original textThe Smile（选辑者：聂志财）I was sure that I was to be killed. I became terribly nervous. I fumbled in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes, which had escaped their search. I found one and because of my shaking hands, I could barely get it to my lips. But I had no matches, they had taken those. I looked through the bars at my jailer. He did not make eye contact with me. I called out to him: Have you got a light? He looked at me, shrugged and came over to light my cigarette. As he came close and lit the cigarette, his eyes inadvertently locked with mine. At that moment, I smiled. I dont know why I did that. Perhaps it was nervousness, perhaps it was because, when you get very close, one to another, it is very hard not to smile. In any case, I smiled. In that instant, it was as though a spark(火花) jumped across the gap between our two hearts, our two human souls. I know he didnt want to, but my smile leaped through the bars and generated a smile on his lips, too. He lit my cigarette but stayed near, looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing to smile. I kept smiling at him, now aware of him as a person and not just a jailer. And his looking at me seemed to have a new dimension too. Do you have kids? he asked. Yes, here, here. I took out my wallet and nervously fumbled for the pictures of my family. He, too, took out the pictures of his family and began to talk about his plans and hopes for them. My eyes filled with tears, I said that I feared that Id never see my family again, never have the chance to see them grow up. Tears came to his eyes, too. Suddenly, without another word, he unlocked my cell and silently led me out. Out of the jail, quietly and by back routes, out of the town. There, at the edge of town, he released me. And without another word, he turned back toward the town. My life was saved by a smile. Yes, the smile-the unaffected, unplanned, natural connection between people. I really believe that if that part of you and that part of me could recognize each other, we wouldnt be enemies. We couldnt have hate or envy or fear. comprehension and appreciation. words and phrases 1. fumble v feel about sth. uncertainly with the hands 2. barely adv hardly, scarcely; only, just 3. jailer n a man in charge of the prisoners 4. make contact with sb get in touch with sb. 5. shrug v lift (the shoulders) slightly (to show doubt or indifference) 6. inadvertently adv without paying or showing attention; without any purpose 7. leap v jump 8. generate v cause to exist or happen; produce 9. aware adj having knowledge or realization 10. dimension n aspect, factor 11. release v set sb. free; let sb. go free 12. unaffected v not pretended. beautiful expressions 1. I fumbled in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes, which had escaped their search. 这里which引导的是一个非限定性定语从句，修饰先行词cigarettes； escape their search短语中动词escape用得很好，还有短语：escape ones attention / notice和The name / date / title escapes me. 我记不起名字/日期/题目。 2. As he came close and lit the match, his eyes inadvertently locked with mine. 请体会lock这个词的用法：他的眼睛与我的眼睛无意中碰在一起，“锁”住对方。实际上这里也可以说：His eyes inadvertently met with mine.但意境逊色很多。 3. I know he didnt want to, but my smile leaped through the bars and generated a smile on his lips, too. 这句话中用了leap，这个词常用于文学作品，比jump生动很多。本处写“微笑穿过监狱里的铁栅栏，感染了对方，对方的嘴角也浮起微笑”。实际上，微笑不仅仅可以穿过铁栅栏，还可以如上文所说，如同火花般穿透人们心灵间的隔阂，温暖我们。 4. He lit my cigarette but stayed near, looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing to smile. 这里looking at. and continuing to smile.是两个并列的现在分词短语作伴随状语。 5. I kept smiling at him, now aware of him as a person and not just a jailer. 这里aware of 意思是“意识到”，是一个形容词短语作伴随状语。类似的例子还有：The sun rose, red. 和He lay on the floor, drunken and unconscious. 6. My eyes filled with tears, I said that I feared that Id never see my family again, never have the chance to see them grow up. 这里My eyes filled with tears是独立主格结构作伴随状语，关于独立主格结构和独立结构作状语在高中教材的语法学习中要用心掌握，因为它是语法学习的难点。 never have the chance to see them grow up.是和前面Id never see my family again并列的宾语从句，省略了Id。 7. Out of the jail, quietly and by back routes, out of the town. 这句话省略了主语和谓语，只用几个介词短语和一个副词显得行文紧凑和简练。完整的表达是：He led me out of the jail, quietly and by back routs, out of town. 8. I really believe that if that part of you and that part of me could recognize each other, we wouldnt be enemies. We couldnt have hate or envy or fear. 这句话里斜体部分用了虚拟语气结构：if从句用过去时，主句用情态动词后跟动词原形是表对现在或将来的虚拟，该语法项目在高中教材中也会学到，希望认真掌握。. open questions 1. In the text, for what possible reasons was “I” put in prison? 2. Why did “I” want to have cigarettes? 3. What do you think of the jailer mentioned in the text? 4. What role do you think “smile” plays in our life? 5. Who saved “I” on earth in the end? 6. Why was “I” afraid of being killed in my heart? 7. What do you think the underlined part refers to in the last paragraph? 8. What is th