英语故事That Spark of Life.docx
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英语故事That Spark of Life.docx
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英语故事ThatSparkofLife
英语故事
ThatSparkofLife
Itwasmyoldparentstoldmethistale.Soitmustallhavebeenalongtimeago.Butstillitwasafterserfdomended.
Therewasamanlivedinourvillagethosedays,TimokhaSmallhand,theycalledhim.Hegotthenicknamewhenhewaswelloninyears.Therewasnofaulttofindwithhishandsreally.Godgiveeveryonenoworse,astheysay.Withhandslikehisyoucouldgohuntingbearswithaknife.Andtherestofhimwasmadeafterthesamepattern-broadshoulders,adeepchest,stronglegsandneckyou’dhaveajobtobendevenifyoutookapoletoit.Intheolddayswhentheyhadfist-fightsonholidays,onecloserowofmenagainstanother,theycalledthatsortstrikers.Becausewherevertheystrucktheymadeabreak.ButthebestfighterstriedtokeepclearofTimokha,lesthegettoohot.Itwasluckyhewasn’tveryfondofit.It’satruewordtheysay-ifaman’sstronghedoesn’tgolookingforfights.
Now,inourpartsthere’sallsortoftrades.
Somegetoreoutofthemines,otherssmeltit.Folkswashgold,pickoutplatinum,digforcoloredstoneandworkinquarries.Otherslookforgemsandpolishthem.Thenthere’salotoftreescutandfloateddownrivers.Folksmakecharcoalforthesmelting,theyhuntandtrapandcatchfish.Youcouldgointoahutandfindonebythestovehammeringpatternsonknivesandforks,anotherbythewindowpolishinggemsandathirdatthebenchweavingbastmatting.Andofcoursetherewerethefieldsandthebeasts.There’dbeafieldorameadowwhereverthehillsallowed.Arealpatchwork,itwas,andforeachjobyouhadtohavetheknack,andasparkoflifetoputinit,too.
Thatspark’ssomethingnoteveryoneunderstandsaboutproperlyevennow,butwithTimokhaafunnysortofthinghappened.Alessontoall.
ThisTimokha,whetheritwasjustthathewasyoung,orwhetherhe’dabeeinhisbonnetanyway,hegottheideahewantedtotryeverykindofworkandcrafthereabouts;heevenboasted:
“I’llbemasterofalltrades.”
Hisfamilyandhisfriendstriedtotalkhimoutofit.
“What’sthesenseofthat?
Chooseonetradeandknowitinsideout.Why,life’snotlongenoughtogetyourhandinateverycraft.”
ButTimokhastucktoit,hearguedandreckoneditallouthisownway.
“Wood-cutting-twowinters,raftingtwosprings,goldprospectingtwosummers,miningayear,smelting-that’lltaketenyears.Andthere’scharcoalburningandploughing,huntingandfishing.That’llbejustplay.WhenIgetoldIcandostonecarving,orbeamoulder,orasaddleratthefirestation.Sitthereinthewarm,turnmywheel,workmypolishingstoneorprickholeswithanawl.”
Ofcoursetheoldfolksjustlaughedathim.
“Lessofyourbrag,yelong-leggedstork!
Waittillyou’verackedyourbonesabit.”
ButTimokhapaidnoheedtothem.
“EverytreeI’llclimb,”hesaid,“andgraspitstopmostbranch.”
SoTimokhastartedlearningallthecraftspracticedinourparts.Hewasastoutladandahardworker,thekindanyonewouldbegladtoget.Whetheritwasfellingtreesorbreakingore-comeandwelcome.Andhe’dnodifficultygettingtakenonforthefinerwork,either,forhe’dgoodwitsinhisheadandgoodfingersonhishands-notwooden,butwithclevernessineachofthem.
Timokhatriedmanyahandicraftandeverywherehemadeagoodjobofit.Noworsethananyoneelse.
Bythistimehewaswedandhadahousefulofchildren,butstillhedidn’tchange.He’dlearnonejobinsideoutandrightawayhe’dstartlearninganother.Heearnedless,ofcourse,buthedidn’tbotheraboutthat,justasifitwastherightandnaturalthing.
Folksinthevillagewereusedtohisways,whentheymethimthey’dsay:
“Well,TimofeiIvanovich,areyoustillalocksmith,orhaveyougoneovertothefirestationtobeasaddleryet?
”
Timokhadidn’tmindtheirjests,he’danswerthesameway.
“Thetimewillcomewhenthere’snotacraftthatescapesmyhands.
Thenonedayhetoldhiswifehewasgoingtotrythecharcoalburning.Shenearlywept.
“Areyoucrazed,Husband?
Can’tyouthinkupsomethingworse?
Thewholehut’llstinkofsmoke.AndI’llneverbeabletogetyourshirtsclean.Aye,andthere’snaughtinworklikethat,what’stheretolearn?
”
Shesaidthatbecauseshedidn’tknow.Nowadayswiththefurnacesit’seasier,butinthosetimeswhentheystillburnedcharcoalinkilns,ittookunderstandingandknack.Manyaonetriedallhislifebutnevergottherealgoodcharcoal.Hisfamilywouldsay:
“Ouroldmankeepsusatit,givesusnorestorpeace,andallhegetsischarred,rottenwood.Andourneighbours,theysingallthetimeandthecharcoalhasafine,clearring,naughtunburned,naughtoverburned,andhardlyabitoflow-grade.”
Timokha’swifecouldlamentallsheliked,butshecouldn’ttalkhimoutofit.He’donlyonecomforttogiveher.
