第3章 Grandfather's Clock 祖父的大钟

By Kathy Fasiq

本章内容导读

钥匙点燃了钟的生命。嘀答……嘀答……

钟的生机、活力和鸣响声从餐厅中散发开来，回荡在整间屋子里，然后注入了我的心里。

随着钟摆的摆动，我的祖父又一次活在了这里。

In the dining room of my grandfather's house stood a massive grandfather clock.Meals in that dining room were a time for four generations to become one.The table was always spread with food from wonderful family recipes1 all containing love as the main ingredient.And always that grandfather clock stood like a trusted old family friend，watching over the laughter and story swapping2 and gentle kidding that were a part of our lives.

As a child，the old clock fascinated me.I watched and listened to it during meals.I marveled at how at different times of the day，that clock would chime three times，six times or more，with a wonderful resonant3 sound that echoed throughout the house.I found the clock comforting and familiar Year after year，the clock chimed，a part of my memories，a part of my heart.

Even more wonderful to me was my grandfather's ritual.He meticulously4 wound that clock with a special key each day.That key was magic to me.It kept our family's magnificent clock ticking and chiming，a part of every holiday and every tradition，as solid as the wood from which it was made.I remember watching as my grand-father took the key from his pocket and opened the hidden door in the massive old clock.He inserted5 the key and wound—not too much，never overwind，he'd tell me solemnly.Nor too little.He never let that clock wind down and stop.When we grandkids got a little older，he showed us how to open the door to the grandfather clock and let us each take a turn winding the key.I remember the first time I did，I trembled with anticipation.To be part of this family ritual was sacred.

After my beloved grandfather died，it was several days after the funeral before I remembered the clock！

'Mama！The clock！We've let it wind down.'

The tears flowed freely when I entered the dining room.The clock stood forlornly6 quiet.As quiet as the funeral parlor had been.Hushed7.The clock even seemed smaller.Not quite as magnificent without my grandfather's special touch.I couldn't bear to look at it.

Sometime later，years later，my grandmother gave me the clock and the key.The old house was quiet.No bowls clanging，no laughter over the dinner table，no ticking or chiming of the clock—all was still.The hands on the clock were frozen，a reminder of time slipping away，stopped at the precise moment when my grandfather had ceased winding it.I took the key in my shaking hand and opened the clock door.All of a sudden，I was a child again，watching my grandfather with his silver-white hair and twinkling8 blue eyes.He was there，winking at me，at the secret of the clock's magic，at the key that held so much power.I stood，lost in the moment for a long time.Then slowly，reverently9，I inserted the key and wound the clock.It sprang to life.Tick-tock……tick-tock……life and chimes were breathed into the dining room，into the house and into my heart.In the movement of the hands of the clock，my grandfather lived again.

凯西·凡希

在我祖父家的餐厅里，摆着一座大型的落地大摆钟。每天一起在餐厅用餐的时候就是我们四世同堂其乐融融的美好时光。餐桌上摆放的食物，都是特别精致的家庭菜肴，每一道菜都包含着家庭的爱。而那座落地大摆钟总是站在那里，像一个忠诚的家族朋友，在一旁看着我们欢笑、交流人生故事和友善地开玩笑。这已经成为我们生活的一部分了。

小时候的我对这个老式摆钟非常着迷。我吃饭的时候都会看着它，倾听钟摆摆动的声音。我感到很好奇，为什么每天不同的时间，钟就会鸣响，敲三下，六下，或者更多，而且还发出一种奇妙的、洪亮的声音，在整个房间里回荡。这座钟使我感到相当舒服、很亲近。一年又一年的过去了，钟响不断，它已经成了我记忆中的一部分，成为我心中的一丝牵挂。

但对我来说，更奇妙的是祖父的一成不变的习惯。他每天都用一把特殊的钥匙小心翼翼地给钟上发条。我认为那把钥匙一定是有魔力的。它使得我们家的那座大钟滴滴答答地走动并且报时，成为我们家每个假期和每个传统节日的一部分，就像造成这钟的木头那样坚固不变。我还记得，看着祖父从他的口袋里掏出钥匙，打开这座大钟上的暗门。他插入钥匙，然后开始上发条——“不要将发条上得太紧，但也不能上太松了。”他曾经严肃地告诉我，他从来没有让钟停止工作过。随着我们这些孙儿辈慢慢长大，祖父开始教我们如何打开老钟上的暗门，而且让我们每个孩子轮流给钟上发条。我记得我第一次转的时候，由于期待地太久而有些颤抖。成为这个家庭典礼的一部分是神圣的。

在我深爱的祖父去世之后，我在葬礼过后几天才忽然记起了那座钟！

“妈妈！那个钟！我们没给它上发条。”

当我踏进餐厅的时候，眼泪情不自禁地流淌下来。那座钟静静地站在那里，显得很是孤独凄凉。就如同殡仪馆里面那样的寂静。甚至连那座钟都看起来愈发小了。没有了祖父特别的照料，钟也没以前显得那么宏伟了。我忍不住将眼睛移开了。

过了一段时间，几年之后，我的祖母把钟和钥匙给了我。那座老房子里变得寂静无声。没有了碗与碗碰撞的叮当声，没有了餐桌旁大家的欢笑声，没有了钟摆的嘀答声和钟的报时声——一切都是静止的。那座钟的钟摆，一动不动的在那里，使我想起了匆匆溜走的时光，钟的指针准确地停留在祖父停止给它上发条的时间。我把钥匙拿在有些颤抖的手中，打开了钟上的暗门。突然之间，我感到自己又回到了孩提时代，看着我的祖父，他银白的头发和那闪亮的蓝色眸子。他就在那儿，对我眨着眼睛，向我讲述着那座钟的魔法秘密，交给我那把拥有无限力量的钥匙。我站在那里，久久地沉思。然后，我慢慢地、虔诚地将钥匙插入钟里去，转动了发条。钥匙点燃了钟的生命。嘀答……嘀答……钟的生机、活力和鸣响声从餐厅中弥散开来，回荡在整间屋子里，然后注入了我的心里。随着钟摆的摆动，我的祖父又一次活在了这里。

生词空间 New Words

1.recipe n.烹饪法，食谱；方法，秘诀，诀窍

2.swap v.交换

3.resonant adj.洪亮的

4.meticulous adj.极其仔细的，一丝不苟的

5.insert v.插入，嵌入

6.forlornly adv.孤独凄凉地

7.hushed adj .安静的

8.twinkle v.闪烁，闪耀；闪闪发光

9.reverently adv.尊敬地

妙语连珠：Beautiful Sentences

1）I marveled at how at different times of the day，that clock would chime three times，six times or more，with a wonderful resonant sound that echoed throughout the house.

我感到很好奇，为什么每天不同的时间，钟就会鸣响，敲三下，六下，或者更多，而且还发出一种奇妙的、洪亮的声音，在整个房间里回荡。

2）The tears flowed freely when I entered the dining room.The clock stood forlornly quiet.As quiet as the funeral parlor had been.Hushed.

当我踏进餐厅的时候，眼泪情不自禁地流淌下来。那座钟静静地站在那里，显得很是孤独凄凉。就如同殡仪馆里面那样的寂静。

心灵感悟：

钟摆滴滴答答带走的是时间，可留给我们的是那些无法抹去的美好记忆。祖父的大钟，已成为我心中的一丝牵挂。