hugged my mother for the last time." (Para. 5)
Meaning: ... "I embraced my mother for the last time."
hug: vt. put the arms round (sb.) tightly, esp. to show love or friendship
Before the departure, she hugged her mother affectionately. 出发前，她深情地拥抱了母亲。
She hugs Mary a lot, and they are very close. 她经常拥抱玛丽，她们之间关系非常密切。
Language Point 14
I kept writing, telling how the local guerrillas occupied our village and took our home and food; how my mother planned our escape when she learned all the children were to be sent to schools in another country for the indefinite future; and how she could not come with us because the guerrillas sent her to dig an irrigation ditch in a distant village.(Para. 6)
Meaning: I kept writing. I wrote about how our enemies seized our village and took our home and food. I wrote about how my mother planned our escape when she got to know that all the children were to be sent to schools in another country for an unclear future. I also wrote that the reason why she could not come with us was that the guerrillas sent her to dig an irrigation ditch in a distant village.
indefinite: a.
1) not clear
He has rather indefinite views on the question. 他对这个问题的看法不明确。
I gave him an indefinite answer. 我给了他一个含糊其辞的回答。
2) lasting into the future without fixed end
The union gave notice of indefinite strike. 工会通知无限期罢工。
We are staying here for an indefinite time. 我们要在这里无限期住下去。
irrigation: n. supplying (land or crops) with water
A few irrigation projects are going to begin. 一些水利灌溉项目准备开工。
Many irrigation canals direct water to the crops. 许多灌溉渠把水引向农田。
Language Point 15
I wrote about how one night we were smuggled down the mountain and into the lines of government soldiers, where a sergeant sent us to a refugee camp. (Para. 7)
smuggle: vt.
1) take (esp. goods) secretly to a place
I'll smuggle you in through the back door. 我将偷偷带你从后门进去。
He was punished for smuggling notes to the exam. 他因把笔记偷偷带进了考场而受到了惩罚。
2) take (esp. goods) illegally from one country to another, esp. to avoid paying the necessary tax
He was jailed for 16 years for smuggling heroin worth one million dollars. 他被判处16年徒刑，因为他走私了价值100万美元的海洛因。
Swiss watches are often smuggled into other countries. 瑞士手表常被走私到其他国家。
sergeant: n. a person with a low rank in the army, air force, or police
She married a sergeant who worked in a far and remote region. 她嫁给了一个在遥远而偏僻地区工作的军士。
How many soldiers can a sergeant charge? 一个军士能管多少个士兵？
Language Point 16
I wrote that I could still hear the cries of my sisters when we were told my mother was taken into a cellar and shot by the guerrillas for what they called disloyalty — the escape of her children. (Para. 7)
Meaning: I wrote that I could still remember how my sisters cried when we heard the bad news that our mother was taken into a cellar and killed by the guerrillas, because her children escaped, which they considered to be disloyalty.
cellar: n. a room below ground floor in a house or other building often used for storing things
When rescue workers arrived, she had lain for two days on the cellar floor. 救援人员赶到时，她已经在地下室的地板上躺了两天了。
There is a cellar under the building. The landlady hid all the smuggled goods there. 楼下有一个地下室，女房东把走私货物全部藏在那儿。
Language Point 17
I ended my narrative by saying that,...(Para. 8)
Meaning: I finished my story by saying that,...
narrative: n. a spoken or written account of events
It's a gripping narrative about the war. Tears streamed down my face when I read it. 这是一篇扣人心弦的战争报道。我一边读一边流泪。
As the two narratives progress, the connections become evident. 随着两个故事的发展，它们之间的联系便显而易见了。
a. in the form of, or relating to narration
He is a writer of great narrative power, and has put out a lot of good works. 他是一位擅长叙事的作家，已经出版了很多佳作。
Narrative poems were more popular in the past than at present. 叙事诗以前比现在流行。
Language Point 18
I managed to finance four years of university tuition with scholarships and part-time jobs with newspapers. (Para. 10)
Meaning: I was able to pay four years of university tuition with scholarships and the money I earned by doing part-time jobs with newspapers.
tuition: n.
1) a fee for teaching or instruction
He's already paid a year's tuition, but he is awfully worried about the next year's. 他已交了一年的学费，但非常担心下一年的学费是否能凑齐。
Many loan programs have failed to keep pace with skyrocketing tuition. 很多贷款计划已跟不上学费飞速上涨的速度。
2）teaching or instruction, esp. of people in small groups
We offer personal tuition on the latest equipment. 我们针对最新设备提供个人培训。
Mary had to have extra tuition to pass her exam. 为了通过考试，玛丽不得不上额外辅导课。
Language Point 19
... clasping hands with the President,...(Para. 10)
Meaning: ... shaking hands with the President,...
clasp: vt. take and hold firmly with the hands or arms
He clasped the child in his arms for it was extremely cold. 他把孩子紧紧抱在怀里，因为天气特别寒冷。
He clasped her hands tightly. 他紧紧握住她的手。
Language Point 20
...my father clipped it,... (Para. 10)
Meaning: ... my father cut the picture from the newspaper,...
clip: vt.
