Ewan went to a language class every Tuesday evening. The teacher gave them a job last week. "Next Tuesday, you will each give a short talk," she said. "Tell us about your hometown."
尤恩每个星期二晚上都去上语言课。上周，老师给他们布置了一项任务。“下星期二，你们每个人都要做一个简短的演讲，”她说，“给我们讲讲你的家乡。”
Ewan was afraid. He grew up in a small village by the sea. He did not know many words about it. He put some photos in a folder. They showed boats, a market, a church and his mother's kitchen. He practiced on the bus every day.
尤恩很害怕。他在海边的一个小村庄长大，却不知道多少相关的词。他把一些照片放进一个文件夹。照片上有渔船、集市、教堂和他妈妈的厨房。他每天都在公交车上练习。
On Tuesday, he stood in front of the class. His hands were cold.
星期二那天，他站在全班同学面前。他的手冰凉。
"My hometown is small," he said. "It is… it is near the…" He forgot the word for "sea." Then he forgot the word for "fish." His mind was empty. He looked at the floor.
“我的家乡很小，”他说，“它……它在……附近……”他忘了“海”这个词。接着又忘了“鱼”这个词。他脑子一片空白，低头看着地板。
Then he remembered the photos. He held up the first one. "This is a boat," he said, and he pointed at the water. "The men go out at night."
这时他想起了那些照片。他举起第一张。“这是一条船，”他一边说，一边指着水面，“男人们夜里出海。”
He did not know the word "net." He took a marker and drew a net on the board. A woman in the class said, "A net!" Everyone nodded.
他不知道“网”这个词。他拿起一支记号笔，在白板上画了一张网。班上一位女士说：“网！”大家都点了点头。
Ewan showed the photo of the market. He pointed at each thing and said its name. When he did not know a word, he drew it. Or he used his hands.
尤恩给大家看集市的照片。他指着每一样东西，说出它的名字。遇到不认识的词，他就画出来，或者用手比划。
After five minutes, he stopped. The room was quiet. Then many hands went up.
五分钟后，他停了下来。教室里很安静。接着，许多只手举了起来。
"What do people eat in your village?" asked a man. "Is the water cold?" asked a girl.
“你们村里的人吃什么？”一位男士问。“那里的海水冷吗？”一个女孩问。
The teacher smiled. "Ewan, we want to see the kitchen photo again."
老师笑了。“尤恩，我们想再看一遍那张厨房的照片。”
