A new easel

河北樂亭第一中學 胡金瑩

“我”的妻子簡從小酷愛美術。盡管父母在她生日時總會送給她一幅畫架作為生日禮物，但她從來沒有收到過一幅能夠讓她展現藝術家風采的畫架。為了彌補妻子曾經的遺憾，“我”在她64歲生日時送給了她一幅世界上最大的畫架。

My wife， Jane，and I have been married for 36 years so we have heard each other's stories many times.We are both artists and so many of our retellings revolve around（圍繞）our challenges in becoming and sustaining our artist selves.Jane has told the story many times of her parents'birthday present of an easel（畫架）for her to do her art work when she was still a child.But it wasn't an artist's easel，rather it was the kind of“easel”used typically to display a poster on foam-core（泡沫芯）board，so itisflimsy （易損壞的），unsuited forartists'work，and undeniably cheap.Jane never used it for her art work but she got the message loud and clear that her mom and dad did not support her efforts.For an artist，the work you do is closely connected with who you feel yourself to be，so the message of non-support went very deep for Jane.

Jane and I each have our own studios in an old farmhouse in Virginia and she had bought herself a plain air easel andsetitupin her studio.Though better than a poster-board display easel，it was still rather flimsy and unsuited to the larger paintings she wanted to do.

This year for Jane's 64th birthday，I bought her the world's greatest easel—the Dick Blick super heavy-duty easel.We finally got it fixed in her studio.To accommodate it，Jane needed to rearrange her studio.Now her studio looks better than ever and the easel makes it look proud!

This is a healing on many levels and makes the light in my heart shine every time I walk down the hall and glance into Jane's new and transformed workspace.My gift to her has been as much a gift to myself， which is， I guess，what we learn through loving kindness to one another.

Reading Check

1.What did Jane think of the easel given by her parents? （no more than 8 words）

2.Why did the author buy his wife a new easel?（no more than 15 words）

3.What does the underlined sentence imply according to the text？

Language Study

Difficult sentences

1.But it wasn't an artist's easel，rather it was the kind of “easel” used typically to display a poster on foam-core board.

翻譯：_________________________________

【點石成金】本句中used typically to display a poster on foam-core board為過去分詞作后置定語，修飾名詞easel，use和easel之間構成邏輯上的動賓關系。

2.For an artist，the work you do is closely connected with who you feel yourself to be，so the message of non-support went very deep for Jane.

翻譯：________________________________

【點石成金】本句中work后的you do為修飾work的定語從句，其中，you前面省略了作賓語的關系代詞which或that；who you feel yourself to be放在了介詞with之后，為賓語從句，who在賓語從句中作系動詞be的表語。

3.My gift to her has been as much a gift to myself， which is， I guess， what we learn through loving kindness to one another.

翻譯：_________________________________

【點石成金】which is， I guess， what we learn through loving kindness to one another為定語從句，修飾先行詞a gift；I guess在定語從句中作插入語；what we learn through loving kindness to one another為表語從句，what在從句中作動詞learn的賓語。

Using Language

Ⅰ.Important phrases in the text

1.be unsuited for不適合

2.be connected with和……有關

3.set up建立

4.every time每次

5.glance into掃視；瞥見

Ⅱ.Complete the following sentences in correct forms with the phrases given above.

1_____.__I pass the grocery store，I would like to buy something delicious from it.

2.This theatre located near the post office ______for children.

3.We don't know each other，but we _____one another's eyes and smile.

4.The island _______the mainland by a large bridge.

5.The coat seems so large and it _______such a little girl.