Chapter 12 Haji Ali’s Lesson - Unipus · Chapter 12 Haji Ali’s Lesson Greg Mortenson and David...

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Lesson 8Three Cups of Tea (Excerpts)

Chapter 12 Haji Ali’s Lesson

Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Additional Background Material for Teachers’ Reference

1. Greg MortensonBorn on 27 December 1957, Greg Mortenson is an American

humanitarian, writer, and former mountaineer. He and Dr. Jean Hoerni

co-founded the non-profit Central Asia Institute and he is its executive

director. He also founded the educational charity Pennies for Peace. He is

the protagonist and co-author of the No.1 New York Times bestseller Three Cups

of Tea, published in 2006. The sequel, Stones into Schools was released in 2009.

In the spring of 1958 when Greg was only three months old, his

parents moved their family from Minnesota to East Africa to teach in a

girls’ school and four years later helped establish Tanzania’s first teaching

hospital on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. He and his sisters attended a

school where children were from more than two dozen different countries.

Mortenson’s mother founded the International School Moshi in 1969. From

his parents Greg inherited compassion for the local poor people. At the age

of 11 Greg climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. From his parents

Greg inherited two things: love for climbing and compassion for the poor

and unprivileged.

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高级英语教师用书 1

After moving back to the U.S., Mortenson served in the U.S. army

in Germany from 1975 to 1977 as a medic, and received the Army

Commendation Medal. He attended Concordia College, Moorhead, from

1977 to 1979 on an athletic scholarship. After transferring, using a GI

scholarship, he later graduated from the University of South Dakota in

Vermillion, South Dakota, in 1983 with an Associate Degree in Nursing

and a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry. He had long dreamed of finding a

cure for his younger sister Christa’s epilepsy, and won admission to medical

school at Case Western Reserve University, but his father died while Greg

was still in college, and the family’s finances were in difficulty. Greg dropped

his plans for medical school and returned home to help support his family.

In July 1992, Mortenson’s young sister died on her 23rd birthday from

a life-long struggle with severe epilepsy. In 1993, to honor his deceased

sister’s memory, Mortenson joined an expedition to scale K2, the world’s

second highest mountain. Located in the Karakoram Range, K2 is the most

difficult peak in the world and the ultimate test for mountaineers. After

more than 70 days on the mountain, Mortenson and three other climbers

completed a life-saving rescue of a climber, which took more than 75 hours.

The time and energy devoted to this rescue prevented him from attempting

to reach the summit. After the rescue, he began his descent of the mountain

and became weak and exhausted. Mortenson took a wrong turn along the

way and ended up in Korphe, a small village. The village head Haji Ali gave

him food and the warmest quilt and Mortenson recovered from hunger,

cold and fatigue.

To pay the remote community back for their generosity and

hospitality, Mortenson promised to build a school for the village where

there had been no for six hundred years. After a frustrating time trying to

raise money, Mortenson convinced Jean Hoerni, a Silicon Valley pioneer,

to fund the building of the Korphe School. After talking with Mortenson,

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Lesson 8 Three Cups of Tea

Hoerni asked him to be the director of the Central Asia Institute. The

mission of CAI — a non-profit organization — is to promote education

and literacy, especially for girls, in remote mountain regions of Pakistan and

Afghanistan. Hoerni appointed Mortenson as the first executive director of

CAI. A promise has turned into a long-time mission.

After the completion of the school in Korphe, Mortenson went on to

build more schools in northern mountain areas in Pakistan. In the process

of building schools, Mortenson overcame all sorts of hardships, and on

top of these, he survived an eight-day armed kidnapping by the Taliban in

the tribal areas of Waziristan, escaped a firefight between Afghan opium

warlords and received hate mail and threats from fellow Americans for

helping educate Muslim children.

