谣言止于智者

周建林

Leading：

生活常常就像打一场扑克牌，你不能控制你的手气，但你能选择怎样出牌。不经思考就做出一些事情很容易伤害他人，尤其是散布谣言，以讹传讹，将覆水难收，但是谣言止于智者。

Life is often like a game of cards—you cant help the hand youre dealt，but you can help the way you play it. It is easy for us to do something without careful thinking，but its hard for us to take back what we have done.

There was once a woman who repeated a rumor① about a neighbor. Within a few days，the whole community knew the story. The victim it concerned was deeply hurt and annoyed. Later， the woman who was responsible for spreading the rumor learned that it was completely untrue. She was very sorry and went to a wise old man to find out what she could do to repair the damage.

“Go to the marketplace，”he said，“and buy a chicken，and have it killed. Then on your way home，pluck its feathers and drop them one by one along the road.”Although surprised by this advice，the woman did what she was told.

The next day，the wise man said，“Now，go and collect all those feathers you dropped yesterday and bring them back to me.”

The woman followed the same road，but to her disappointment，the wind had blown all the feathers away. After searching for hours，she returned with only three in her hand. “You see，”said the old man. “Its easy to drop them，but its impossible to get them back. So it is with rumor. It doesnt take much to spread a rumor， but once you do，you can never completely make up for the wrong behavior.”

Notes：

①rumor n. 谣言

1. The text mainly tells us _____.

A. an unwise woman spread a rumor

B. why a wise old man helped the woman

C. its difficult for us to take back what we have done

D. the neighbor in her community was deeply hurt

2. What did the wise old man advise her to do？

A. To stop spreading the rumor.

B. To ask other people for advice.

C. To pay him some money in advance.

D. To buy a chicken at first.

3. The underlined word “pluck” in the third paragraph refers to “ _____”.

A. have killed B. be collected

C. make up D. pull out

4. Why did the woman turn to the wise old man for help？

A. Because she wanted to laugh at him for how silly he was.

B. Because she wanted to get his suggestions.

C. Because she wanted to play cards with him.

D. Because she thought he was a good fortune-teller.

5. Which of the following statements is TRUE？

A. Someone else had collected the remaining feathers.

B. By working hard， you can make up for any wrong behavior.

C. The woman looked for the feathers for a few days.

D. It is impossible to get all feathers back.

参考答案与解析

1. 答案为C。主旨大意题。从文章第一段的最后一句，可以看出全文告诉我们一个道理，“不经思考做出一些事情容易，但是要收回很难”，因此答案选C。A和D项是文中的细节，不是文章的主旨，B项文中并未提及。

2. 答案为D。细节理解题。根据文中第三段的第一句可知，这位智者建议她先去市场买只鸡。

3. 答案为D。词义猜测题。根据文中第三段的第一句可知，要先把鸡杀掉，再根据该段倒数第二句可知，把鸡杀掉以后应该是拔掉鸡毛，再把鸡毛沿路扔掉。

4. 答案为B。推理判断题。根据第二段的最后一句可知，她是去找智者征求意见的。A项指嘲笑智者愚蠢，C项说与智者打牌，D项说智者是算命先生，文中都没有提到。

5. 答案为D。细节理解题。根据最后一段，其余的鸡毛不是其他人拿走的，而是风刮走的，因此A项错误；B项与最后一段的最后一句话相矛盾；根据最后一段的searching for hours，说明只找了几个小时，而不是几天，因此排除C项；根据最后一段的倒数第三句可知，选D。

【长难句分析】

1. ... but you can help the way you play it.

分析：本句是一个复合句，主句为you can help the way，从句为you play it。当先行词为the way时，定语从句的关系词可用in which或用that或省略。

句意：但是你能决定怎么出牌。

2. Later，the woman who was responsible for spreading the rumor learned that it was completely untrue.

分析：本句是复合句，主句为the woman learned that...，从句可分为两部分，从句（1）who was responsible for spreading the rumor为who引导的定语从句，先行词the woman在从句中作主语；从句（2）that it was completely untrue 是由that 引导的宾语从句，作learned的宾语。

句意：后来，这个传谣的妇人意识到自己说过的话完全是不真实的。

3. After searching for hours，she returned with only three in her hand.

分析：本句含有with的复合结构“with+宾语+宾语补足语”。

句意：找了几个小时之后，她只带了三根鸡毛回来。

【语法点拨】

So it is with rumor.

句意：谣言也是一样。

分析：本句是一个倒装句。当前面既有肯定又有否定或有两个不同谓语动词时，就要用so it is/was with sb./sth.（也可以用it is/was the same with sb./sth.）。

类似的还有：

so+be/助动词/情态动词+主语，表示前面的一种肯定的情况也适用于另外一个主语。neither/nor+be/助动词/情态动词+主语，表示前面的一种否定的情况也适用于另外一个主语。（责任编校/彭益）