1) cut (a picture, article, etc.) from a newspaper or magazine
When I got Travel Weekly, I clipped the stories I wanted. 收到《旅游周刊》时，我就把想要的文章剪下来。
Kate regularly saves up to $7 with coupons she's clipped from the paper. 凯特从报纸上剪下购物优惠券，经常可以省7美元。
2）cut short, trim
The man who spoke was burly, with grizzled hair and a neatly clipped moustache. 说话的男人非常结实，头发花白，胡子理得很整齐。
The hedge has just been clipped. 树篱刚刚修剪过了。
Language Point 21
Often her students were from troubled homes, yet she would alternately bully and charm each one until the spark of potential caught fire. (Para. 11)
Meaning: Often her students were from unhappy homes, but by stimulating and charming each of them, she would make sure that their abilities were fully developed.
bully: vt. frighten or hurt sb., esp. who is smaller or weaker
The head of the department was accused of routinely bullying and humiliating workers. 部门领导被指责经常欺负并羞辱工人。
He used to bully other little boys in the playground. 他过去常常在运动场上欺侮其他小男孩。
Language Point 22
Marilyn Burd is still an honored and enthusiastic guest at all our family celebrations. (Para. 12)
Meaning: Marilyn Burd always comes to our family celebrations, and she always shows great interest in these celebrations. We all respect her.
enthusiastic: a. showing strong active feeling of interest and admiration
We explained our plans and received an enthusiastic response from our friends. 我们解释了我们的计划,并得到了朋友们的热烈反响。
Throughout his life he has been enthusiastic about charity affairs. 他一生都对慈善事业十分热心。
Language Point 23
At my 50th-birthday picnic last summer, my sisters and I felt a painful void because my father was not there to lead the line of dancers, the way he did at every celebration during his 92 years. (Para. 12)
Meaning: At my 50th-birthday party last summer, my sisters and I had a very miserable feeling of emptiness because my father had died and could not lead us to perform the dance, which he did at every celebration for 92 years.
void: n.
1）a feeling of emptiness or loss
His friend's departure left a painful void in his life. 他朋友的离去使他觉得生活很空虚。
Running the business helped to fill the void after his wife died. 经营公司帮助他填补妻子去世后的空虚。
2）an empty space
The ground began to shake and a sudden void opened under his feet. 大地开始震动,他脚下突然出现了一条裂缝。
She looked over the cliff into the void. 她的视线掠过悬崖，看着那一片旷野。
a.
1）(of) empty; lacking; without
That part of the town is completely void of interest for visitors. 城镇的那个地段完全吸引不了游客的兴趣。
Her eyes were void of all expression. 她的眼睛毫无表情。
2）no longer legal or effective
A contract signed by a child is void. 儿童签署的合同不具有法律效力。
There were 909 void votes. 有909张选票无效。
Language Point 24
But Miss Burd was there, sipping wine and viewing the scene with quiet satisfaction. (Para. 12)
Meaning: But Miss Burd was there with us, drinking wine slowly and watching us quietly with satisfaction.
sip: v. drink in small amounts
He sipped at some of his coffee and smoked endless cigarettes. 他啜了一些咖啡，然后是无休止地吸烟。
She sipped water all the way through the interview. 访谈时她自始至终慢慢喝着水。
Language Point 25
But she was the one who directed my grief and pain into writing. (Para. 13)
Meaning: But it was she who advised me to write about my grief and pain.
grief: n.
1）extreme sadness, esp. because of the death of sb. you love
He was almost insane by grief at his father's death. 他父亲的死使他悲伤得几乎发狂。
The grief she felt over Helen's death was unbearable. 她无法忍受海伦的死给她带来的悲伤。
2) sth. that causes extreme sadness
His marriage to someone outside their faith was a great grief to his parents. 他娶了与他们宗教信仰不同的女人为妻，这成了他父母的一大伤心事。
He has his own way of coping with griefs. 他有自己的方式来处理伤心事。
Language Point 26
...accept this tribute ... (Para. 14)
Meaning: ... accept the respect and admiration expressed in this article...
tribute: n. sth. done, said, or given to show respect or admiration
I'd like to pay tribute to the workers for their hard work. 我想对工人们的辛勤工作致敬。
Tributes to the dead leader have been received from all around the world. 已收到了世界各地人们向已故领袖表示的哀悼。
