课文1-6.doc
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课文1-6.doc
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1.MyFirstJob
WhileIwaswaitingtoenteruniversity,IsawinalocalnewspaperateachingpostadvertisedataschoolinasuburbofLondonabouttenmilesfromwhereIlived.Beingveryshortofmoneyandwantingtodosomethinguseful,Iapplied,fearingasIdidso,thatwithoutadegreeandwithnoexperienceofteachingmychancesoflandingthejobwereslim.
However,threedayslateraletterarrived,summoningmetoCroydonforaninterview.Itprovedanawkwardjourney:
atraintoCroydonstation;aten-minutebusrideandthenawalkofatleastaquarterofamile.AsaresultIarrivedonahotJunemorningtoodepressedtofeelnervous.
Theschoolwasadreary,gabledVictorianhouseofredbrickandwithbigstaringsash-windows.Thefrontgardenwasagravelsquare;fourevergreenshrubsstoodateachcorner,wheretheystruggledtosurvivethedustandfumesfromabusymainroad.
Itwasclearlytheheadmasterhimselfthatopenedthedoor.Hewasshortandrotund.Hehadasandy-colouredmoustache,afreckledforeheadandhardlyanyhair.Hewaswearingatweedsuit—onefeltsomehowhehadalwayswornit—andacrosshisamplestomachwasloopedasilverwatch-chain.
Helookedatmewithanairofsurpriseddisapproval,asacolonelmightlookataprivatewhosebootlaceswereundone."Ahyes,"hegrunted."You'dbettercomeinside."Thenarrow,sunlesshallsmelledunpleasantlyofstalecabbage;thecream-printedwallshadgoneadingymargarinecolour,exceptwheretheywerescarredwithinkmarks;itwasallsilent.Hisstudy,judgingbythecrumbsonthecarpet,wasalsohisdiningroom.Onthemantelpiecetherewasasaltcellarandpepper-pot."You'dbettersitdown,"hesaid,andproceededtoaskmeanumberofquestions:
whatsubjectshadItakeninmyGeneralSchoolCertificate;howoldwasI;whatgamesdidIplay;thenfixingmesuddenlywithhisbloodshoteyes,heaskedmewhetherIthoughtgameswereavitalpartofaboy'seducation.Imumbledsomethingaboutnotattachingtoomuchimportancetothem.Hegrunted.Ihadsaidthewrongthing.TheheadmasterandIobviouslyhadsingularlylittleincommon.
Theschool,hesaid,consistedofoneclassoftwenty-fourboys,ranginginagefromseventothirteen.Ishouldhavetoteachallsubjectsexceptart,whichhetaughthimself.FootballandcricketwereplayedinthePark,amileawayonWednesdayandSaturdayafternoons.
Theteachingset-upappalledme.Ishouldhavetosplittheclassupintothreegroupsandteachtheminturnatthreedifferentlevels;andIwasdismayedatthethoughtofteachingalgebraandgeometry—twosubjectsatwhichIhadbeencompletelyincompetentatschool.WorseperhapswastheideaofSaturdayafternooncricket.ItwasnotsomuchhavingtotrampamilealongthedustystreetsofCroydon,followedbyacrocodileofsmallboysthatIminded,butthefactthatmostofmyfriendswouldbeenjoyingleisureatthattime.
Isaiddiffidently,"Whatwouldmysalarybe?
""Twelvepoundsaweekpluslunch."BeforeIcouldprotesthegottohisfeet."Now,"hesaid,"you'dbettermeetmywife.She'stheonewhoreallyrunsthisschool."
Thiswasthelaststraw.Iwasveryyoung:
theprospectofworkingunderawomanconstitutedtheultimateindignity.
2.TheInterview
Themanwholookedlikeaterriersaid:
"You'reBlakey,areyou?
Takeaseat."
Blakeytookaseat.
"Iseeyoutookyour'A'levelsinEnglish,FrenchandHistory,andcontinuedwiththeArtsatuniversity."TheterriermanlookedupfromBlakey'sapplicationform."What,"heaskedmildly,"haspromptedyoutowanttochangetomedicine?
"
"Well,"Blakeysaid—feelinganythingbutwell—"I'vealways,evenatschool,beeninterested,butitwasabigdecisiontotake,andIwasn'tsureatthetimeIhadtherighttemperament."Thepanelofthreemadenocomment,andtheirsilenceremindedhimhe'dnotyetansweredtheirquestion."Ireallywantedtowrite."
Themannexttotheterrierclearedhisthroat."Sothefactisyou'dratherbeawriterthanadoctor?
"
"Notnecessarily,"Blakeysaid."Itmighthavebeentrueonce,butforsometimenowmymind'sbeensetonbecomingadoctor."
"Butyouarecapableofachangeofheart."Therewasalongpause.
"I'msorry,"Blakeysaid,startled,"didyoumeanthatasaquestion?
"
"Well?
"themansaid,raisinganeyebrow.
"No,Idon'tthinkIamatall."
"AndyouleftUniversitywithouttakingadegree.Isthatright?
"
"Yes."
"Whywasthis?
"
"Lookingback,"Blakeysaid,"IreckonItookontoomuch,toomanyactivities."
"Couldyouexplaintouswhattheseactivitieswere?
"
"Iproducedseveralplaysforthecollegedramaticsociety,"(whichwastrue)"IspokeatUniondebates"(alsotrue)"anddidabitofsocialwork"(whichwasn't).
Thethi
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