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朋友们，现在我愿意付出任何代价，只要能换回父亲的一个吻……
让我感受到他那饱经风霜的沧桑的脸……
再闻闻他身上大海的味道……重温他拥抱着我的感觉。
我真希望那时的自己真的长大了，因为，如果我真的长大懂事了，就绝不会对父亲说：我已长大了，不要再和我吻别了。
The Board Meeting had come to an end.Bob started to stand up and jostled1 the table，spilling his coffee over his notes.'How embarrassing，I am getting so clumsy in my old age.'Everyone had a good laugh and soon we were all telling stories of our most embarrassing moments.It came around to Frank who sat quietly listening to the others.Someone said，'Come on，Frank，Tell us your most embarrassing moment.'
Frank laughed and began to tell us his childhood.'I grew up in San Pedro.My Dad was a fisherman and he loved the sea.He had his own boat，but it was hard making a living on the sea.He worked hard and would stay out2 until he caught enough to feed the family.Not just enough for our family，but also for his Mom Dad and the other kids that were still at home.'He looked at us and said，'I wish you could have met my Dad.He was a big man and he was strong from pulling the nets and fighting the seas for his catch.When you got close to him，he smelled like the ocean.He would wear his old canvas3，foul4-weather coat and his bibbed overalls.His rain hat would be pulled down over his brow.No matter how much my Mother washed them，they would still smell of the sea and of fish.'Frank's voice dropped a bit.
'When the weather was bad he would drive me to school.He had this old truck that he used in his fishing business.That truck was older than he was.It would wheeze5 and rattle6 down the road.You could hear it coming for blocks.As he would drive toward the school，I would shrink down into the seat hoping to disappear.Half the time，he would slam to a stop and the old truck would belch7 a cloud of smoke.He would pull right up in front and it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching.Then he would lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy.It was so embarrassing for me.Here，I was twelve years old and my Dad would lean over and kiss me goodbye！'
He paused and then went on，I remember the day I decided I was too old for a goodbye kiss.When we got to the school and came to a stop，he had his usual big smile.He started to lean toward me，but I put my hand up and said，'No，Dad.' It was the first time I had ever talked to him in that way，and he had this surprised look on his face.I said，'Dad，I'm too old for a goodbye kiss.I'm too old for any kind of kiss.'
My Dad looked at me for the longest time and his eyes started to tear up.I had never seen him cry.He turned and looked out the windshield.'You're right，' he said.'You are a big boy……a man.I won't kiss you anymore.'
Frank got a funny look on his face and the tears began to well up in his eyes，as he spoke.'It wasn't long after that when my Dad went to sea and never came back.It was a day when most of the fleet8 stayed in，but not Dad.He had a big family to feed.They found his boat adrift9 with its nets half in and half out.He must have gotten into a gale and was trying to save the nets and the floats.'
I looked at Frank and saw that tears were running down his cheeks.Frank spoke again.'Guys，you don't know what I would give to have my Dad give me just one more kiss on the cheek……to feel his rough old face……to smell the ocean on him……to feel his arm around my neck.I wish I had been a man then.If I had been a man，I would never have told my Dad I was too old for a goodbye kiss.'
