英语故事-TheBestTeacherIEverHad-我遇到的最好的老师

英语故事-TheBestTeacherIEverHad-我遇到的最好的老师
我遇到的最好的老师.MP32:34
来自Jerry的英语课堂
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The Best Teacher I Ever Had 我遇到的最好的老师
<1>1>
Mr. Whitson taught sixth-grade science.
惠特森先生教的是六年级的自然科学。

On the first day of class,
上课的第一天，
he gave us a lecture about a creature called the cattywampus, 他介绍了一种叫cattywampus的生物，
an animal that was wiped out during the Ice Age.
这是一种在冰河时代因不适应环境而灭绝的动物。

He passed around a skull as he talked.
他在讲解时,还给大家传看了一个动物头骨,
We all took notes and later had a quiz.
我们都记了笔记，后来还做了一个小测验。

When he returned my paper,
当他返给我卷子时，
I was shocked.
我惊呆了。

There was a big red X through each of my answers. 在我的每个答案上都画有一个大大的红叉,
I had failed.
我的成绩不及格，
There had to be some mistake!
一定是有什么地方搞错了！
I had written down exactly what Mr. Whitson said.
我写下的恰恰全都是惠特森先生所讲的啊。

Then I realized that everyone in the class had failed. 随后，我意识到班上的每个人都成绩不及格。

What had happened?
这到底是怎么回事？
<2>2>
Very simple, Mr. Whitson explained.
惠特森先生解释说：很简单！
He had made up all that stuff about the cattywampus. 因为他编造了所有关于cattywampus的资料，
There had never been any such animal.
从来都没有这种动物，
The information in our notes was, therefore, incorrect. 因此，我们笔记上的信息是错误的，
Needless to say, we were outraged.
不用说，我们都被激怒了。

What kind of test was this?
这是个什么测试？
And what kind of teacher?
而且这是个什么老师啊？
We should have figured it out, Mr. Whitson said.
惠特森先生却说，我们应该识破他的谎言的。

After all, at the very moment he was passing around the cattywampus skull (in truth, a cat’s),
毕竟，他在给大家传看cattywampus的头骨（事实上是一只猫的）时，
hadn’t he been telling us that no trace of the animal remained?
不是每时每刻都在告诉我们这种动物没留下任何遗迹吗？
He had described its amazing night vision, the color of its fur and any number of other facts he couldn’t have known.
而他却描述了它惊人的夜视力、毛皮的颜色以及许多他本不应知晓的其他事实。

The zeroes on our papers would be recorded in his grade book, he said.
他说，我们试卷上的零分将被记录在他的成绩册里，
And they were.
后来他确实这么做了。

<3>3>
Mr. Whitson said he hoped we would learn something from this experience.
惠特森先生说他希望我们能从这次经历中学到一些东西。

Teachers and textbooks are not infallible.
老师和课本并不是绝无差错的
In fact, no one is.
事实上，没人能做到这一点。

He told us not to let our minds go to sleep,
他告诉我们不要让自己的思想“睡大觉”，
and to speak up if we ever thought he or the textbook was
如果我们在任何时候认为他或是课本有差错，就要大胆说出来。

Every class was an adventure with Mr. Whitson.
跟惠特森先生上的每一堂课都像是一次探险，
I can still remember some science periods almost from beginning to end.
我依然还能从头到尾记住几节他的自然科学课，
One day he told us that his Volkswagen was a living organism.
一天，他告诉我们，他的那辆大众汽车是一个活着的有机体。

It took us two full days to put together a refutation he would accept.
我们花了整整两天的时间，才整理汇总出一个他能接受的反驳论据。

He didn’t let us off the hook until we had proved not only that we knew what an organism was but also that we had the fortitude to stand up for the truth.
可他并没有轻易放过我们，直到我们证明自己不仅知道一个有机体是什么，而且还能勇敢地站出来维护事实真相。

<4>4>
If I’m ever asked to propose a solution to the crisis in our schools, it will be Mr. Whitson.
如果有人问我任何解决现有教育的危机，我所能提出的答案将是惠特森先生。

I haven't made any great scientific discoveries,
我并没有搞出什么重大的科学发现，
but his class gave me and my classmates something just as important:
但惠特森先生的课却给了我和我的同学们，一个有着同等重要意义的启示：
the courage to look people in the eye and tell them they are
要勇敢的看着对方的眼睛，并指出他们的错误，
He also showed us that you can have fun doing it. 他还告诉我们，享受这样做的乐趣。