摘要：这个故事说的是多年前一名叫汤普森夫人的小学老师，在开学第一天的时候，她站在五年级全班学生面前，对孩子们撒了一个谎。

There is a story from many years ago of a primaryschool teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson. Andas she stood in front of the 5th grade class on thevery first day of school, she told the children a lie.Like most teachers, she looked her students andsaid that she loved them all the same.

这个故事说的是多年前一名叫汤普森夫人的小学老师，在开学第一天的时候，她站在五年级全班学生面前，对孩子们撒了一个谎。像大多数老师一样，她看着同学们，说她会一视同仁地爱他们每一个人。

But that was impossible because there in the frontrow, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

但这是不可能的，因为前排座位上就坐着个萎靡不振的小男孩，他叫特迪·斯托达德。

Mrs.Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn’t play well with theother children, his clothes were messy and constantly need a bath. And ,Teddy could beunpleasant.

汤普森夫人去年就开始留意特迪，发觉他不大和其他孩子一起玩耍，衣衫不整，身上总是很脏，而且，特迪还不讨人喜欢。

我一生中最好的老师—汤普森夫人

It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in making his papers witha broud red pen, making bold Xs and then putting a “F” at the top of his papers. At the schoolwhere Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to relieve each child’s past records and sheput Teddy’s off until last.

汤普森夫人甚至喜欢上用粗红笔在特迪的考卷上打上些大大的叉，并在卷子上方写个大大的“F”。汤普森夫人执教的学校要求老师阅览每个孩子的档案，她把特迪的放在最后才看。

However, when she relieved his file, she was in a surprise, Teddy’s first grade teacher wrote,”Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners…he isa joy to be around.”

可是，她翻阅特迪的档案时，不禁大吃一惊。特迪一年级老师的评语是：“特迪是一个聪明的孩子，笑口常开，作业工整，礼貌待人……与他在一起很开心。”

His second grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates. Buthe is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.”

二年级老师的评语是：“特迪是个优秀的学生，同学们都很喜欢他。但是，他母亲得了绝症，他很苦恼，家里生活肯定也很艰难。”

His third grade teacher wrote, “His mother’s death has been hard on him. He tried to do hisbest but his father doesn’t show much interest in him, and his home life will steps aren’t taken.”

他三年级老师的评语是：“他母亲去世对他打击很大。尽管他试图努力表现，但他父亲不大理会，家庭问题失控加剧。”

Teddy’s fourth grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is withdrawn and doesn’t show much interest inschool. He doesn’t have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class.”

他四年级老师的评语是：“特迪性格孤僻，有厌学情绪。他朋友不多，有时候上课睡觉。”

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt evenworse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful paper and tiedwith pretty ribbons, except for Teddy’s. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brownpaper that he got from a grocery bag.

看到这里，汤普森夫人明白了问题所在，她为自己感到羞愧。当同学们送给她圣诞礼物时，她更无地自容了。那些礼物都用漂亮的包装纸包着，扎着美丽的彩带，惟有特迪的例外。他的礼物是用杂货袋上弄下来的厚厚的棕色纸粗陋地包着的。

Mrs.Thompson opened it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started tolaugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottlethat was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children’s laughter when sheexclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume onher wrist. Teddy stayed after school that day just long enough to say, “Mrs. Thompson, todayyou smelled just like my mom used to.”

在一堆礼物中间，汤普森夫人拆开了特迪送的礼物。当她看到里面放的是一串少了珠子的莱茵石手镯，还有1/4瓶香水的时候，有些孩子开始笑出声来。汤普森夫人制止了孩子们的嘲笑，并大声赞叹手镯是多么漂亮。她戴上手镯，还在手腕处喷了点儿香水。那天放学以后，特迪·斯托达德留下来对汤普森夫人说：“汤普森夫人，您今天身上的味道像我妈妈。”

After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On the very day, she quit teaching reading,and writing, and arithmetic. Instead she began to teach children how to be a man.

孩子们走后，她哭了至少一个小时。也从那天起，她不再单纯教阅读、写作和算术，而是开始教孩子们如何做人。

Mrs.Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed tocome alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year,Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.

汤普森夫人特别关注特迪。在她的悉心教导下，他的思维似乎变得敏捷起来。她越鼓励他，他的反应就越快。到了年底，特迪已在全班名列前茅。

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still thebest teacher he ever had in his whole life.

一年后，汤普森夫人发现门下有张特迪写来的便条，说她仍然是他碰到的最好的老师。

Six years later went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he hadfinished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in hiswhole life.

又过了6年，她又收到了特迪的短笺，说他以全班第三名的成绩高中毕业，而她仍然是他遇见的最好的老师。

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that he would soon graduate from collegewith the highest of honors. Then four more years past and yet another letter came. This timehe explained that after he got his bachelor’s degree, he decided to go a little further. The letterexplained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was alittle longer—the letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

又过了4年，她又收到特迪的来信，说他很快就要以优异的成绩大学毕业。又一个4年，又来了一封信。这次他解释到，拿到学士学位后，他继续深造去了。他在这封信中说明，她依然是他一生中最好、最喜欢的老师。不过， 这次他的署名长了一点，信的落款是：西奥多·F·斯托达德医学博士。

The story doesn’t end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he’dmet his girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of yeasago and he was wondering if Mrs.Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding thatwas usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course Mrs. Thompson did.