Mortenson believes that education and literacy for children, especially

girls, in the remote and underserved areas is the most important investment

all countries can make to create stability, bring socio-economic reform,

decrease infant mortality, decrease the population explosion, and improve

health, hygiene, and sanitation standards globally. Mortenson believes that

violence should not be fought with violence, but that there should be a

global priority to promote peace through education and literacy, with an

emphasis on girls’ education. Later his project extended to building schools

in Afghanistan. His efforts in building schools in this war-ridden country

are documented in his second book Stones into Schools.

Up to 2010, the Central Asia Institute has successfully established 145

schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which have provided education to

over 64,000 students, with an emphasis on girls’ education.

In 2010 the New York Times reported that Mortenson’s approach

of building schools as a way of improving the situation in Pakistan and

Afghanistan is being embraced by the U.S. military. Top military officials

are reading his book Three Cups of Tea, and General Petraeus has had

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meetings with him. The article reported that in 2009 Admiral Mike Mullen,

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, attended the opening of one of

Mortenson’s schools in a remote village of Afghanistan.

Mortenson received the Star of Pakistan, Pakistan’s highest civilian

award granted by the Government of Pakistan in 2009. He was nominated

for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. In November 2009, U.S. News & World

Report magazine featured Greg Mortenson as one of America’s Top Twenty

Leaders in 2009. Mortenson has won dozens of awards, and has been

granted honorary doctorates by more than a dozen universities.

Greg Mortenson’s wife is Dr. Tara Bishop, a clinical psychologist,

whose father was a National Geographic photographer and a climber. They

live in Montana with their two children.

2. Three Cups of Tea“Three Cups of Tea is one of the most remarkable adventure stories of

our time. Greg Mortenson’s dangerous and difficult quest to build schools

in the wildest parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan is not only a thrilling read,

it’s proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character

and determination, really can change the world.” — Tom Brokaw

“Greg Mortenson represents the best of America. He’s my hero.

And after you read Three Cups of Tea, he’ll be your hero, too.” — U.S.

Representative Mary Bono

Three Cups of Tea has been a freshman, honors, or campus-wide

required reading selection in over eighty universities and hundreds of

schools. It is also required reading for senior U.S. military commanders,

Pentagon officers in counter-insurgency training, and special Force

deploying to Afghanistan. More than two hundred communities have used

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Three Cups of Tea as a “One Book” common read, and it is being published

in over thirty-one countries.

(Source: “Afterword” of Three Cups of Tea)

In Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace...One School

at a Time, Greg Mortenson, and journalist David Oliver Relin, recount the

journey that led Mortenson from a failed 1993 attempt to climb the world’s

second highest mountain, to successfully establishing schools in some of the

most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. By replacing guns with

pencils, rhetoric with reading, Mortenson combines his unique background

with his intimate knowledge of the third-world to promote peace with

books, not bombs, and successfully bring education and hope to remote

communities in central Asia. Three Cups of Tea is at once an unforgettable

adventure and an inspiring true story of how one man really is changing the

world — one school at a time.

In 1993 Mortenson was descending from his failed attempt to reach

the peak of K2. Exhausted and disoriented, he wandered away from his

group into the most desolate reaches of northern Pakistan. Alone, without

food, water, or shelter he stumbled into an impoverished Pakistani village

where he was nursed back to health.

While recovering he observed the village’s 84 children sitting outdoors,

scratching their lessons in the dirt with sticks. The village was so poor that

it could not afford the $1-a-day salary to hire a teacher. When he left the

village, he promised that he would return to build them a school. From

that rash, heartfelt promise grew one of the most incredible humanitarian

campaigns of our time.

In an early effort to raise money he wrote letters to 580 celebrities,

businessmen, and other prominent Americans. His only reply was a $100

check from NBC’s Tom Brokaw. Selling everything he owned, he still only

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raised $2,400. But his efforts changed when a group of elementary school

children in River Falls, Wisconsin, donated $623.40 in pennies, inspiring

adults to begin to take action. The 283 foot Braldu Bridge was completed

in 1995 and the Korphe School was completed in 1996. Since then, he’s

established 78 schools. In pursuit of his goal, Mortenson has survived

an armed kidnapping, fatwas issued by enraged mullahs, repeated death

threats, and wrenching separations from his wife and children. Yet his

success speaks for itself.

