There are four pearl dealers in our town of La Paz. About a week after my father had cut the pearl, the four men came to our home. They came early in the afternoon, dressed in their best black suits and carrying a scale and calipers (卡尺) and their money in a bag. When word got around that the dealers were going to buy the great black pearl, a crowd followed them and stood outside our gate.

The four men wore serious faces and they put their scale and calipers on the table and their brown bag as well. They sat down and folded their hands and said nothing. Then my father said. “The bag is very small, gentlemen. I doubt that it holds enough money to buy the great Pearl of Heaven.”

The four dealers did not like this. One of them, named Martin, was big and shaped like a barrel and had small white hands. “I have heard that the pearl is the size of a grapefruit,” he said, “If so, we have more money than we need. For as you know, the large ones are of little value.” “They do not live long, these monsters,” said Palomares, who was as fat as Martin. “They often die or become dull before a year passes.” “And so do many of the small ones,” my father said. “Like the pink one Palomares sold us last month.” Palomares shrugged his shoulders.

“Before I show the Pearl of Heaven,” my father said, “I will tell you the price. It is twenty thousand pesos, no more and no less.”

My father went out of the room and came back with the pearl wrapped in a piece of white velvet. He laid it on the table in front of the four dealers. The great pearl caught the light, gathered it and softened it into a moon of dark fire. None of the dealers spoke for a moment or two.

Then Martin said, “It is as I feared, more like a grapefruit than a pearl.” “It’s a monster all right,” Palomares said. “The kind that often has a brief life and is very hard to sell.” One of the dealers who had not spoken cleared his throat and said, “But still we will make an offer.” The other dealers nodded seriously. “Ten thousand pesos,” said Martin. Palomares grasped the pearl and studied it. “I think that I see a flaw (瑕疵),” he said after a long time. “Ten thousand is too much.” The great pearl was passed around to the other dealers and they all turned it in their hands. As last Martin used the calipers and placed the pearl on the scale. “His readings were the same as I had made almost. Eleven thousand pesos,” he said. My father answered, “In your lives you have never seen a pearl like this one, nor will you.” “Twelve thousand,” said Palomares.

For most of an hour the price the dealers offered went up two hundred and fifty pesos at a time until the figure reached the sum of fifteen thousand pesos.

“Then,” said my father, “I shall take the great pearl to Mexico City and ask twice that amount and sell it to dealers who know its true worth.” Palomares picked up the pearl and put it down. “If you remember,” he said, “you made the long journey to the City of Mexico once before. And what did you find there? You found that the dealers are not so generous (慷慨的) with their money as we are here in La Paz.And you came home after the long journey with your tail between your legs.”

My father stopped pacing and signed to me. “Go to the church,” he said, “and bring Father Gallardo. Whatever he is doing, see that he comes. Go quickly.”

Everybody fell silent as we came in. Then my father turned to the priest and bowed. “Here is the Pearl of Heaven,” he said. “My son and I give it to you so that you may give it to the Madonna, our beloved Lady-of-the-Sea, to hold and keep forever.”

How many people have had the opportunity to see the curvature(圆弧) of the earth below and a completely black sky above? Sitting at the edge of the craft, preparing to jump, was an unforgettable experience. Before I jumped, I said, “I’m going home now.” and that’s what I was thinking — with my jump I’d be going home to the people I love. I was also aware I only had 10 minutes of oxygen, so part of me was thinking, “Don’t waste too much time. Get going.”

   As I fell, I was focused on what I needed to do. There was a time when I was thinking I might be in trouble. But even then I could be calm, as I had trained so hard and because we had taken measures that would have created drag(拖曳) and slowed me down, so I’m glad I fought to get control and didn’t need it. I became the first person to break the speed of sound in freefall.

   I trained for five years for the jump — mentally and physically, including things like holding firmly, as it’s very hard to use your hands in those gloves. I also learned about all the technical and medical issues involved in a jump: that was essential to earn the respect of the scientists and doctors on the team and work together with them. As a professional BASE jumper, Iwas used to being independent.

   I always knew death or injury was possible, but I didn’t think I would die. I am a very meticulous planner: I look at all the risks, and if they are too high, I won’t undertake the project. The best thing to result from the jump is still to come. Not only have we proven that a human can successfully break the speed of sound in freefall, but it’s clear from the response we’ve received that this mission(任务) has inspired people to follow their own dreams, whatever they are.

Would I do it again? No. Once I’ve accomplished something, I’m always ready to move on to the next challenge.

Mark Twain was asked one day if he could remember the first money he ever earned.

He thought a long time and then said , “Yes, it was at school. I can remember everything about it . School boys in those days did not take good care of their chairs and desks. There was a rule in our school that if anyone damaged his desk or chair, he would have to pay five dollars or the teacher would beat him in front of the whole school.”

