读故事

　　He was no longer the knight in shining armor!The legend he thought he was creating with his career was dead!And his wife had given him no latitude in dealing with it in a sane way;she had left immediately when she found out that he was the latest victim of a company layoff.As she took all of her expensive lace dresses that he had lavished on her,the cat and her kittens,and lamented about how difficult her life would now be, he knew that his legacy had been erased.Now he was alone.

　　After a lapse into a moment of staring into nothing,he reached for the knob of his door,opened it and walked out of his home.Electric lanterns lit his way along the path towards the ledge overlooking the river.He wanted to lash out,release the latent anger inside of him.But he couldn't do anything.It was as if he was lame, incapable of even closing his knuckles to form a fist.

　　Then he saw a leaflet on the ground.He bent over to pick it up and heard a ripping sound as he tore the jacket his wife had knit for him.He untied that lash that held the jacket on his body and threw it in the river.Then he glanced at the leaflet.It was a description of Christianity written for the layman. He smiled to himself.His grandmother had told him about God once.Well,God never helped him before,why should he help him now?He threw the leaflet down and walked on.He didn't know where he was going and it didn't matter at all.

　　记单词

　　kitten n.小猫

　　knight n.1.(中世纪)骑士2.爵士3.(国际象棋中的)马vt.封…为爵士

　　knit vt. 1.编结，编织2.使紧密地结合，使紧凑3.皱紧，皱(眉)

　　vi.1.编结，编织2.(折骨)愈合

　　knob n.1.(门、抽屉的)球形把手，球形柄2.(收音机等的)旋钮3.小块

　　knuckle n.指节vi.1.(down)开始努力工作2.(under)屈服，认输

　　lace n.1.网眼花边，透孔织品，花边2.鞋带，系带vt.(up)用系带束紧

　　lame a.1.跛的，瘸的2.站不住脚的，差劲的，蹩脚的

　　lament vt.1.哀悼，痛惜2.抱怨，为…而遗憾vi.哀悼，悲痛n.挽歌，悼词

　　lantern n.灯笼，提灯

　　lapse n.1.失误，疏忽2.(时间的)流逝，间隔3.(兴趣等的)减少，(信心的)丧失4.(into)陷入(或进入)某种状态vi.1.终止，失效2.(into)陷入(或进入)…状态

　　lash v.1.(用绳索等)将(物品)系牢

　　2.鞭打，抽打，(风、雨等)猛烈打击

　　3.猛烈抨击，严厉斥责n.1.鞭子，鞭端绳索(或皮条)2.鞭打3.眼睫毛4.鞭梢

　　lash out(at)猛烈抨击

　　latent a.潜在的，隐伏的，不易察觉的

　　latitude n.1.纬度2.[pl.]纬度地区3.(言语、行动等的)回旋余地，自由

　　lavish a.1.过分丰富的，无节制的2.过分慷慨的，浪费的vt.(on,upon)慷慨地给予，挥霍

　　layman n.门外汉，外行

　　layoff n.(尤指临时)解雇

　　leaflet n.传单，散页印刷品，小册子v.(向…)散发传单(或小册子)

　　ledge n.1.岩架，岩石突出部2.架状突出物，壁架

　　legacy n.遗赠的财物，遗产

　　legend n.1.传说，传奇故事2.传奇人物

　　他已经不再是那个像中世纪骑士般彬彬有礼的男子!他认为他用一生创造的那个传奇人物已经死了!他的妻子在理智处理这件事情时没有给他留下任何回旋余地。当她发现他是公司裁员一个牺牲品时，她马上离开了他。当她拿走了所有他慷慨买给她的贵重花边连衣裙及家里的大猫小猫并抱怨她的生活将会有多么艰难时，他知道他的遗产没有了。他现在是孤身一人。

　　眼睛直勾勾地发过一阵呆之后，他伸手去抓门上的球形把手，他打开门并离开了家。电灯照亮了他去河边岩架的小路。他想大骂一通以发泄心中隐伏的愤怒。但是他什么也做不了。他好像瘸了似的，甚至连合拢指关节握成拳头的能力都没有了。

　　后来他看见地上有一张传单。他弯腰想把它捡起来，这时他听到他把妻子为他编织的外套撕破了。他将那根把外套和他身体连在一起的绳子解开，把外套扔进了河里。然后他看了一眼传单。上面为外行们写着基督教教义。他暗自笑了起来。他的祖母曾经给他讲过一次上帝的故事。上帝以前从来没有帮助过他，为什么现在要帮他呢?他把传单扔到地上继续往前走。他不知道要去哪里，他也根本不在乎去哪里。