3. Characters in Chapter 12 of Three Cups of Tea

Mortenson: Greg Mortenson is the co-author of the book. This book is

about how he built schools in remote areas in Pakistan.

Haji Ali: Chief of Village Korphe, an old man who played a key role in

leading the villagers in building the Korphe School. He died in 2001.

Twaha: Haji Ali’s son. His wife died in giving birth, and he has a daughter.

Tara: Dr. Tara Bishop is Mortenson’s wife. She is a psychotherapist. She met

Mortenson when he was having a difficult time raising money for the first

school. Her father was a National Geographic photographer and a mountain

climber.

Sakina: Haji Ali’s wife

Sher Takhi: Korphe’s mullah, religious leader, who supported building a

school to educate girls

Hussain: a strongly-built climbing porter who performed the execution of

the ram for the celebration

Hoerni: Jean Hoerni (1924–1997) was a Silicon Valley pioneer. Born

in Switzerland and educated there, he moved to California in 1952. He

provided the fund for building the Korphe School, and later founded

the Central Asia Institute with an endowment of $1 million to continue

providing services for them after his death. He appointed Mortenson as its

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Executive Director.

Jahan: Twaha’s daughter. She was nine when the Korphe School was built

and one of the first girls who graduated from this school. She attended

Girls’ Model High School in Skardu.

Makhmal: a mason who participated in the construction of the school

Hussein: teacher of the Korphe School

Tahira: Hussein’s daughter who was ten when the school was built. She

graduated with Jahan in the Korphe Schools’s first class and also attended

Girls’ Model High School in Skardu.

Changazi: a trekking agent and tour operator who organized Mortenson’s

K2 expedition. He was a capable man and Mortenson thought he could

arrange to get the school supplies he had purchased carried up the Braldu

Valley. Changazi managed to do that but he turned out to be a dishonest

man and stole the supplies. Only after a hard time and great effort did

Mortenson retrieve part of the supplies.

Parvi: CAI’s Pakistan-based manager and accountant

Haji Mehdi: chief of Askole, someone like a Mafia boss who forced Korphe

villagers to give him 12 big rams

Detailed Study of the Text

1. The rocks looked more like an ancient ruin than the building blocks

of a new school. (Para. 1): antithesis, contrasting ancient ruins with

new school

2. Though he stood on a plateau high above the Braldu River...the

prospect before him. (Para. 1)

1) pyramid: a large stone building with four triangular walls that

slope into a point at the tip, especially in Egypt and Central America; a

pyramid-shaped object

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2) K2: K2 (8,611 m) is the second-highest mountain on Earth with

a peak elevation of 8,611 meters. It is part of the Karakoram Range,

and is located on the border between China and Pakistan. The name

K2 was actually given by mistake by the British surveyor Thomas

Montgomerie who named Masherbrum (7821 m) K1, thinking it was

the highest peak in the Karakoram Range, and when he saw Chogori

( 乔戈里峰 ) he named it K2, which is actually higher than K1. K2 is

known as “the Savage Peak” among climbers, due to the difficulty of

ascent and the highest fatality rate.

3) Mortenson was disheartened by the prospect before him:

Mortenson was deeply disappointed by the view before him. About

what happened before this, refer to Aids to Comprehension in Advanced

English (Third Edition)Book1.

3. He’d left Haji Ali enough cash to hire laborers...quarry and carry the

stone. (Para. 2)

1) Haji Ali: village chief of Korphe. Haji means one who has made a

pilgrimage to Mecca. Later in the text, there is Haji Mehdi (Para. 59),

the head of another village.

