by Jon Snow

Dear Mr. Blake，

You were the first teacher who seriously engaged my attention. In part because collectively[一致地]， we nine-year-old boys in your class speculated[猜想] that you were in a mysterious war.

Were you once a spy？ You had an interesting pinsized-hole in your fine， strong forefinger that suggested a bayonet[刺刀] wound. You spoke of the navy[海军]， and we boys thought of Bond， James Bond注1. You brought English alive for me—literature and language—and I can admit it， I worshipped[崇拜] at your feet.

You seemed to enjoy my adventurous[爱冒险的] rebelliousness[叛逆]， and I thought then， and think now， that you discreetly[谨慎地] encouraged it in that Victorian confine注2 that was our school.

You brought adjectives[形容词] into my life， and descriptive[描述的] writing. You liberated[解放] me. You let my essays flower， you never ordained[命令] what I could， and could not say. You merely set out the systems by which words worked. You taught me with drive[魄力] and encouragement， never with threat， and found something positive to say even in failure.

I was an academic flop[失败]； you were most evidently a scholar. But you were， I can see now， my midway point between my ecclesiastical[教会的]， classics-educated father， and my exuberant[活跃的] non-academic self.

My parents marvelled[惊叹] that you ever got me off the very bottom of Class 4a.

Dear Rodney Blake， in later life， I could never imagine you running off with the piano teacher， but you did. I spoke to you once on the phone in your rickety[摇摇欲坠的] runaway garret[阁楼] in New Zealand. A stoic[淡泊的]， lonely， sickly old man， you sounded as far from Bond， as I. You died too long ago—but not before I was able to thank you. You were proud of me， and I of you， for the chance your generous care lavished[慷慨地给予] upon me.

With love，

Jon Snow

敬爱的布莱克先生：

您是第一位真正引起我注意的老师。一部分是因为班上的我们——一群九岁的男孩子都一致认为您参加过某场神秘的战争。

您当过特工吗？您的食指纤细有力，上面有个醒目的小伤口，好像是被刺刀弄伤的。当您一提起（英国）海军，我们就马上想起邦德，詹姆斯·邦德。您激发了我对英语和文学的兴趣。我不得不承认，我拜倒在您的脚下。

您似乎很喜欢我爱冒险的反叛性格。直到现在我依然认为，您一直都很小心地鼓励着我发展自己的天性，毕竟我们学校就是一间维多利亚式的监狱。

您为我的人生以及文章增添了色彩。您解放了我，任我尽情创作。除了教会我如何遣词造句，您从不限制我创作的内容。您总是带着热情和鼓励教导我。在我失败的时候，您总能从失败中找到可取之处，借以安慰我。

我完全是个学习差生，而您不用多说是个学者。现在我总算明白了您给我的形象很特别——既不像我父亲那样保守苛刻、满嘴古训，又不至于像我那样嬉皮笑脸、不学无术。

您使我学习进步，不再拖4a班的后腿，连我的父母也对此感到惊讶。

敬爱的罗德尼·布莱克，您后来跟钢琴老师私奔了，我还真没料到呢。我还跟您通过电话，当时您逃到了新西兰，住在一个摇摇欲坠的阁楼里。您听起来跟我一样是个普通人，而且还是个恬淡寡欢、孤独老弱的人，与邦德的形象相去甚远。您很早就离开人世了，我还没来得及向您道谢。您为我感到骄傲，而我也为获得您无私的关怀而感到光荣。

敬爱您的乔恩·斯诺