Thank You, Mrs. Price
谢谢您，普莱斯老师

人的一生总是难免会遇到很多的坎坷与波折，有时候我们可以努力克服，有时候却无能为力。但是，你是否遇见过一些人，他们会注意到你的困境，不计任何回报地给予你帮助，给你带来光明和希望，让你有机会走得更高、更远？如果你有幸遇见过一些让你心存感恩的人，一定记得要及时对他们表达谢意。

I remember her words, almost as if they were spoken yesterday.

Mrs. Mabel Price, our high school counselor in that little town of Westminster, in Western Maryland, said, “You belong in college, and I'm going to do everything I can to get you there.”

For me, college was something out of the question, something on a far-distant planet, something only privileged people did. I said, “I can't go to college. I don't have the money. There's no way I could afford it. I'm going to enlist in the Navy.”

Even though I was graduating at the top of my class in that small town, and I enjoyed the experience of learning and thinking, I was conditioned by a long tradition of experience in my family. We were people of decidedly limited means, and three of my four older brothers had gone off to join the military.

“A military career is a perfectly respectable way of life,” she said, “but you have a gift that can make a difference in the world. I want you to continue your education. I think I can get you into Johns Hopkins University. And I'm working on the money. Don't worry.”

And, work on it she did. Suddenly, I was off to college.

One day I was walking from the parking lot on the campus to my first class, talking with my friend and classmate, and we passed by a group of men who were digging a deep ditch. Suddenly, I knew why I was in college. She was right—I had been given a gift that could take me to wonderful places. I decided then and there that I preferred to make my living with my brain rather than my back. I had been given an option they didn't have: an education.

Some years ago, as I mused on the experience for the umpteenth time, it occurred to me: “Maybe I could locate Mrs. Price. Maybe she's still living in Westminster. I could go back there and visit her, bring her a gift, and really let her know how much I appreciate what she had done for me.”

So, I began to search online for clues about where she might be. I soon discovered her obituary, published in the Baltimore Sun and dated October 8, 2001.

I suppose the lesson for me in this story—or one of the lessons—is this: If you love someone; if you appreciate them; if you're grateful to them—tell them now. One day it will be too late.

Well… anyway… Mrs. Price, wherever you are—Thank You.

我一直记得她说的话，就好像那些话是昨天刚说的一样。

我们所就读的高中位于马里兰西部一个叫做威斯敏斯特的小镇，而玛贝尔·普莱斯老师是我们的辅导员。她曾说：“你们应该上大学，而我也会尽我所能帮你们进入大学。”

对于我来说，上大学完全就是痴心妄想，遥不可及，只有那些非富即贵的人才可以。我说道：“我没法去上大学。我没钱，完全没办法负担上大学的费用。我准备去报名参加海军。”

高中毕业时我的成绩是全镇第一，我也享受学习和思考的过程，但是即便是这样，我也受制于我们家长期以来的传统。我们历来没有太多的选择，我的三个哥哥都去参军了。

“做一名军人是一种无上崇高的生活方式。”她说到，“但是你极具天赋，可以做一些足以影响世界的事情。我希望你可以继续深造。我想我可以让你进入约翰·霍普金斯大学。钱我正在想办法。不用担心。”

她真的做到了。突然，我可以上大学去了。

一天，我从学校的停车场步行去上第一节课，与朋友和同学边走边聊。我们从一群人身边经过，他们正在挖一条深沟。突然，我明白我为什么要上大学了。普莱斯老师是对的——我有能力让自己去到各种精彩的地方。就在那个时刻，那个地方，我决定我要用我的智力而非体力来养活自己。我有一种他们没有的选择：接受教育。

几年前，当我第无数次思考这段经历时，我突然想到：“或许我可以找到普莱斯老师。或许她还住在威斯敏斯特。我可以回去看看她，给她带一份礼物，让她知道我多么感激她为我做的一切。”

于是，我开始在网上搜集线索想要知道她在哪里。不久之后，我在《巴尔的摩太阳报》上找到了她的讣告，她于2001年10月8日离世了。

我想，这段往事给我的启发——或者启发之一是：如果你爱一个人，如果你对他们心存感激，如果你想感谢他们——那现在就告诉他们。等到将来就晚了。

嗯……不管怎样……普莱斯老师，不论您在哪儿——谢谢您。

巧记词汇

counselor [ˈkaʊnsələ(r)] n. 辅导员；顾问

【拓】tutor [ˈtjuːtə(r)] n. 导师

privileged [ˈprɪvəlɪdʒd] a. 享有特权的

【拓】privilege [ˈprɪvəlɪdʒ] n. 特权

enlist [ɪnˈlɪst] v. 从军，入伍

【拓】recruit [rɪˈkruːt] v. 招募（新兵）

umpteenth [ˌʌmpˈtiːnθ] a. 第无数次的

【拓】numerous [ˈnjuːmərəs] a. 许多的

appreciate [əˈpriːʃieɪt] v. 感激；欣赏

【拓】grateful [ˈɡreɪtfl] a. 感谢的

obituary [əˈbɪtʃuəri] n. 讣告

【拓】pass away 去世

趣学短语

1 out of the question 不可能的，办不到的；不予考虑的

【例】That would certainly be extremely hard for them, but it's not out of the question. 那对于他们来说很难，但是也并非不可能。

2 be grateful to 感谢，感激

【例】This prize means a lot to me. I'm really grateful to everyone who helped me throughout the years. 获得这个奖对我来说意义重大。我真诚感谢这些年所有帮助过我的人。