“Iwon’tgoaboutblackforlong.”
Timokhaknewhisownworth,andwhenhewantedtochangehisjobhelookedaboutfirstofallforsomeonetoteachhimthenextone.Andhesawhepickedthebestman.
Incharcoalburning,GrandadNefedwaswellknownallroundabout.Hischarcoalwasreckonedthebest.FolkscalleditNefed’sCharcoalanditwasalwayskeptseparatefromtherestinthesheds,andgivenoutonlyforthefinestwork.
SoTimokhawenttoGrandadNefed.OfcoursetheoldmanknewallaboutTimokhaandthebeehe’dgotinhisbonnet.
“I’lltakeyeonasmyapprentice,”hesaid,“andI’llteachyeallandholdnaughtback-butononecondition.Yedon’tleavemeuntilyoucanmakeabettercharcoalthanmine.”
Timokhahadnodoubtsaboutdoingit.
“Igiveyemyword,”hesaid.
Sotheyagreedonit,andsoonwentofftothecharcoalkiln.
NowGrandadNefedwasthesortthatthinksouteverylittlething,howtodoitthebestway.Evenaboutasimplethinglikechoppinglogsintobilletshe’dsomethingtosay.
“Lookyehere,now.I’manoldman,attheendofmystrength.ButIchopnoworsethanyou.Nowwhy’dyethinkthatis?
”
“Asharpaxeandatrainedhand,”Timokhaanswered.
“It’snotonlytheaxeandthehand,”saidtheoldman,“Ilookforthebestplacetostrike.”
GrandadNefedexplainedalltheinsandoutsofit,andTimokhasawhewasright,andfoundajoyintheworktoo.Somelogswouldflyapartsoitwasapleasuretosee,butthenhewouldthink-maybehewinganotherwaywouldhavebeenbetterstill.
ThisideaofgettingtheexactrightspotcaughtTimokharightoff.
Whenitcametoputtingthebilletsinthekiln,thereweredozensofthingstothinkof.Itwasn’tjustthateachkindofwoodhadtobelaidacertainway,evenwiththesamekindyouhadtouseyourhead.Pinewoodfromawetplacehadoneslant,fromadryplaceanother.Forwoodearlierfelledtherewasthisway,laterfelled-therewasthat.
GrandadNefedexplaineditallhonestlyandplainly,andnowandthenrecalledwherehe’dlearnedthisorthat.
“Itwasahuntertaughtmetosniffthesmellofthesmoke.They’vekeennoses,huntershave.Andit’sstoodmeingoodstead.Soon’sIgetthatsoursmellImakethedraughtstronger.Andeverything’sallright.
“Thenonedaytherewasawomanpassingby.Shestoppedbythekilntowarmherselfabit,andshetoldme:
”It’sburninghotterthisside.“
“‘Howd’yeknow?
’Iaskedher.
“‘Goroundit,’shesaid,‘you’llfeelforyourself.’
“Iwentrounditandsureenough,itwas.Well,Iputonsomemorewoodandmadeitright.I’veneverforgottenthatwoman’sword.They’realwaysatthestoves,womenare,they’reusedtonotingtheheat.”
Hetalkedofthisandthat,buthealwayscamebacktothesparkoflife.
“Throughallthesedraught-holesoursparkjumpsaboutinthedark,takeheeditdoesn’tturnintodestroyingflameorsinkintouselesssmoke.Ifyemakeamistakethenye’llfindthewoodover-burnedorunder-burned.Butifalltheventsarewellmade,yourcharcoalwillhaveagood,clearringtoit.”
Timokhawasrealtakenwithitall.Hesawitwasn’tsuchasimplejob,he’dhavetoworkatit,butallthesamehedidn’tthinkmuchaboutthatspark.
Thecharcoaltheymadewasallfirst-grade,ofcourse,butwhentheycametosortthepiles,theywereneveralike.
“Nowwhyisthat?
”askedGrandadNefed,andTimokhahimselfkeptpuzzlinghishead-wherehadhemadeamistake.
Timokhalearnedtodothewholejobalone.AndsometimeshischarcoalwasbetterthanNefed’s,butallthesamehedidn’tleavethework.Theoldmanlaughedathim.
’You’llnevergoanywhereelsenow,lad.You’recaughtwi’thesparkoflife,andit’llkeepyetillyourdeath.“
Timokhahimselfcouldn’tunderstandit.Whyhaditneverbeenthatwaywithhimbefore?
“Itwasbecauseyoualwayslookeddown,”GrandadNefedexplained,“lookedatwhatye’ddone;butwhenyoustartedtolookup,tolookforwaystodoitallbetter,thenthatsparkcaughtye.it’sthereineverysortofwork,itrunsaheadofskilledmasteryandbeckonsamanafterit.That’sthewayitis,myfriend!
”
Andthat’sthewayitwas.Timokhawentonbeingacharcoalburner,andhefoundhimselfanickname,too.Helikedtogivegoodcounseltoyoungfolksandalwaystoldthemabouthimself,howhe’dwantedwhenhewasyoungtolearneverytrade,butintheendhadstoppedatcharcoalburning.
“It’sthisway,”hesaid.“Icannevercatchupwiththatsparkinmywork.It’soverquickforme.Myhandsaretoosmall,that’swhatitis.”Andhe’dspreadoutthosegreathandsofhis.Folkslaughed,ofcourse.Andthat’showtheycametocallhimSmallhand.Justasajoke,becausehewaswellthoughtofeverywhere.
AfterGrandadNefeddied,Smallhandwasthebestcha
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