1     After my undergraduate(大学本科的) education I taught high school for a year. I was only 22, and when I look back on that experience I realize that I needed all the strength, spirit, and optimism(乐观精神) afforded(赐予) by my youth.

2     The principal of the all-boys school that hired me fresh out of college said he believed I was a natural. The only formal orientation(情况介绍) I received was a word of caution(告诫) from him: “Don’t smile until Christmas.”

3     I taught sophomore(二年级学生) biology and freshman earth science. The honeymoon(蜜月) period lasted about two weeks, at the end of which I must have smiled, because I suddenly found myself spending more and more time disciplining my students. They were talking out of turn, falling asleep, passing notes, and generally irritating(使恼怒，刺激) one another.

4     There was  one student I will never forget: Terry  Ryan. A freckled(有雀斑的) and impish(顽皮的) strawberry blond(草莓红发人) with his hair parted in the middle and a chipped front tooth, he had nothing less than a body too happy for its own good. He fidgeted(坐立不安) constantly, came late, neglected(疏忽) his homework, took his shoes off in class, fell asleep, and snored(打呼噜).

5      One day when I went to class I found the door locked and my students huddled(聚在一起) outside in the halfway(中间的地点). I tried to put my key in the lock but couldn’t: Someone had filled the keyhole(钥匙孔) with toothpicks(牙签) and glue(胶水).

6     I took attendance(出席人数). The only one missing was Terry.

7     I caught up with him the next day. He didn’t deny(否认) what he had done, but simply shrugged. I was furious, and he knew it. “What am I going to do with you?” I pleaded(恳求).

8     Terry  shrugged  again. “Let  me  go  to  basketball practice?” he taunted(嘲弄), flashing the chipped-tooth smile that drove the girls gaga(着迷的).

9     “You  play  basketball?” I asked him  with a note of surprise.

10     “Yeah,” he said, looking sidelong(向旁边) at me. “You play?”

11     “Yeah,” I said, nodding. And then something welled up in me, born of either inspiration or foolishness(愚蠢，傻). Leaning toward Terry I blurted(脱口说) out, “And I can beat you.”

12     I bit my lip(嘴唇) as soon as I said it. Terry’s eyes flashed. “Let’s go,” he said.

13     I held up a hand. “I want a deal first,” I told him.

14     “A deal?”

15     “Yeah. If I win, you promise to sit still in class, talk only when called on, and do all of your homework. If you win, I’ll never bother(烦扰) you again.”

16     Terry rubbed his chin(下巴) three or four times. And then, “A hundred points by one, winner takes out.”

17     We shook hands on it and the next thing I knew we were facing each other on the gym floor. It was too late for regrets(后悔). Terry had the ball and I found myself trying to keep up with a speed demon(动作快的家伙). He was good, really good, and for the first five minutes, as he pulled farther ahead of me, I felt my heart sinking. Was I really going to lose? The prospect of a revitalized(给予新的活力) Terry, immune(豁免的) from my restraining(抑制) hand, filled me with terror(恐怖).

18     I couldn’t keep up with his speed and boundless(无穷的) energy, so I took the last refuge(招数) of the underdog(出于劣势的一方): long shots from the top of the key(罚球区). I was taller than Terry and a better shooter(投篮者). I won the game, 101 to 99. Terry limped(一瘸一拐地走) off the court without saying a word. I sat down on the ball and took deep breaths. I had essentially(实质上) played one of my students for his grade. What would the principal think of that?

19     Terry kept his word. He became, well, not a good student, but a cooperative and conscientious(认真的) one, and I never had to call in his parents again. He began staying after class to talk to me, and I gradually learned of the things he was struggling with in his young life. But he persisted, went on to graduate, and I miss him.

(646 words)

1. The principal of the all-boys school that hired me fresh out of college said he believed I was a natural.

我刚从大学毕业就聘用了我的那位男生学校的校长对我说，他相信我天生就是块教书的料。

本句中的 fresh 是副词，意思是“刚”。又如：

I am fresh back from America. 

我刚从美国回来。

natural 在本句中用作名词，意思是“生就具有特定才能的人，天生的料子；天才”。又如：

She is a natural on the piano.

她天生擅长弹钢琴。

As a basketball player, he is a natural. 

他天生是块打篮球的料。

2. They were talking out of turn, falling asleep, passing notes, and generally irritating one another.

他们说话冒失、上课睡觉、传递字条、通常会彼此激怒。

本句中的 take out of turn 意思是“说话不合适宜；不看场合”。又如：

I don’t want to talk out of turn, of course, but you have really gone too far.

我当然不想说些不合适宜的话，但是你真做得太过分了。

3. A freckled and impish strawberry blond with his hair parted in the middle and a chipped front tooth, he had nothing less than a body too happy for its own good.

他脸上有雀斑、顽皮、草莓红的头发五五开，门牙上有个缺口，但他对自己的身体感觉极好，只顾自己开心。

本句中的 A freckled and impish… chipped front tooth 是句子主语he的同位语，描述泰里是一个什么长相的孩子；

he had nothing less than a body too happy for its own good 的大体意思是 he was so comfortable with himself that he paid no attention to all the disciplines in class。

4. “Let me go to basketball practice?” he taunted, flashing the chipped-tooth smile that drove the girls gaga.

“让我去练篮球？”他嘲弄地说，脸上闪出那种露出他有缺口的门牙、让姑娘们着迷的微笑。

本句中的 flashing the chipped-tooth smile 是现在分词作伴随状语，that drove the girls gaga是定语从句，修饰 smile。

5. And then something welled up in me, born of either inspiration or foolishness.

突然我心中涌现出一个念头，不知是出于灵感还是出于犯傻。

本句中的 born of either inspiration or foolishness 是过去分词短语，修饰主语 something；well up 意思是“涌上，升起”，又如：

The hot tears welled up in her eyes. 

热泪涌上她的眼眶。

6. A hundred points by one, winner takes out.

谁先得100分，多一分也算赢，谁赢谁狠。

本句的意思是 the first one to score 100 points wins。

7. The prospect of a revitalized Terry, immune from my restraining hand, filled me with terror.

这个泰里将获得新的活力，不受我的控制之手约束，一想到这个就让我不寒而栗。

本句中的 revitalized Terry 意思是 Terry 若赢得这场篮球比赛就会想干什么就干什么，因为获得新的活力。

immune from 意思是“免受”，又如：

Nobody is immune from cold.

谁都会感冒。

restraining 意为“抑制的”，又如：

Tom wanted to rise, but I put a restraining hand on his shoulder.

汤姆想站起来，但我用手按在他肩上，制止了他。