“One day I damaged my desk in some way, I had to pay five dollars or be beaten before the whole school. My father said it would be too bad to have our family disgraced in front of the whole school. He agreed to give me five dollars to hand over the teacher. But before he gave me the money, he took me upstairs and gave me a beating.”

“But as I had one beating and I decided I would take another beating at school and keep the five dollars. So that’s what I did. That was the first money I ever earned.”

I was a dance teacher when I first began working with people who have disabilities. I had thirty students. These were teens and adults up to the age of 40. We learned new steps together. We laughed together and we shared a love of music and fellowship.

I had one pupil, Dan, who didn’t appear to get much out of the class. I never had eye contact with him. When I left the class to travel down the stairs to reach the main floor of the building, he moved worriedly as a blind person might do in unfamiliar condition.

One day his parents met me shopping downtown and told me that they were so grateful that I was teaching the class. They said that my class was the high point of their son’s week. Were they just being polite?

A week later, a snowstorm held me up and I was later than usual pulling into the school parking lot. Ahead of me by one row of cars, and over to one side, was my student, Dan and his worker. I could see his face as he moved toward the building. He was excited. I watched Dan run toward the building in anticipation of（期待着）his weekly treat, my class. I cried as it hit me that though I could not see in class all that Dan got from the class, it surely meant a lot to him. Dan did indeed love the class. He was getting enjoyment out of it.

Today when I teach courses at the College to students, I remind them that children can stand on the sidelines and seem to be uninterested and yet they can be learning at the same pace as those who are in the middle of the activity. When I teach this, I think, yes and this is true for those with disabilities too!

I stole your dog today. No, I didn’t set a foot on your house, but from the condition of your dog, I can imagine what it looks like…the word “rubbish” comes to mind.

I found her along a road, with a heavy chain wrapped around her neck, still attached to rotten boards from her doghouse. Not only did I know that most of the town people had already ignored her, judging by where I found her, but I knew that if she had gotten into the Woods, the "cross" that she dragged behind her would have wrapped around a tree until starvation or thirst killed her. She has a beautiful name now. Already in the first week she has come to look more like she should. Her eyes sparkle and she has learned to wag her tail in greeting. She has stopped flinching (畏缩) when I make a sudden movement, because she knows now that I won’t beat her, in fact, she rarely leaves my side. She’s even become brave enough to bark at a cat and today I watched from the window as she attempted to play with the other dogs. No, it’s clear she does not miss you or her former life on a chain.

Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first people to win it twice. However, few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner.

Born in September, 1897, Irene Curie was the first of the Curies’ two daughters. Along with nine other children whose parents were also famous scholars, Irene studied in their own school, and her mother was one of the teachers. She finished her high school education at the College of Sevigne in Paris.

Irene entered the University of Paris in 1914 to prepare for a degree in maths and physics. When World War I began, Irene went to help her mother, who was using X-ray facilities(设备) to help save the lives of wounded soldiers. Irene continued the work by developing X-ray facilities in military hospitals in France and Belgium. Her services were recognized in the form of a Military Medal by the French government.

In 1918, Irene became her mother’s assistant at the Curie Institute. In December 1924, Frederic Joliot joined the Institute, and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work. They soon fell in love and were married in 1926. Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later.

Like her mother, Irene combined family and career. Like her mother, Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize, along with her husband, in 1953. Unfortunately, also like her mother, she developed leukemia(白血病) because of her work with radioactivity(辐射能). Irene Joliot Curie died from leukemia on March 17, 1956.

Once an old man rose early to read each morning. His grandson wanted to be just like his grandfather, so tried to emulate him every way he could.

   One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa, I try to read just like you do, but I don’t understand most of it, and I forget whatever I do understand immediately I close the book. So what good is it for me to read?”

   The grandfather, who was putting coal on the fire, said, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.”

The boy did as told to, but the water leaked out before he could get the basket home.

The grandfather laughed, saying, “You’ll have to move a little faster.” This time he ran faster, but again the basket emptied. Out of breath, he decided it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket（桶）. But the grandfather said, “I want a basket of water instead of a bucket of water. You’re just not trying hard enough.”

The boy knew what he was trying to accomplish was impossible. However, he decided to show his grandfather a third time.

The boy dipped the basket into the river and ran as hard as he could. With the empty basket, he gasped（喘气说）, “See Grandpa? It’s useless!”

“So you think it useless?” the old man asked. “Then look at the basket.” To his surprise, the boy found it washed clean of the dirty coal stains and now clean inside and out.

“My child, that’s what happens when you read the book. You might not understand or remember everything, but the words will change you inside and out. That is the work of reading in our lives.”  

D

I was born in Thailand, where I feel at home. I am used to jumping on to a song taow (red taxi), and squeezing (挤过) in between two strangers. I am used to bargaining at the market to get a shirt that I like. I love telling bilingual (双语的) jokes and I am used to the surprised looks I get from the Thais when I can speak their language fluently. 

