胡君祥

作者小时候时常目睹父亲把硬币投进泡菜坛子，为他将来上大学攒钱，等到作者大学毕业，有了工作，也成了家后回到父母家里时，却没看见父亲的泡菜坛子，作者不免思绪万千。作者会再次看到父亲的泡菜坛子吗？

The pickle jar as far back as I can remem?ber sat on the floor in my parents bedroom.

When he got ready for bed， Dad would empty his pockets and throw his coins into the jar.

As a small boy I was always fascinated by the soun

ds the coins made as they were dropped into the jar. They landed with a merry jingle when the jar was almost empty. Then， the fuller the jar， the duller the sound.

Taking the coins to the bank was always a big job. Each time we drove to the bank， Dad would look at me hopefully， saying， “Those coins are going to keep you out of the small town.”

Also， each time he slid the box of rolled coins across the counter at the bank toward the cashier， he would shout proudly， “These are for my sons college fund. Hell never work at the mill（工廠） all his life like me.”

When we got home， we would start filling the jar again. He always let me drop the first coins into the empty jar. We smiled at each other as they made a brief， happy jingle. “Youll get to college on pennies，” he said.

No matter how rough things got at home， Dad continued to drop his coins into the jar. Even the summer when Dad got laid off from the mill， not a single coin was taken from the jar.

The years passed， and I finished college and took a job in another town. Once， while visiting my parents， I used the phone in their bedroom， and noticed that the pickle jar was gone. It had served its purpose and had been removed. A lump rose in my throat as I stared at the spot beside the dresser where the jar had always stood. My dad was a man of few words， and never lectured me on the values of determination， perseverance（坚持不懈）， and faith. The pickle jar had taught me all these virtues.

Languag Study

Ⅰ.  Difficult phrase in sentence

Even the summer when Dad got laid off from the mill， not a single coin was taken from the jar.

语境：即使在夏天爸爸被工厂解雇的时候，爸爸也没花罐子里的一分钱。

分析：本句中，get laid off意为“被解雇”。

Ⅱ. Useful sentence patterns

1. Then， the fuller the jar， the duller the sound.

语境：然后，罐子越满，声音变得越沉闷。

分析：本句为“the+比较级， the+比较级”固定句型结构，表示“越……越……”。

2. Also， each time he slid the box of rolled coins across the counter at the bank toward the cashier， he would shout proudly， “These are for my sons college fund. Hell never work at the mill all his life like me.”

语境：而且，每次他把装着硬币的盒子从柜台那边递给银行出纳员的时候，他都会骄傲地大喊：“这是给我儿子上大学的基金。他不可能像我一样，一辈子在工厂里工作。”

分析：本句中，each time是连词短语，意为“每次……”。

Reading Check

阅读上面的文章，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

注意：

1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右;

2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。

Paragraph 1：

When I married， I told my wife Susan about the significant part the lowly pickle jar had played in my life as a boy.                                             ____________________________________________

________________________________________________

Paragraph 2：

She handed the daughter back to my father and led me into my parents bedroom.

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

寫作导引

一、语篇研读

要想续写内容与所给短文之间逻辑连贯、衔接紧密，必须充分理解所给材料的大意，掌握作者想要传达的意思。本文是一篇记叙文，文章分析如下：

二、提问构思

基于原文本和续写段落首句提供的信息并结合以上阅读分析，采用围绕中心提问相关问题的方法，构思要续写的两段故事情节，一般分为三步。

第一步，根据续写第二段所给出的段首句倒推续写第一段应包括什么内容。

根据第二段的段首句“她把女儿还给了父亲，把我领进了父母的卧室”可知，续写第一段要写“作者妻子和女儿之间的事”，这样才能确保续写的两段是相衔接的。

第二步，围绕续写第一段所给出的段首句以及上面的分析进行提问构思。

（1） Why did the author tell his wife of the pickle jar？

（2） What did the authors wife see in his parents bedroom？

（3） Why did the authors wife lead him to his parents bedroom？

第三步，围绕续写第二段所给出的段首句进行提问构思。

（1） What did the author see in his parents bedroom？

（2） How did the author feel when he saw his fathers pickle jar again？

（3） What would the author do when he saw his fathers pickle jar again？

三、润色成篇

在续写的过程中要注意情节连贯，各部分内容相衔接，即：

1. 两段的续写与所给短文的衔接;

2. 每段的续写与续写段首句之间的衔接;

3. 续写的两段之间的衔接。

同时要注意语言风格的一致和语法、句型以及所用词语的准确性。比如，刻画人物形象时运用恰当的形容词使其栩栩如生;描写人物心理活动时使用一些动词或副词使其细微深入。