2) quarry: to dig out stone, marble, slate, etc. from a place where such

building materials are excavated by cutting or blasting

4. He had arrived here in mid-October, nearly a month after...expect

him. (Para. 3): He told Haji Ali he would return in mid-September

but arrived one month late because he had just got married and the

marriage delayed his departure for Korphe. How Mortenson met and

married Tara was itself a moving and romantic story. After a bridge

was built on the Upper Braldu to transport building materials for the

school, Mortenson planned to return to Korphe in mid-September

the next year. Jean Hoerni, who funded the construction of the bridge

as well as the school, wanted to see him and pictures of the bridge. So

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Mortenson went to Seattle to meet the scientist. At the dinner party

he met Tara Bishop, and immediately they began a conversation “that

flowed seamlessly and unstoppably.” Each of them found themselves

eager to tell their life stories to the other. Tara had heard about

Mortenson and knew what he was doing. Her father was a National

Geographic photographer and reached the top of Qomolangma in

1963. The two shared a lot in common. The next morning they drove

to the airport to change the flight to the next week. Only six days after

their meeting, they got married. Mortenson postponed his flights three

times in order to spend a few more days with his wife. After driving

between home and the airport four times, Mortenson finally left Tara

and arrived in Pakistan in mid-October.

5. Now that he was married, he needed a career. (Para. 3): Before his

marriage he spent most of his time climbing mountains and only

did sporadic jobs to meet his basic needs. Now he must function as a

responsible husband and a future father.

6. “You look like the young ram at the time of butting.” (Para. 4):

simile. Haji Ali compared him to a young ram that was striking with

his horns angrily. Probably in the mating season when it fought other

rams.

1) ram: a male sheep

2) butt: to strike or push with the head or horns

7. “Doctor Greg, we discussed your plan after you returned to your

village...” (Para. 6): Mortenson was called Dr. Greg by the villagers

because he had used his medicine and medical skills to cure some

illnesses suffered by the villagers after he was saved by the villagers in

Korphe. Haji Ali used the word “village” for any place, though it might

be a big city.

8. They know the school is being built by a rich foreigner... (Para. 6):

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In fact Mortenson was not rich at all. He even didn’t have a regular

income. In order to build the school, he had to cut his living expenses

to the minimum and wrote 580 letters to raise money. But in the eyes

of the poor local people, every foreigner was rich.

9. ...because many of the men had to leave for porter work. (Para. 6):

Korphe is located in northern Pakistan where there are many world-

famous high mountains which are the destinations for climbers.

Climbers usually hire local men as porters to carry their baggage,

supplies and other loads.

porter: a person who carries burdens, especially one employed to

carry baggage for patrons at a hotel or transportation terminals. In

this case, the porters are paid to carry the baggage of climbers.

10. Allah (Para. 8): the Islamic name for God. Prior to Mohammed, Allah

was the supreme but not the sole deity in Arabia. It was Mohammed’s

mission to proclaim Allah as the sole God, the creator and sustainer of

all things.

11. “What is one winter more?” (Para. 8): What does it matter if we have

to go without a school for another winter? Haji Ali fully foresaw all the

difficulties in building the first school in their poor and remote village

which had existed without a school for six hundred years, and he knew

patience was as essential as hard work.

12. ...and a bubble of happiness rose up so forcefully that he couldn’t

keep it to himself. (Para. 9): metaphor, a vivid way of saying that he

felt so happy that he felt he must share his happiness with his friend.

13. Mortenson heard a click, then squinted...America for his friend.

(Para. 13): On hearing that Mortenson was married, Twaha switched

on the flashlight Mortenson had given him as a gift. Apparently he

directed the light at Mortenson so that the latter squinted.

squint: to look at something with your eyes partly closed in order to

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see better

e.g. Betty squinted in the sudden bright sunlight.

14. ...Mortenson felt a sharp flurry of fists pummeling...in congratulations.

