韋達·博伊德·喬恩/Veda Boyd Jones
Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school working in Denver, I was driving to my parents’home in Missouri for Christmas.I stopped at a gas station about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend.I pumped the tank full, stood in line at the cash register, and said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.
I took off, but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from my exhaust pipe.I pulled over and wondered what I should do.
A car pulled up behind me.It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station.They said they would take me to my friend’s.We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.
I wrote him and his wife a thank-you note for rescuing me.Soon afterward, I received a Christmas package from them.Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.
Years later, I drove through a foggy morning to a conference in a nearby town.In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I’d left the lights on all day, and the battery was dead.Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership was right next door.I walked over and found two salesmen relaxing in a showroom devoid of customers.
“Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?”I asked and explained my trouble.
They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car, attached jumper cables, and started my car.They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks.
I received a letter back from one of the salesmen.No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.
Another few years had passed when a friend’s husband died.Pat had been a well-respected doctor at a big hospital, and hundreds of cards were sent to the family.Among them was a sympathy card from a plumber who had once worked at their house.He wrote that when Pat had paid the bill, he wrote on the invoice,“Thank you for a good job.”
“Thank you”—the two powerful words.They’re easy to say and mean so much.
幾年前，我從學校畢業，剛來丹佛工作時，一次開車去密蘇裏州的父母家過聖誕節。我在離俄克拉何馬城約50公裏的一個加油站停了下來，準備去看望一位朋友。我加滿油，在收銀台前排著隊，並跟一對也在交款的老夫婦打了個招呼。
我駕車離開，走了不過幾英裏，汽車的排氣管就冒出了濃濃黑煙。我把車停在路邊，想著該怎麽辦。
一輛車在我身後停了下來。原來是剛才在加油站問候過的那對老夫婦。他們說可以把我送到我朋友家。我們在進城途中聊了一路，下車時，老先生把他的名片給了我。
後來，我寫了一封感謝信感謝他們對我的幫助。很快，我就收到了他們寄來的聖誕包裹，並附有一張紙條，上麵說，他們的假期因為幫助我而充滿意義。
多年後，在一個霧蒙蒙的早晨，我駕車去附近的一個城鎮參加會議。黃昏時，我回到車前，發現車燈一整天都亮著，蓄電池的電已經耗完了。就在那時，我看到旁邊正好是“福特經銷處”。走過去，發現兩個銷售員正在展廳裏休息，店裏並沒有什麽顧客。
“請問福特公司可以幫我一個忙嗎？”我問道，並解釋著自己遇到的麻煩。
很快，他們就開著一輛輕便小汽車來到我的車前，接上跳線的電纜，開動了我的車。他們沒有接受任何報酬，因此當我回到家時，我就為他們寫了一封感謝信。
後來我收到其中一位銷售員的回信。他說，從來都沒有人會花時間寫信對他說謝謝，這封信對他來說意義深遠。
幾年後，朋友的丈夫帕特去世了。他曾在一家大醫院工作，是一位受人尊敬的醫生，因此家裏收到了數百張卡片。其中一張極富同情的卡片，是曾為他們家工作過的水管工送的。他在卡片上寫道，當帕特為他付工錢時曾在發票上寫道：“謝謝您完美的工作。”
“謝謝”——多麽有力的兩個字。他們很容易說出口，但意義非凡。
accept, receive, admit, take
這些動詞均有“接受、接納”之意。
accept：強調主動地或自願地接受，或者說，經過考慮後同意接受。
例：I accept your invitation.
我接受你的邀請。
receive：著重僅僅接到或收到事實，而不含采取主動或積極行動的意思。
例：Every single child will receive a gift.
每一個孩子都會收到一份禮物
admit：作“接受”講時，強調準許或批準。
例：Yale may also admit more students.
耶魯也會招收更多的學生。
take：與receive同義，是receive的日常用法，側重不帶主觀意願地收下或接受。
例：John takes the second place in the race.
約翰獲得賽跑亞軍。
1.A car pulled up__________me.It was the couple I had spoken to at the__________.They said they would take me to my friend’s.We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car,__________gave me his business card.
2.They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car, attached__________cables, and started my car.They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a__________to say thanks.