I first heard this story a few years ago from a girl I had met in New York's Greenwich Village.

Probably the story is one of those mysterious bits of folklore

that reappear every few year, to be told anew in one form or another.

However, I still like to think

that it really

did happen, somewhere, sometime.

Going Home

Love asks faith , and faith asks firmness.

爱情需要忠诚， 忠诚需要坚贞。

1.Key Words and Expressions

Words: mysterious, folk,

sometime, tide, vanish,

fit, retreat, approach

handle, pull, take

Learning Target

PHRASES & EXPRSSIONS dream of        

    wish for ardently 　向往，渴望

    pull into            enter, arrive at 　（车等）驶入；到达

take back         agree to receive sb. whom one has dismissed 　允许 ... 回来，接受

come through        arrive as expected 如所预料地到来

    be caught up in       be very interested in 对 ... 入迷

  take over             occupy 占用；接管

make one's way         move along 去，前往

Grammar

1. absolute construction

2.subjunctive form: insist ＋… should do

3.subjunctive form: …as if…were…

Background Knowledge

1. About the story :

Going home was originally a story circulating among the people . Soon after it appeared in the New York Post in 1971, there came out the popular song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon”

作曲： Irwin Levine/L.Russell Brown 作词： Irwin Levine/L.Russell Brown

　 I'm comin' home, I've done my time Now I've got to know what is and isn't mine If you received my letter telling you I'd soon be free Then you'll know just what to do If you still want me If you still want me （ Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree It's been three long years Do you still want me? (still want me) If I don't see a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree I'll stay on the bus Forget about us·Put the blame on me If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree Bus driver, please look for me　 'cause I couldn't bear to see what I might see　 I'm really still in prison　 And my love, she holds the key　 A simple yellow ribbon's what I need to set me free　 I wrote and told her please　

　 Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree　 It's been three long years　 Do ya still want me? (still want me)　 If I don't see a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree　 I'll stay on the bus　 Forget about us　 Put the blame on me　 If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree

　 Now the whole darn bus is cheerin'　 And I can't believe I see　 A hundred yellow ribbons 'round the ole oak tree　 　 I'm comin' home, mmm, mmm　 　 (Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)　 (Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)　 (Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)　 FADE　 (Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)　 (Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)　 (Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)

2. Florida and the Sun Belt

Americans have a craze for the sun .The most desirable place in the American sun is the coastline of southern California

3. Greenwich VillageResidential section of the borough of Manhattan, New York City

many of the district’s 19th century buildings remain

4. Fort Lauderdale

A city located in southeastern Florida, U.S. It lies along the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of theNew River , 45 kilometers north of Miami .

5.Howard Johnson’s

Howard Johnson’s is a popular chain of restaurant in America that are often located along large roads and highways

Going Home

They were going to Fort Lauderdale -- three boys and three girls -- and when they boarded the bus, they were carrying sandwiches and wine in paper bags, dreaming of golden beaches and sea tides as the gray, cold spring of Now York vanished behind them.

2.As the bus passed through New Jersey, they began to notice Vingo. He sat in front of them, dressed in a plain, ill-fitting suit, never moving, his dusty face masking his age. He kept chewing the inside of his lip a lot, frozen into complete silence.

3.Deep into the night, outside Washington, the bus pulled into Howard Johnson's, and everybody got off except Vingo. He sat rooted in his seat, and the young people began to wonder about him,

4."Want some wine?" she said. He smiled and took a swig from the bottle. He thanked her and retreated again into his silence. After a while, she went back to the others, and Vingo nodded in sleep.

5. In the morning, they awoke outside another Howard Johnson's, and this time Vingo went in. The girl insisted that he join them.

6.I told her that I was going to be away a long time, and that if she couldn't stand it, if the kids kept askin' questions, if it hurt her too much, well, she could jus forget me.

7.I'd understand. Get a new guy , I said -- she's a wonderful woman, really something -- and forget about me.

8."And you're going home now, not knowing?"

"Yeah," he said shyly. "Well, last week, when I was sure the parole was coming through, I wrote the again.

9.We used to live in Brunswick, just Before Jacksonville, and there's a big oak tree just as you come into town, I told her that if she didn't have a new guy and if she'd take me back, she should put a yellow handkerchief on the tree, and I'd get off and come home. If she didn't want me, forget it -- no handkerchief, and I'd go on through."