(Para. 14): Twaha congratulated Mortenson by hitting his arms and

shoulders suddenly and repeatedly.

1) flurry: an occasion when there is suddenly a lot of activity within a

short period of time

e.g. After a quiet spell there was a sudden flurry of phone calls.

2) pummel: to hit someone or something many times with your fists

15. “Haji Ali say Doctor Greg look different...everything.” (Para. 14):

Haji Ali says Doctor Greg looks different this time. He really knows

everything. Twaha could speak some English but not very well. This is

an example showing that Haji Ali was a perceptive man.

16. “How many goat and ram you must give her father?” (Para. 18): How

many goats and rams did you have to give her father? Twaha asked this

question because it is the custom for a Pakistan bridegroom to give

goats and rams to the bride’s father.

17. “Did she cry when she left her mother?” (Para. 20): another cultural

difference between the East and West. In many Eastern countries,

including rural areas in China, when a girl is married off, she is

supposed to cry on leaving home to show her reluctance to leave

and gratitude for her parents’ raising her. Also there may have been

genuine grief, because she had to leave her family and live with her

husband’s family. In the old tradition, since marriages were arranged,

the bride usually didn’t know her husband until marriage.

18. ...considering the exotic matrimonial customs of Americans.

(Para. 22): An American would also consider the Pakistan marital

customs equally exotic.

exotic: foreign, not native; strange or different in a way that is striking

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or fascinating

e.g. Introducing exotic plants to replace native plants is not a good

idea and may damage the local ecological system.

19. The next morning, Mortenson found a precious boiled egg...chapatti

and lassi. (Para. 23): In a poor mountain village like Korphe, eggs were

rare and therefore precious. This shows the hospitality and generosity

of Haji Ali.

20. Sakina grinned proudly at him from the doorway to her kitchen.

(Para. 23): Sakina was Haji Ali’s wife. She grinned at Mortenson,

proud of him.

21. A grin smoldered, then ignited at the center of his thick beard.

(Para. 24): Metaphor, comparing a grin to a spark of fire. The implied

meaning is that he tried to suppress a grin but then his face broke into

a broad smile through his thick beard.

1) smoldered: to burn or smoke without flame

2) ignited: to start burning or to make something start burning

22. Haji Ali climbed to his roof and called for all the men...the local

mosque. (Para. 25): It seems that the roof of a house had more than

one function in Korphe. In warm weather men slept on the roof, and

when Haji Ali called for the villagers he stood on the roof.

23. The Balti, lacking a written language, compensated...exacting

oral history. (Para. 26): The Balti people lacked a written language.

However, this was made up by passing down an oral history which was

strict, demanding great care, patience and effort.

exacting: strict; demanding great care, patience and effort

24. And everyone in Korphe knew the legend of this listing wooden

building buttressed with earthen walls. (Para. 26):

1) listing: leaning over, more usually of a boat or a ship

2) buttressed: supported or reinforced with a buttress (a projecting

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structure, generally of brick or stone, built against a wall to support or

reinforce it)

25. It had stood for nearly five hundred years...a foothold in Baltistan.

(Para. 26): Baltistan came under the control of the Tibetan King

Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century. Under Tibetan cultural influence,

the Baltis began to adopt Tibetan Buddhism from Indian Buddhism.

The history of Islam in Baltistan starts with the arrival of Ameer

Kabeer Syed Ali Hamadani (a legendary Sufi Saint in Muslim History)

from Iran during the 15th century.

1) Baltistan: Baltistan is a region in northern Pakistan and India, now

called Gilgit-Baltistan, bordering the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous

Region of China. It is situated in the Karakoram Mountains just to the

south of K2. It is an extremely mountainous region, with an average

altitude of over 3,350m. It is inhabited principally by Balti of Tibetan

origin.

