07 Keep Your Fork紧握餐叉
There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and was given three months to live. So as she began getting her things“in order”，she asked for her pastor to come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service and what dress she wanted to be buried in.Everything was in order and as the pastor was preparing to leave,the woman suddenly remembered one final request，“Please,Pastor,just one more thing，”she said excitedly.“This is very important to me，”the woman continued，“I want to be buried holding a fork in my right hand.”
有一位女士被诊断出疾病到了晚期，只剩三个月的时间。当她开始安排后事的时候，她把牧师叫到家里商量她的遗愿。她告诉牧师在葬礼上她想要什么音乐，穿什么衣服。所有事情都安排好了，当牧师准备离开的时候，她又突然想到最后的一个要求，“牧师，请听我说最后一件事。”她兴奋地说，“这对我非常重要。在我被埋葬的时候我想右手拿一把餐叉。”
The pastor gazed at the woman,at a loss for words.“That surprises you,doesn't it?”the woman asked. The pastor replied，“Well,to be quite honest,l am puzzled by the request.”The woman explained，“You see,Pastor,in all my years of attending church socials,l remember that when the dishes were being cleared after the main course,someone would inevitably lean over to me and say，‘Keep your fork.'It was my favorite part of the meal because l knew that something better was coming.”
牧师凝视着她，不知该说什么。她问：“听到我这么说，你很吃惊，对吧？”牧师回答道：“老实说，我挺迷惑的。”她解释道：“牧师，你知道，这些年我参加教堂活动，我记得在上了主菜之后餐具会被清理，有人会走过来弯腰对我说，‘拿好您的餐叉。’这是一餐中我最喜欢的部分，因为我知道更好的将要到来。一餐中最好的东西会放在最后！”牧师专心地听着，他的脸上浮现出一丝微笑。她继续说道：“所以我想让人们看到我躺在那里，手里拿着一把叉子，他们会想要知道‘餐叉是用来做什么的呢？’，然后我想让你告诉他们：‘拿好你们的餐叉，最好的就要来了。’”她知道，并且坚信最好的就要来了。
“Something wonderful was to end the meal！”The pastor listened intently and a smile came upon his face. The woman continued，“So,l just want people to see me there with a fork in my hand and l want them to wonder……‘What's with the for'……then l want you to tell them，‘Keep your fork……the best is yet to come.'”She knew and trusted that the best was yet to come.
At the funeral,every one that walked by the woman's coffin saw her wearing a beautiful dress with her favorite Bible held in her left hand and a fork held in her right hand. Over and over the pastor heard people ask the question，“Why is she holding a fork?”and his smile began to get larger and brighter each time.During his message,the pastor explained the fork and what it symbolized to her.So the next time you reach for your fork,let it remind you,oh,so gently,that the best is yet to come.
在葬礼上，每个经过这位女士棺材的人都看到她穿着一条漂亮的裙子，左手拿着她最爱的圣经，右手拿着一把餐叉。牧师听到人们一遍又一遍地问那个问题：“为什么她要拿一把餐叉？”每次听到，牧师都会变得更开心。在祷告的时候，牧师解释了餐叉对她的意义。因此，下次你拿到餐叉的时候，让它轻轻地提醒你，最好的就要来了。
diagnose[ˌdaɪəgˈnoʊs]v.判断；诊断（疾病）
例 Geological investigations must correctly diagnose a specific soil-like condition.
地质调查必须正确地判断出特殊的土状条件。
terminal[ˈtɜːrmɪnl]adj.末端的；终点的；晚期的；（每）学期的
例 About 70%patients were in terminal as they are diagnosed.
在确诊时约有70%的病人为中晚期。
pastor[ˈpæstər]n.牧师
例 The villagers all loved the kind pastor.
村民们都爱戴这个好心的牧师。
excitedly[ɪkˈsaɪtɪdlɪ]adv.兴奋地，激动地；勃然；兴冲冲
例 I was so excited when l went to sign the paperwork l could hardly write.
去签文件时我非常兴奋，几乎无法写字。
gaze[geɪz]v.凝视
例 She sat gazing out of the window.
