温馨夜读II PART3 9.The Exact Price of a Miracle for Little Brother

 

[00:00.73]9.The Exact Price of a Miracle for Little Brother

[00:10.20]Tess was a precocious¹ eight-year-old when she heard her Mom and Dad talking about her little brother, Andrew.

[00:17.50]All she knew was that he was very sick and they were completely out of money to pay for a very costly² surgery.

[00:25.77]She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with desperation, “Only a miracle can save him now.”

[00:33.29]Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jar.

[00:37.20]She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully.

[00:41.02]Three times, even. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar,

[00:45.92]she slipped out the back door and made her way six blocks to the pharmacy³.

[00:50.82]She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy.

[00:56.05]Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter.

[01:00.84]“And what do you want?” the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice.

[01:06.93]“I’m talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven’t seen in ages,” he continued.

[01:12.27]“Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,” Tess answered，”

[01:16.95]He’s really, really sick… and I want to buy a miracle.”

[01:21.09]“I beg your pardon?” said the pharmacist.

[01:24.24]“His name is Andrew and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now.”

[01:29.26]“We don’t sell miracles here, little girl. I’m sorry but I can’t help you,” the pharmacist said, softening⁴ a little.

[01:36.66]“Listen, I have the money to pay for it. Just tell me how much it costs.”

[01:42.00]The pharmacist’s brother stooped down and asked the little girl, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?”

[01:49.18]“I don’t know,” Tess replied with her eyes welling up,

[01:54.20]“I just know he’s really sick but my Daddy can’t pay for the operation.”

[01:58.88]“How much do you have?” asked the man from Chicago.

[02:03.56]“One dollar and eleven cents,” Tess answered.

[02:07.15]“Well, what a coincidence,” smiled the man, “A dollar and eleven cents — the exact price of a miracle for your little brother.”

[02:15.97]He grasped her hand and said, “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents.”

[02:22.83]That man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a famous surgeon. 

[02:29.13]The operation was completed without charge and it wasn’t long until Andrew was home again.

[02:35.03]Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events.

[02:38.86]“That surgery,” her Mom whispered, “was a real miracle.

[02:43.34]I wonder how much it would have cost?”

[02:46.30]Tess smiled.

[02:47.94]She knew exactly how much a miracle cost…one dollar and eleven cents…plus the faith of a little child.

1 precocious   

adj.早熟的；较早显出的

参考例句：

• They become precocious experts in tragedy.他们成了一批思想早熟、善写悲剧的能手。
• Margaret was always a precocious child.玛格丽特一直是个早熟的孩子。

2 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

3 pharmacy   

n.药房，药剂学，制药业，配药业，一批备用药品

参考例句：

• She works at the pharmacy.她在药房工作。
• Modern pharmacy has solved the problem of sleeplessness.现代制药学已经解决了失眠问题。

4 softening   

变软，软化

参考例句：

• Her eyes, softening, caressed his face. 她的眼光变得很温柔了。它们不住地爱抚他的脸。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
• He might think my brain was softening or something of the kind. 他也许会觉得我婆婆妈妈的，已经成了个软心肠的人了。