感谢的力量

【内容概述】

我们习惯了子女对长辈的感恩，也习惯了员工对领导的致谢。然而我们有时候却忽略了对子女、对下级的感谢。在暴风骤雨中历经周折赶去上班的一位普通员工被领导的几句简约而真诚的感谢深深触动，让他学到了以前从来没有从教科书上学到的人生哲理，那就是：感谢的力量是无穷的。

【美文赏读】

On August 26,1999, New York City was struck[1] by a terrible rainstorm. The rain caused the streets to flood and the subway system almost came to stop.

Unfortunately, this happened during the morning rush hour. Many people who were going to work were forced to go home. Some battled to call a taxi or to get on a bus. Still others faced[2] the storm bravely, walking miles to get to work.

I happened to be one of people on the way to work that morning. I went from subway line to subway line only to find that most service had stopped[3]. After making my way through crowds of people. I finally found a subway line that was operating. Unfortunately, there were so many people waiting to board the subway that I could not even get down the stairs to the platform. So I took the train going in the opposite direction, and then switched[4] back to the downtown train. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the train reached my stop. Then I had to walk several blocks in the increasingly heavy rain. When I finally got to my office. I was wet through,[5]exhausted and discouraged.

My co-workers and I spent most of the day drying off when it was 5:00 pm, I was ready to go home. I was about to turn off my computer when I received an email from Garth, my Director:

I would like to thank all of you who made the effort and eventually reported to work[6]. It is always reassuring (令人欣慰), at times like these, when employees so clearly show their devotion to their jobs. Thank you.

Garth's email was short, but I learned more from that brief message than I ever did from a textbook. The email taught me that a few words of appreciation can make a big difference. The rainstorm and the traffic troubles had made me tired and upset. But Garth's words immediately refreshed me and put a smile back on my face[7].

【点拨注释】

[1] strike的意思是“打击、袭击”；汉语中我们经常描述什么地方“发生”了地震、火灾或者洪水，但在英文中一般我们不用“happen”，而用具有更好表现力的“be hit with”或“be struck with”等表示“被袭击、被侵袭”。

[2] face在这里做动词，意思是“（毅然）应对、面对”，所以如果表达面临着的意思，应该使用“be faced with”，如：I am faced with a hard choice.我面临着一个艰难选择。

[3] 这句话的意思是“我从一条地铁线走到另一条地铁线，到头来却发现大部分（地铁线）都停运了”，这里service指的是运输业务，是不可数名词。Only to find引导的是一个与预期相反的结果状语，详细知识可参见：不定式to do做状语的用法。

[4] switch的意思是“交换，改变”，例如：Husbands and wives should sometimes switch roles.（夫妻之间有时候应该转换一下角色）这里switch back指的是“反着坐回来”。与switch相关的常用短语还有switch on （接通电源，开用点灯、机器等），switch off 是其反义。

[5] be wet through的意思是“湿透”，其主语也可以是事物，如“My coat was wet through”。

[6] report to work的意思是“报到上班”，相当于report for duty；eventually的意思是“最后，终于”。

[7] refresh的意思是“给某人活力、让某人振作”，这句话是说“来自Garth的邮件让作者顿时振作起来，脸上又重新绽开了微笑”。另外，refreshing常做形容词使用，如，The breeze here is really refreshing. 这里的微风让人心旷神怡。