她坐着凝视着窗外。
inevitably[ɪnˈevɪtəbli]adv.不可避免地
例 The decision will inevitably cut both ways.
这个决定不可避免地产生两种结果。
intently[ɪnˈtentli]adv.一心一意地；心无旁骛地；专心地
例 She regarded him closely,intently,curiously,etc.
她紧紧地、目不转睛地、好奇地注视着他。
funeral[ˈfjuːnərəl]n.葬礼，丧礼；后果由……自负（习语）
例 His funeral will be on Thursday at Blackburn Cathedral.
他的葬礼将于星期四在布莱克本大教堂举行。
None of my business,l guess. lt's your funeral.
我想是不关我什么事儿，你就自寻死路吧。
symbolize[ˈsɪmbəlaɪz]v.象征；用记号表现
例 Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.
复活蛋象征新生。
①There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and was given three months to live.
这个句子是一个who引导的定语从句，先行词是a woman,who在从句中充当主语。
be diagnosed with被诊断出患有……
例 He has recently been diagnosed with angina.
他最近被诊断出患有心绞痛。
②She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service and what dress she wanted to be buried in.
这个句子是which和what引导的宾语从句。
be buried in被埋葬
例 What has happened shall be buried in oblivion.
既往不咎。
Those dead soldiers were buried in the tombs.
那些死去的战士被埋葬在坟墓里。
③The pastor gazed at the woman,at a loss for words.
gaze at凝视，注视
例 He gazed at the scene with staring eyes.
他瞪大眼睛注视着这场面。
For some time,she gazed at a pair of fur-lined high boots on display.
她盯着陈列在橱窗里的一双有毛皮里子的长筒靴子看了好一会儿。
at a loss困惑；不知所措；亏本地
例 He is always at a loss what to say in front of strangers.
他在生人面前总是不知要说什么。
He was quite at a loss for words of consolation.
他简直想不出安慰的话来。
He was at a loss for a suitable reply.
他不知所措，找不出合适的答复。
④I remember that when the dishes were being cleared after the main course,someone would inevitably lean over to me and say，“Keep your fork”.
这个句子是一个宾语从句，从句部分做remember的宾语。宾语从句中还包含了一个when引导的时间状语从句。
lean over to向某处倾斜，向某人、某方向弯腰
例 Fatso leaned over to whisper in her ear.
胖子欠身对她耳语几句。
The damaged ship was leaning over to port.
损坏的船向左舷倾斜。
⑤At the funeral,every one that walked by the woman’s coffin saw her wearing a beautiful dress with her favorite Bible held in her left hand and a fork held in her right hand.
every one做先行词，that引导了定语从句，that在从句中做主语。
at the funeral在葬礼上（注意at的使用）
相同的用法还有：at the party在聚会上；at the meeting在会上
例 His behavior at the party was most regrettable.
他在宴会上的作为令人深感遗憾。
The question is bound to come up at the meeting.
会上必然要讨论这个问题。
see sb. doing看见某人正在做某事
例 We saw him working in the garden this morning.
我们看见他今早在花园里干活。
1.Without wearing any mask we are conscious of,we have a special face for each friend.
我们无意识地戴着面具在生活，而对每一个朋友，我们都戴上不同的面具。
2.To conceal anything from those to whom l am attached,is not in my nature.I can never close my lips where l have opened my heart.
我无法对自己所爱的人隐瞒任何事情，这是天性使然。当我打开心扉的时候，我也无法闭口不言。
3.No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else.
如果一个人能够为别人减轻负担，他在这个世界上就是有用的。
4.To help a friend in need is easy,but to give him your time is not always opportune.
帮助有困难的朋友很简单，但我们却总是没有时间。
5.We all want to help one another.Human beings are like that.We want to live by each other's happiness,not by each other's misery.
我们都想要互相帮助，人类生性如此。我们要生活在彼此的快乐之中，而非痛苦之中。
6.Whatever you think of your friend,he thinks the same of you.
你怎么看待自己的朋友，他们也会这样看待你。
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