2) foothold: a secure position from which it is difficult to be dislodged

26. During his visits he had kept a respectful distance from the

mosque... (Para. 27): Mortenson kept a distance from the mosque, not

out of disbelief but out of respect. He didn’t know how the religious

leader would feel about a non-Muslim proposing to build a school to

educate the girls in Korphe, which was not in accordance with Islamic

tradition.

27. Sher Takhi smiled at Mortenson and led him to a prayer mat...the

room. (Para. 27): The smile of Sher Takhi, the religious leader,

indicated he approved of Mortenson’s proposal, and leading him to

a prayer mat at the rear of the room showed he treated the American

almost like a Muslim.

28. Sher Takhi, who called Korphe’s widely dispersed faithful...booming

voice. (Para. 28): Sher Takhi had a booming voice, and without the

advantage of amplification it filled the small room. He called Korphe’s

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believers, who were widely scattered working on their respective jobs,

to pray five times a day.

1) disperse: to break up and scatter in all directions

2) faithful: keeping faith. “Faithful” and “loyal” are synonyms. Note

the difference between them. “Faithful” implies steadfast adherence to

a person or thing to which one is bound as by an oath or obligation,

such as a faithful wife; “loyal” implies undeviating allegiance to a

person, cause, institution, etc. which one feels morally bound to

support or defend, such as a loyal friend.

29. Mortenson prayed, folding his arms and bending at the waist.

(Para. 28): The fact that Mortenson prayed with his Muslim friends

shows that he truly respected their religion.

30. Haji Ali provided the string, locally woven twine. (Para. 29): In

the previous visit Mortenson had circled the floor space with blue

and red braided nylon cord which he had provided. But with the

construction suspended for a year, the cord had been blown away by

strong mountain winds. Later Mortenson found women in Korphe

had braided pieces of the blue-red nylon cord in their hair. For the

villagers nothing should be wasted. This time, Haji Ali provided

locally woven twine.

twine: strong thread, string, cord, etc. of two or more stands twisted

together

31. ...the village’s time-tested method... (Para. 29): This method is

explained in detail in the next sentence.

32. “Usually you have to drag a ram to make it move,” Mortenson

says. (Para. 31): The book Three Cups of Tea is co-written by Greg

Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. The third-person narration is

employed throughout the book. But in many places direct speech

by Mortenson is used to add vividness and authenticity to the

descriptions.

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33. Gently, he turned the animal’s head toward Mecca...his test of

loyalty. (Para. 32):

1) Mecca : the birthplace of Mohammed and the holiest city of

Islam. It is to Mecca that all pious Muslims are enjoined to make the

pilgrimage, at least once during their lifetime. The pilgrimage is called

the Haj and the title Haji means one who has made the pilgrimage to

Mecca.

2) Abraham: in the Old Testament, the founder and first patriarch

of the Hebrew people. Chosen by Jehovah to establish a new nation,

Abraham emigrated with his wife, Sarah, from Ur to Canaan. There

he had two sons: Ishmael by Sarah’s servant Hagar and Isaac by Sarah.

Jehovah and Abraham made a covenant, according to which Jehovah

promised that He would be God to Abraham and his children and that

they would inherit and dwell in the land of Canaan. Jehovah tested

Abraham’s loyalty by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham

was preparing to obey but was stopped at the fatal moment by an

angel and commended by Jehovah, who confirmed the terms of the

covenant. Three world religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam,

belong to monotheism, faith in a single God, which is characteristic of

the Abrahamic religions.

3) before allowing him to substitute a ram after he passed his test of

loyalty: First, Allah asked Abraham to offer his son as sacrifice, but as

Abraham was about to obey Allah’s will, thus passing his loyalty test,

Allah changed his mind and allowed him to use a ram instead.

34. Koran (Para. 32): （伊斯兰教）《古兰经》，曾译《可兰经》。The

Koran, or the Qur’an, is the religious text of Islam. It is widely regarded

as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language. Muslims hold

that the Koran is the verbal divine guidance and moral direction for

mankind.