10. She told the others, and soon all of them were in it, caught up in the approach of Brunswick, looking at the pictures Vingo showed them of his wife and three children -- the woman handsome in a plain way, the children still unformed in the much-handled snapshots.

11. Now they were 20 miles from Brunswick, and the young people took over window seats on the right side, waiting for the approach of the great oak tree.

12. Vingo stopped looking, tightening his

face, as id fortifying himself against still another disappointment.

13.Then, suddenly, all of the young people

were up out of their seats, screaming and shouting and crying, doing small dances of joy. All except Vingo.

Key Words and Expressions

1. mysterious 神秘的， adj1) Full of mystery; hard to understandEg: Electricity is mysterious.

Suggesting mysteryEg: Why are you so mysterious and reser

ved in your talk?

2. folk ⑴ people in general or of particular groupEg. Some old folk have peculiar tastes.(2) adj. Of or having to do with the common, l

egend, customs, and the likeEg. Folk music is very popular in the area.

3. tide (1) n. regular rise or fall of the seaEg. We were cut off by the tide.(2). tide sb over../ help sb through Eg. Can you help me tide over the diffic

ulties?

4. vanish(1)disappear completely and suddenlyEg. The thief vanished into the crowd.(2) Cease to exist or fadeEg. My hopes/prospects of success have

vanished.

5. fit(1)adj. ~for sb/sth; ~to do sth.;Eg. The food is not fit for little baby. he is fit to do the job. (2) vt. Be right size or shape for sb; ~sb for sthThe shoes fit me well.

6. retreat vi. go back; withdraw 退缩；退却，撤退 Eg. The enemy retreated before our sold

iers came.n. the act of going back or withdrawingEg. The army’s retreat is orderly.

7. approach n. coming near or nearer 接近，临近

Eg. Sunset means the approach of night. V. to come near or nearer Eg. The enemy is approaching near. N. means of solving problems Eg. The approach to the question.

Expressions and Phrases

1. pull into 1) to help sb/sth to enter sth Eg. We pulled the man into the safe pl

ace. 2) to arrive; stop one’s journey at.. Let’s pull into the café for sth to eat.

2. come through 1) to pass through sth The knife came through the worn point . 2) to appear The sun came through after the rain.3) to pass through sth 4) The rain is coming through the roof.

3. be caught up in: to be deeply interested in and busy wit

h Eg. Both of my children are caught up i

n the disco-music.

4. take over: 1) to lead sb.Or carry sth to somewhere Why don’t u take it over to your home? 2) to win the control of sth Eg. Our soldiers have succeeded in taking o

ver the city. 3) to become the person or group in charge. Eg. When do you take over the position?

5. make one’s way : proceed or advance 向前行进When the concert was over , we made our way out of the hall . 音乐会结束后 , 我们从大厅走了出来 .They made their way through the crowd. 他们从人群中走了出来。

[ 提示 ]make way (for sb/sth) 让路 They make way for the bus .way 常用于下列短语中push one’s way , thrust one’s way 推开 ¼ 前行elbow one’s way 以肘推而前行grope one’s way , feel one’s way 摸索着前行force one’s way 强行shoulder one’s way 肩推而行make one’s way along .. 沿着…而行make one’s way through (across) 穿行于…中（穿过）

Useful Expressions every few years 每隔几年

in one form or the other 以某种形式deep into the night 进入深夜take a swig 喝一大口nod in sleep 打着盹睡着了billow in the wind 迎风招展be not oneself 不舒服，失常dream of golden beaches and sea tides 梦想着金色海滩和海潮mask one’s age 掩饰年龄

keep chewing the inside of one’s lips 不停地咬内嘴唇sit rooted in one’s seat 象生了根似的坐着retreat into silence 回到沉默状态take over 接管；占据tighten one’s face 绷紧脸

rise from one’s seat 从座位上站起身来pull into 驶入，到达come through 如所预料地到来make one’s way 去，前往

Difficult Sentences 1. (L3) ..dreaming of golden beaches and sea tides

as the gray , cold spring of New York vanished behind them . 当纽约灰暗寒冷的春天在他们身后消失时，他们梦想着金色的海滩和大海的潮水。as , when while 均可以引导时间状语从句 . as 着重表示从句动作与主句动作同时发生，持续时间不长．when 既可以表示从句动作与主句动作同时发生，也可以表示从句动作在主句动作之后（ when 相当于 after ）．when 从句谓语动词可以是持续的或非持续的．while 所引导的谓语动词一般是持续动词或状态动词，多用进行时态，表示一段时间．

