My Girlfriend Catherine (novel) Zhang Baotong 2016.3

5. Like-minded

Although I brought Catherine home, our study habits didn't change. As long as we don't go out to play or have other things, we usually stay in the house and keep studying.

When I was studying, I would move the electric heater I borrowed from my fourth brother and the small table for eating at home to my house. Then, ask my mother to lock my door from the outside so that outsiders don't disturb me.

I'll start with a classics lesson for Catherine. Actually, I didn't specialize in classics, but it was my hobby, especially after falling in love with Catherine, we made an agreement that she would give me an English lesson every day, and I would give me a classical literature class, so that we could learn and promote each other. So, since then, I have often taught myself some poems and articles of ancient Chinese classics as part of my lectures to her.

Today, I told her about Li Yu's "When is the Spring Flower and Autumn Moon" by Li Yu during the Five Dynasties of China. I recited:

"When is the spring flower and autumn moon?

How much do you know about the past?

Xiaolou had an east wind last night,

The old country is unbearable to look back at the moonlight.

The carved fence and jade masonry should still be there,

It's just that Zhu Yan changed.

How sad can you be?

It is like a river flowing eastward. ”

Listening to my recitation, Catherine could not help but exclaim, "This poem is so beautiful, so poignant. ”

I said, "It's a sad song of life." The author expresses the sharp contradiction and contrast between the eternity of nature and the impermanence of life, and expresses the sadness of the loss of life after the death of the country. Spring flowers are romantic objects, and the autumn moon is really noble, which should be gratifying, but for the author of the prisoner, it has lost its meaning. The word 'when' is a bizarre and strange question, asking when the past years have passed, and how the rest of your life will be spent after the catastrophe. Xiaolou Dongfeng was originally a message of spring, but a 'unbearable' sigh reflected the sorrow of the author Li Yu's prison life. ”

Catherine said with emotion, "This poem has a profound meaning and meaning, which makes me feel that Chinese poetry is really broad and profound, and the beauty is infinite." ”

I said, "Yes, this poem is a long song that has been touched by thousands of sad feelings, and I don't know how many generations have touched it, so it has become a poem that has been recited through the ages." However, the author also paid a great price for some. It is said that the author's undisguised thoughts of the homeland became one of the reasons why Song Taizong ordered the author to be poisoned, so this poem became the author's fate. ”

When I was done, I asked Catherine to recite it with me, and then asked her some questions about the poem to answer to deepen her understanding. Finally, memorize the poem.

Then, she gave me English lessons, and she told me a story. The story is that a millionaire walks by in front of the park early one morning and sees a beggar lying on a bench in front of the park and falling asleep. Because he has insomnia, he is very envious when he sees the beggar sleeping so soundly. So he said to the beggar, "Sleep in my luxurious hotel at night, and let me sleep on this open-air bench." The beggar, of course, was happy and slept in the hotel at night, while the rich man slept on a bench. But before dawn on the third morning, the beggar ran out of the hotel, came to the bench in front of the park, woke up the rich man who was asleep, and said, Give me back the bench, and I will not sleep in your hotel. The rich man asked the beggar why. The beggar said that whenever I slept on the bench, I dreamed that I was sleeping in the hotel, but when I slept in the hotel, I always dreamed that I was sleeping on the bench.

When the story was finished, Catherine asked me to retell the story, and then asked me to retell it in an expanded way. It would have been so easy to repeat the original story, but she asked me to tell it for twenty minutes. A short story that could have been told in two or three minutes is now going to be told in twenty minutes, and there should be no obvious mixing between the sentences. It's not an easy thing to do. This requires me to use a lot of imagination and understanding to adapt a small story into a big enough story. This has to add some characters and plots, otherwise, it will be difficult to expand the story content enough. Because I often write essays and novels, I'm still good at making up stories. So, while watching the time, I was in the clouds, making up stories in the sky and on the ground, and my mouth was like a machine gun. However, the faster I speak, the slower time passes, so I slow down my speech to give more time and space to think in my head, so that the story is clearer and richer. I was rambling on and on the story, but my mind was getting worse and worse at the speed of speech, so there was some repetition and verbosity in the sentences. By the time I finished the story in 20 minutes, I felt like my brain was a little deprived of oxygen. Therefore, I felt that it was good at the beginning, but it was a little messy later.

But Catherine said to me in a very appreciative tone, "You are amazing, my dear. With that, she kissed me to show that she gave me a good call.

At this time, my mother brought us tea. She knew that Catherine liked to drink bean tea, so she put a lot of soybeans and sesame seeds in the tea, and put some ripe peanuts in the tea.

I picked up my cup and drank the tea, and I felt that the taste of the tea had changed a little, and I immediately realized that there was no salt in the tea. I said to Catherine, "I told my mom that you get high blood pressure if you eat a lot of salt, and I've been saying this for years, and my mom ignored me, but you only said one word yesterday, and she remembered it." Your words are miraculous. ”

Catherine said, "Really, why is she like this?"

I said, "Because you are important to her, she can't help but listen to you." ”

Catherine said, "But you are her son, and you should be more important than me." ”

I said, "It depends on what it is." If you're going to snatch me away from her, she's going to fight with you. ”

Catherine said, "I'm not going to snatch you away from her, I'm going to have you with her." But you are my lover and her son. ”

I said, "If you could tell her that, she would love you even more." ”

Catherine said, "I've already told her. Because I know that she didn't want you to bring me to your house in the first place, because she was afraid that I would bring you to the United States. ”

After the tea, we continue to learn. I'm reading a Nobel Prize winner because I plan to translate it into Chinese. Although there are many doubts and difficulties in the book, with Catherine's help, I am still full of confidence. Catherine, on the other hand, was looking at some information about Qu Yuan, which she bought when she visited Qu Zi Temple. Although we were very close, we did not say a word for fear of disturbing and hindering each other. It's just that we don't have access to the Internet at home, and the laptops we bring can only type, but we can't check the information.

I had been studying in the house until about four o'clock in the afternoon, and I thought I should take Catherine out for a walk. This is good for your health and will also improve your learning efficiency.

Our village happens to be surrounded by mountains and rivers, with a river in front of the village and a mountain behind the village. But the river is relatively close, and it takes a long time to go up the mountain. So, I took her to the riverside.

The sun shines brightly on the afternoon world, and the mountains and rivers seem to have a layer of warm warmth. We walked on the high embankment holding each other, and kept looking towards the river, only to see that the river was wide, the water was clear, and there were several sailboats floating slowly on the river. On the spur of the moment, I couldn't help but sing my favorite song:

"A great river with wide waves,

The wind blows the rice and flowers on both sides,

My family lives on the shore,

I'm used to hearing the trumpet of the captain,

I'm used to seeing the white sails on the ship. ”

Catherine listened to me with fascinated eyes, and when I had finished the first stanza, she continued:

"The girl is like a flower,

How broad-minded the young man is,

In order to break new ground,

Awakened the sleeping mountains,

Let the river change its appearance. ”

After listening to her sing this song, I said, "Baby, you really want to become us Chinese." ”

Catherine said, "I'm half Chinese because I like China." ”

I said, "Why?"

She said, "The Chinese are hardworking, kind, honest and intelligent. Moreover, China has my beloved. ”

For her sake, I'm going to kiss her well. So, I hugged her and kissed her with emotion.