Gloria’s picture 天使的照片

 　　那天晚上，警察在离我们家约50英里远的地方发现了汽车残骸和受伤的绑匪。在审讯的时候，开车的绑匪说当时转向是为了避开一个高个子的金发男人。二十年过去了，从来没有人宣布曾经救过Gigi。没有任何逻辑能够解释Gigi为什么能神奇逃脱并从离家那么远的地方回来。

　　Gigi现在每个周六都会带她的小女儿去公园玩，欣赏阳光在树梢上舞蹈，享受爆米花的香味和孩子们的笑声。她把Gloria的照片放在披风上，她怀念她的天使朋友。像我的女儿一样，从那之后，这种信念也一直帮我克服诸多困难。

　　Golden sunlight danced in the treetops, and children’s laughter filled the park. The smell of popcorn¹ played on the breeze, and life seemed good. It was one of the happiest Saturday mornings I had spent with my little daughter, Gigi.

　　That is, until two strangers threw her into their car and sped away. It seemed like a bad dream. I could barely whisper when the police questioned me. For hours we waited, but there was no word on the whereabouts of the car. Tears would start to come. Then nothing. I was numb² with fear.

　　"Go home, Ma’am," the sergeant³ said. "I’ll have an officer drive you. We’ll also want to monitor your telephone. The kidnappers⁴ might call, and we’ll want to get a trace. Trust me, these guys can’t get far." After what had just happened, it was hard for me to trust anything.

　　My friend Gloria came over that afternoon. "I heard about Gigi on the radio," she said. "Everyone is looking for the car. The interstates are all blocked." She took my hand.

　　"Look here," Gloria said. "I want you have this picture, and I want you to pray with me."

　　It was a picture of a little girl sound asleep in her bed. Standing⁵ by the bed was a tall, blond angel. His hand was touching⁶ the girl’s shoulder as he smiled down at her.

　　My nerves were frazzled. "You know I don’t believe in that kind of thing!" I snapped. "I’m too exhausted⁷ for any hocus-pocus right now, Gloria! I want my daughter home!" I started to shake, and then I began sobbing⁸.

　　Gloria placed the photo on our mantle⁹ and knelt down beside me. "Just pray with me," she said, holding my hand.

　　I had no strength left, so we prayed and waited what seemed an eternity¹⁰. Together, we waited by the phone until sundown. The phone never rang.

　　Suddenly, the front door swung open. I looked up and screamed.

　　There stood Gigi. "Gigi! Thank God!" I cried, throwing my arms around her. "Where did those men take you? How did you get home? Did the police find you?"

　　"No Mommy!" said Gigi. "I was real scared because those men said they were taking me far away. We were going real fast on an old rock road I’d never seen before. But then a tall man walked out in front of the car, and they ran off the road and hit a tree.

　　Then the tall man ran up and opened the car door and pulled me out. He was real nice, and said I would be okay now, and that those men couldn’t hurt me. I must have gone to sleep, because then I woke up here in front of our house. He must have brought me home."

　　"But who … how did he know … where to bring you?" My voice broke and trailed to a whisper.

　　"I don’t know, Mommy," Gigi said. "But he was real friendly, and I wasn’t scared of him at all."

　　Just then Gigi noticed Gloria’s picture on the mantle. "That’s him!" She squealed¹¹, pointing at the picture. "Mommy, the tall blond man dressed like an angel. That’s the man that pulled me out of the car!"

　　I felt chill-bumps across my neck and arms. Gloria turned pale. "Are you sure that’s the man?" Gloria asked.

　　"Yeah, that’s him okay. Except he didn’t have wings, and he was wearing blue jeans and a tee shirt. But that’s him exactly. I’d remember him anywhere!"

　　Later that night, the police found the injured kidnappers in their wrecked¹³ car fifty miles from our home. When questioned, the driver remembered swerving¹⁴ to avoid hitting a tall blond man. The backseat door that Gigi sat by had been completely torn off its hinges.

　　Twenty years have gone by. We have never heard from anyone claiming to have rescued Gigi. There have been no logical explanations for Gigi’s miraculous¹⁵ escape and return home from a wreck¹² so far away.

　　There have always been things that people can’t explain. But, from that day forward, I’ve never doubted that many of those things are divine miracles. I believe that all experiences, positive and negative, are given to us for our strengthening and learning.

　　Gigi now takes her little girl to the park on Saturdays. They enjoy the sunlight as it dances in the treetops, the smell of popcorn, and the laughter of children. She keeps Gloria’s picture on her mantle, and she remembers her angelic friend. And, like my daughter, I have a faith that has carried me through many trials since that day many years ago.

1 popcorn   

n.爆米花

参考例句：

• I like to eat popcorn when I am watching TV play at home.当我在家观看电视剧时，喜欢吃爆米花。
• He still stood behind his cash register stuffing his mouth with popcorn.他仍站在收银机后，嘴里塞满了爆米花。

2 numb   

adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木

参考例句：

• His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
• Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。

3 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

4 kidnappers   

n.拐子，绑匪( kidnapper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They were freed yesterday by their kidnappers unharmed. 他们昨天被绑架者释放了，没有受到伤害。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The kidnappers had threatened to behead all four unless their jailed comrades were released. 帮匪们曾经威胁说如果印度方面不释放他们的同伙，他们就要将这四名人质全部斩首。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

7 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

8 sobbing   

<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的

参考例句：

• I heard a child sobbing loudly. 我听见有个孩子在呜呜地哭。
• Her eyes were red with recent sobbing. 她的眼睛因刚哭过而发红。

9 mantle   

n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红

参考例句：

• The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green.大地披上了苍翠欲滴的绿色斗篷。
• The mountain was covered with a mantle of snow.山上覆盖着一层雪。

10 eternity   

n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷

参考例句：

• The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
• Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。

11 squealed   

v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He squealed the words out. 他吼叫着说出那些话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The brakes of the car squealed. 汽车的刹车发出吱吱声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 wreck   

n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难

参考例句：

• Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
• No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

13 wrecked   

adj.失事的，遇难的

参考例句：

• the hulk of a wrecked ship 遇难轮船的残骸
• the salvage of the wrecked tanker 对失事油轮的打捞

14 swerving   

v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• It may stand as an example of the fitful swerving of his passion. 这是一个例子，说明他的情绪往往变化不定，忽冷忽热。 来自辞典例句
• Mrs Merkel would be foolish to placate her base by swerving right. 默克尔夫人如果为了安抚她的根基所在而转到右翼就太愚蠢了。 来自互联网

15 miraculous   

adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的

参考例句：

• The wounded man made a miraculous recovery.伤员奇迹般地痊愈了。
• They won a miraculous victory over much stronger enemy.他们战胜了远比自己强大的敌人，赢得了非凡的胜利。