2． (L6) He sat in front of them, dressed in a plain , ill-fitting suit , never moving , his dusty face masking his face. 他坐在他们前面，穿着一套不合身的便服，动也不动。他风尘满面，让人看不出他有多大岁数。

赏析］本文作者大量地运用了分词短语做状语，对谓语动词所表示的动作或状态加以说明；此时，分词短语逻辑上的主语一般必须与句子的主语一致，但有时它也可以有自己独立的逻辑上的主语，这种结构称为独立结构。

She told the others, and soon all of them were in it , caught up in the approach of Brunswick …

He kept chewing the inside of his lips a lot, frozen into complete silence .Then , suddenly , all of the young people were up out of their seats , screaming and shouting andcrying , doing small dances of joy .his dusty face masking his age 为独立结构作状语 , 该结构中逻辑上的主语是 his dusty face ,再如 : Weather permitting , we’ll have an outing tomorrow .The shower being over , we continued to march .

3. (L7)He kept chewing the inside of his lip a lot , frozen into complete silence . 他老在咬嘴唇内侧，完全陷入沉默。a lot 在这里是副词，表示时常、常常。［赏析］通过 chewing 这个细节描写，表现出文戈先生此时因对自己的婚姻现状没有把握而紧张、烦躁、忐忑不安的复杂心情。

4.(L17) “It is” he said quietly , as if remembering something he had tried to forget . ＂是的＂，他轻声说道，仿佛想起了他一直想忘却的事情．(L53) …as if fortifying himself against still another disappointment .

［句型］主句＋ as if ＋ v-ing /v-ed/inf./a./prep.phr.

在 as if 之后通常接从句，但也可接分词、不定式、形容词及介词短语等．如：She hurriedly left the room as if angry . 她匆匆走出房间，好象生气了似的．His shoulders were bent as if under a weight . 他的肩背好象负重似的弯曲了．He raised his hand as if to say something . 他把手举起来，好象要说什么。

5． (L19) “ Want some wine ?” she said .( L 37) …Not for three and a half years .“ And you’re going home now, not knowing ?”以上皆为口语中的省略句。在口语中以助动词be, have 或 do 开头的疑问句，可以有省略形式．

6. (L 41) I told her that if she didn’t have a new guy and if she’ d take me back , she should put ayellow handkerchief on the tree.(1) have a new guy : marry someone else(2) should 用于主句第一人称时表示某种条件下会产生的结果 ,但一般多用 would ；用于第二、第三人称时表示说话者的意愿。If the book were in the library , you should have it . 这本书如果在图书馆里，我就让你借了．

7.(L58) It was covered with yellow handkerchiefs…20 of them ,.30 of them , maybe hundreds , a tree that stood like a banner of welcome billowing in the wind.树上挂满黄手绢20 条 , 30 条，也许有好几百条，这株大树巍然挺立，象一面欢迎的旗帜，随风飘扬．It 的复指成分是 a tree that stood like a banner of welcome billowing in the wind ，有点象同位语，这是文学语言，平时作为处学写作者，不宜随意模仿．

赏析］ 究竟多少黄手绢 ? 二三十条差不多 , 下文数百条可有多种解释 : (1) 渲染气氛 , 使二三十条在读者心目中的印象起着树百条的作用 ;(2) 文戈先生粗略一数 , 20 条 , 再数就多些了 , 30 条 , 接着可能由于激动，热泪盈眶 , 视觉模糊 , 产生双视 , 重影 , 为数竟达数百条 ; .(3)借黄手绢之多 , 表现文戈妻子欢迎丈夫回家的喜悦 , 歌颂一对夫妇在生活变异 , 将其拆散之后 , 始终不渝的爱情 . 允许读者对此有不同理解 , 因为文学作品仁者见仁 , 智者见智 .

［比较］ like 是介词，后接名词或代词作宾语，不可接句子 . as 是连词（或介词），可引导多种状语从句，状语从句中的谓语动词通常省略 .as 的前面是形容词或副词 , 常与 so, as ( 副词 )搭配．She sings as beautifully as a nightingale .

The End

王栋