董事会的会议结束了。鲍勃要起身时，不小心撞到了桌子，把杯中的咖啡洒在了会议记录本上。“这是多么让人尴尬的事情啊！人老了之后就会变得笨拙起来。”听他这样说，在座的所有人都笑了。不一会儿，大家都开始讲起那些令自己最尴尬的事。轮到弗兰克了，他一直安静地坐在那里听别人讲。这时，有人说道：“快点儿啊，弗兰克，给我们讲讲你最尴尬的时刻吧！”
弗兰克笑了笑，开始跟我们讲起他的童年：“我在圣萨尔瓦多长大，父亲是一个渔民，他深深爱着大海。虽说他有艘自己的渔船，可是要想以捕鱼来维持生计仍然十分艰难。父亲总是很卖力地工作，每次他都会在外面捕够足以养活一家人的鱼之后才会回来。事实上他要养活的不仅仅是我们自己的这个小家，还有爷爷奶奶以及家中的其他兄弟姐妹们。”说到这儿，弗兰克停顿了一下，看了看我们，接着说道：“真希望你们能见见我父亲。他是一个身材高大而又强壮的人，能够拥有这样的体魄是因为他每天都要拉渔网、与大海斗争。当你靠近他的时候，就会闻到大海的味道。他总是穿着那身破旧不堪的帆布衣服，散发着一股腥味。老是把雨帽拉到眉毛以下。只要是父亲穿过的衣服，不管母亲洗上多少遍，它们还是会有一种混合着大海和鱼腥的味道。”说到这儿，弗兰克的声音变得有些低沉了。
“天气不好的时候，他会亲自开车送我去学校。他有一辆用来装载鱼的旧卡车，它的车龄比父亲年龄都要大。一开起来，它就喀哒喀哒地响，几个街区以外都能够听到它的声音。每当他开着这辆旧卡车送我上学时，我就会蜷缩在座位里，真希望自己能立即消失不见。一到学校，他总是来个急刹车，老卡车就会喷出一团浓浓的烟雾。这时，父亲才会停下来，一时间好像所有的人都围过来看热闹了。接着，他便会俯下身子在我的脸颊上用力亲吻一下，告诉我一定要做个乖孩子，那时候，我感觉真是尴尬极了。毕竟当时我已经十二岁了，可是爸爸还是用这样的方式与我道别。”
弗兰克停了一下，又继续说道：“我仍清楚地记得那一天，我终于鼓足勇气要对父亲说，我已经长大了，不要再以亲吻的方式与我道别了。当我们到达学校时，他停下了车，脸上带着一贯的微笑。他正要俯下身来，可我却伸出手阻止了他，并且说道：‘不要啦，爸爸，我已经长大了，不要再和我吻别了。’那是我第一次用这种口气跟父亲说话，我看得出，他很吃惊。我说：‘爸爸，我真的已经不是小孩子了，不要再和我吻别了。也不要再亲吻我了。’父亲久久地凝视着我，眼中慢慢溢出了泪水，我从未见过父亲哭。他转过头向车窗外望去。‘你说得对，’他说道，‘你现在是个大男孩儿了……是个男子汉了。我以后不会再亲你了’。”
此刻，弗兰克脸上显现出一种奇怪的表情，他说这些话的时候，眼中泪如泉涌：“不久以后，我父亲再次出海打渔，可是，这一次他却再也没有回来。那天，船队里，除了父亲的船，几乎没有船只出海。因为他还有一大家子的人要养活。后来，人们在海上发现了父亲的船，一张渔网一半搭在船上，另一半漂浮在海面上。他一定是遇到了大风，而他想尽力保住渔网和鱼钩。”
我看了看弗兰克，他是泪流满面。
弗兰克接着说道：“朋友们，现在我愿意付出任何代价，只要能换回父亲的一个吻……让我感受到他那饱经风霜的沧桑的脸……再闻闻他身上大海的味道……重温他拥抱着我的感觉。我真希望那时的自己真的长大了，因为，如果我真的长大懂事了，就决不会对父亲说：我已长大了，不要再和我吻别了。”
生词与短语 New Words and Expressions
1.jostle v.推撞，挤，争夺
2.stay out：不在家，外出，呆在户外，坚持到……结束
3.canvas n.帆布（本文指帆布衣服）
4.foul adj.难闻的
5.wheeze v.喘息；呼哧呼哧地响
6.rattle v.飞奔，碰响
7.belch v.冒火，冒烟；猛烈爆发，喷出
8.fleet n.舰队，船队
9.adrift adj.漂浮着的
妙语连珠：Beautiful Sentences
1）As he would drive toward the school，I would shrink down into the seat hoping to disappear.
每当他开着这辆旧卡车送我上学时，我就会蜷缩在座位里，真希望自己能立即消失不见。
2）Half the time，he would slam to a stop and the old truck would belch a cloud of smoke.
一到学校，他总是来个急刹车，老卡车就会喷出一团浓浓的烟雾。
心灵感悟：
人生的旅途上，每当我们走过一段路再回过头来看的时候，总有一些往事深藏在心底，且不堪回首。我们不禁会为自己的年少无知，不谙事理感到羞愧和不安。然而，等到我们明白这一切，并开始怀念那份真挚的情意时，却再也无法挽回了。“子不嫌母丑”，不要讨厌更不要嫌弃自己的父母，用心体会他们最深的爱吧。