Every two years my family goes to America for the summer, and every two years my world is turned upside down. The prices of everything are three times what they were in Thailand, but there is the sweet drink Dr. Pepper! And Bluebell Ice-cream! And everything you could imagine! I am amazed at it all, but the biggest change for me is the people. There are white people everywhere. I am not tall but average, my yellow hair is no longer out of place, and speaking English no longer draws looks. I should feel comfortable. I’m not out of place anymore, and nobody is looking at me, but I feel like they are. Now I feel out of place and different. I’m not used to giving people handshakes and hugs when I meet them for the first time. I get looks when I have trouble figuring out how much money to pay. I know different music, different places, and different fashion. I can’t understand these people who have never left their town or city.

Still, there are quite a few perks about living overseas. I get to meet people from all over the world, and I know how to adjust to (适应) different cultures and places. I have been to places most people see only in geography books. Still, being so different makes it hard to know who you are. I’m not Thai, but I am not American either. I am a mix (混合体) of both cultures, a third culture kid.

D

Kino, a poor fisherman, has just found a very large and valuable pearl（珍珠）and is going to the nearest town to sell it. He needs money urgently to get medical help for his baby who has just been stung（蜇刺）by a scorpion. Before Kino found the pearl, the only doctor available had refused to treat the baby because Kino could not afford to pay for the treatment.

A town is a thing like a colonial animal. A town has a nervous system and a head and shoulders and feet. A town is a thing separate from all other towns, so that there are no two towns alike. And a town has a whole emotion. How news travels through a town is a mystery not easily to be solved. News seems to move faster than small boys can run to tell it, faster than women can call it over the fences.

Before Kino and Juana and the other fishers had come to Kino’s brush house, the nerves of the town were pulsing and trembling with the news — Kino had found the Pearl of the World. Before panting（气喘吁吁) little boys could strangle out the words, their mothers knew it. The news swept on past the brush houses, and it washed in a breaking wave into the town of stone and plaster. It came to the priest walking in his garden, and it put a thoughtful look in his eyes and a memory of certain repairs necessary to the church. He wondered what the pearl would be worth. And he wondered whether he had baptized（施洗礼）Kino’s baby, or married him for that matter. The news came to the shopkeepers and they looked at men’s clothes that had not sold so well.

The news came to the doctor where he sat with a woman whose illness was age, though neither she nor the doctor would admit it. And when it was made plain who Kino was, the doctor grew serious and judicious（明智的）at the same time. “He is a client of mine,” the doctor said. “I am treating his child for a scorpion sting.” And the doctor’s eyes rolled up a little and he thought of Paris. He remembered the room he had lived in there as a great and luxurious place. The doctor looked past his aged patient and saw himself sitting in a restaurant in Paris and a waiter was just opening a bottle of wine.

The news came early to the beggars in front of the church, and it made them giggle a little with pleasure, for they knew that there is no alms（救济品）giver in the world like a poor man who is suddenly lucky.

Kino has found the Pearl of the World. In the town, in little offices, sat the men who bought pearls from the fishers. They waited in their chairs until the pearls came in, and then they quarreled and fought and shouted and threatened until they reached the lowest price the fisherman would stand. But there was a price below which they dared not go, for it had happened that a fisherman in despair had given his pearls to the church. And when the buying was over, these buyers sat alone and their fingers played restlessly with the pearls, and they wished they owned the pearls. For there were not many buyers really — there was only one, and he kept these agents in separate offices to give a semblance（假象）of competition.

All manner of people grew interested in Kino — people with things to sell and people with favors to ask. Kino had found the Pearl of the World. The value of pearl mixed with value of men. Every man suddenly became related to Kino’s pearl, and Kino’s pearl went into the dreams, the speculations, the plans, the futures, the wishes, the needs, the hungers, of everyone, and only one person stood in the way and that was Kino, so that he became curiously every man’s enemy. The news stirred up something extremely black and evil in the town.

An old gentleman who lives a few doors away from me can always be seen with a bag. He goes out by himself and picks up plastic bottles, plastic bags and pieces of paper everywhere. He does it all carefully and never complains.

       The children in the nearby school are probably responsible for some of that litter (废弃物). “There will come a time when they know better,” he said. “It’s just not yet. So, I’ll do it for them.”

       Well, this morning I was out walking my neighbor’s dog when I saw another neighbor, a much younger man, out doing the same thing! He had his two little sons with him and they were having good fun trying to pick up the litter.

       When I commented on what a good job he was doing, he said, “Well, an older fellow in our street does this. And my friend and I thought it wasn’t fair that he had to do it all the time, so now we take turns.”

       Not only was he taking a turn, not only did he have a friend join in as well, but he was passing on the lesson to the next generation (代)!

       By the time I had returned the dog to my neighbor I looked again and his children’s friends had joined in!

       This man was teaching a whole group of young children to keep their own street tidy. An older man had set an example for him and now he was passing it on — the next generation is doing what he did and the generation to come after that!