故事并没有就此结束。你瞧，那年春天，又来了一封信。特迪在信上说，他交了女友，俩人就要结婚了。他解释说，他爸爸几年前就去世了，所以他想知道在他们的婚礼上，汤普森夫人是否愿意做在他母亲的位子上。汤普森夫人当然愿意了。

At the wedding ceremony,they hugged each other, and Dr.Stoddard whispered in Mrs.Thompson’s ear, “Thank you Mrs.Thompson for believing in me, thank you so much for makingme feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.”

婚礼上，他们互相拥抱，斯托达德博士对汤普森夫人耳语道：“汤普森夫人，谢谢您对我的信任，非常感谢您对我的重视，是您让我明白了自己的价值。”

Mrs.Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, “Teddy, you have it all wrong.You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teachuntil I met you.”

汤普森夫人热泪盈眶，低声答道：“特迪，你搞错了。是你让我明白自己可以有所作为。在遇到你以后，我才知道怎样教育孩子。”

The Best Teacher I Ever Had

我最好的老师

Mr.Whitson taught sixth-grade science. On the first day of class, he gave us a lecture about an animal called the Cattywampus, an ill-adapted nocturnal animal that was wiped out during the Ice Age, he passed around a skull as he talked. We all took notes and later had a quiz.

When he returned my paper, I was shocked. There was a big red “X” through each of my answers. I had failed. There had to be some mistakes! I had written down exactly what Mr.Whitson said.

Then I realized that everyone in the class had failed. What had happened? Very simple, Mr.Whitson explained. He had made up all that story about the Cattywampus. There had never been any such animal. The information in our notes was, therefore, incorrect. Did we expect credit for incorrect answers?

Needless to say, we were outraged. What kind of text was this? And what kind of teacher is?

We should have figured it out, Mr.Whitson said. After all, at the very moment he was passing around the Cattywampus skull (in truth, a cat’s), hadn’t he been telling us that no trace of the animal remained? He had described its amazing night vision, the color of its fur and any number of other facts he couldn’t have known, he had given the animal a ridiculous name, and we still hadn’t been suspicious. The zeroes on our papers would be recorded in his grade book, he said. And they were.

Mr.Whitson said he hoped we would learn something from this experience. Teachers and textbooks are not always right. In fact, no one is. He told us not to let our minds go to sleep, and to speak up if we ever thought he or the textbook was wrong.

Every class was an adventure with Mr.Whitson I can still remember some science periods almost from beginning to end. One day he told us that his Volkswagen was a living organism. It took us two full days to put together a refutation he would accept. 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.

We carded our brand-new skepticism into all our classes. This caused problems for the other teachers, who weren’t used to being challenged. Our history teacher would be lecturing about something, and then there would be clearings of the throat and someone would say “Cattywampus”.

If I’m ever asked to propose a solution to the crisis in our schools, it will be Mr.Whitson. I haven’t made any great scientific discoveries, but Mr.Whitson’s class gave me and my classmates something just as important: the courage to look people in the eye and tell them they are wrong. He also showed us that you ca have fun doing it.

惠特森先生教六年级自然科学。第一天上课时，他给我们讲了一种叫卡蒂万波斯的动物，这种动物夜间活动，在冰河时期，因不适应自然环境而灭绝了。他边说边递过一个头颅让我们传看。我们做了笔记，而后进行了测试。

试卷发下来时，我震惊了，我的每个答案后面都打了一个大大的红“X”，我没及格。一定是弄错了!我写的明明都是惠特森先生讲的。

后来我发现班上同学都没及格。怎么回事?很简单，惠特森先生解释说，所有这些有关卡蒂万波斯的事都是他编造的。这种动物根本就不存在。我们笔记本上记录的当然是错误的。错误的答案难道还想得分吗?

不必说，我们都很愤怒。这是什么测试?什么老师呀?

我们应该想到这一点，惠特森先生说，毕竟，在他拿出卡蒂万波斯的颅骨(实际上是猫的颅骨)让我们传看时，不是说这种动物一点儿遗迹都没留下吗?他描绘了它夜间惊人的视觉，皮毛的颜色，和他不可能知道的许多情况。他还给这只动物取了个可笑的名字，我们仍未察觉。他说我们测试得零分会记在记分册上，他真的这样做了。

惠特森先生说，他希望我们能从这件事中汲取教训：老师和书本并还一定绝对正确。事实上，谁都不可能绝对正确。他让我们开动脑筋，认为他或书本错了，就大胆地说出来。

惠特森先生的每堂课都像是一次历险，他的几堂自然科学课我现在仍记忆犹新。一天，他对我们说，他的大众汽车是一种有生命的生物体。我们花了整整两天的时间，整理他认为可以接受的材料进行反驳，直到我们证明自己不仅懂得什么是生物体，还能不屈不挠地坚持真理时，他才善罢甘休。

我们持怀疑的态度走入课堂，这给其他老师带来了许多麻烦，他们不习惯受到这样的质疑。历史老师讲课时，下面就会有同学故意咳嗽，然后有人说：“卡帝万波斯。”

如果有人问我如何解决学校面临的危机时，那就是惠特森先生的教学方法。我没有任何伟大的科学发现，但是惠特森先生的课给我和同学们一样重要的启示：我们要正视别人的眼睛，勇敢地告诉他们，他们错了。他也同样指出我们的不足，这会获得无穷的乐趣。