英语阅读教程第七课.doc

READING SELECTION A A Whole Nation and a People [1] There was one storekeeper I remember above all others in my youth, when I was spending a good portion of my time with a motley group of varied ethnic ancestry. We contended with one another to deride the customs of the old country. On our Saturday forays into neighborhoods beyond our own, to prove we were really Americans, we ate hot dogs and drank Cokes. If a boy didnt have ten cents for this repast he went hungry, for he dared not bring a sandwich from home made of the spiced meats our families ate. [2] One of our untamed games was to seek out the owner of a pushcart or a store, unmistakably an immigrant, and bedevil him with a chorus of insults and jeers. To prove allegiance to the gang it was necessary to reserve our fiercest malevolence for a storekeeper or peddler belonging to our own ethnic background. [3] For that reason I led a raid on the small, shabby grocery of old Barba Nikos, short, sinewy Greek who walked with a slight limp and sported a flaring, handlebar mustache. [4] We stood outside his store and dared him to come out. When he emerged to do battle, we plucked a few plums and peaches from the basket on the sidewalk and retreated, I go across the street to eat them while he watched. He waved a fist and hurled epithets at us in ornamental Greek. [5] Aware that my mettle was being tested, I raised my arm and threw my half-eaten plum at the old man. My aim was accurate and the plum struck him on the cheek. He shuddered and put his hand to the stain. He stared at me across the street, and although I could not see his eyes, I felt them sear my flesh. He turned and walked silently back into the store. The boys slapped my shoulders in admiration, but it was a hollow victory that rested like a stone in the pit of my stomach. [6] At twilight, when we disbanded, I passed the grocery alone on my way home. There was a small light burning in the score and the shadow of the old mans body outlined against the gl