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35. In the Koran, the story appears in much the same manner...and the

Bible. (Para. 32): The major source of monotheism is the narrative of

the Hebrew Bible, the source of Judaism. Judaism may have received

influences from various non-biblical religions present in Egypt and

Syria. This can be seen by the Torah’s reference to Egyptian culture

in Genesis and the story of Moses. Thus there are many similarities

between the Koran and the Old Testament of the Bible.

covenant: a formal agreement between two or more people

36. “Watching this scene straight out of the Bible stories...same root.”

(Para. 32): The scene in which Korphe villagers sacrificed the ram

before Allah exactly resembled the Bible story about Abraham that

Mortenson had learned in Sunday school. He was amazed at how

much the different faiths had in common and how one could trace

their separate traditions to the same root. There may be two opposing

attitudes toward a different religion. One only sees the differences,

which may result in confrontation and clashes. The other emphasizes

similarities and the same root, which could lead to mutual respect and

understanding.

Sunday school: usually affiliated with some church or synagogue,

giving religious instruction on Sunday

37. Baltoro porters (Para. 33): porters who carry loads for expeditions

on the Baltoro Glacier. The Baltoro Glacier, at 62 kilometers long, is

one of the longest glaciers outside the polar regions. It is located in

Baltistan, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan, and runs through

part of the Karakoram mountain range. The Baltoro Muztagh lies to

the north and east of the glacier, while the Masherbrum Mountains lie

to the south.

38. Haji Ali was in a hurry to sanctify the school... (Para. 34): As building

a school to educate girls was not part of the tradition, Haji Ali must

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have thought it was important to make this school building socially

and religiously acceptable.

sanctify: to make something socially or religiously acceptable

39. As the moon rose over Korphe K2, they danced around...folk

songs. (Para. 35): At this time, the moon went up high in the sky

above Korphe K2. The villagers danced around the fire and taught

Mortenson lines from the Himalayan Epic of Gezar, beloved across

most parts of the Himalayas which is the highest part of the world,

and introduced him to a tradition of Balti folk songs so rich that it

could never be finished or used up. About the Epic of Gesar, See Note

21 to the text in Advanced English (Third Edition) Book1.

40. Together, the Balti and the big American...to the south and east.

(Para. 36): Here the villagers sang songs which told the history of their

people.

41. The fact that it wasn’t written down didn’t make it any less real.

(Para. 37): The Balti didn’t have a written history, but that fact didn’t

mean that its rich history didn’t exist.

42. These faces ringing the fire didn’t need to be taught so much as they

needed help. (Para. 37): synecdoche: the naming of a part to mean the

whole. Here “faces” stand for “men.” Mortenson felt that his job was to

help the men who surrounded the fire in a circle rather than to teach

them.

43. ...during that night of dancing, the school reached critical mass...real

to him. (Para. 37): Although he knew they couldn’t do much work

before returning home, he could see the completed school standing

before him in his mind because these people with whom he was

singing and dancing told him they had a history and a rich tradition

and they knew what they were doing. He began to understand them

better and thus have more confidence in them. The minimus size

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required to start something. That night he realized with confidence

that the school would be built.

critical mass: something real, something tangible

44. In May 1996, when Mortenson filled out his arrival forms...occupation.

(Para. 38): Mortenson arrived in Islamabad again in May 1996. This

time his occupation had changed from “climber” to his new capacity

as the director of the newly set up Central Asia Institute. He was still

not used to the unfamiliar title and so his hand hesitated for a moment

when he filled out the arrival form.

hover: to stay suspended or flutter in the air near one place (like

a bird). Here it is used figuratively, meaning linger or wait in an

uncertain condition.

45. Hoerni had suggested the name. The scientist envisioned...the Silk

Road. (Para. 38): Hoerni funded the organization and suggested the

name. He imagined that the project of building schools could develop

fast just like one of his semiconductor companies in the Silicon Valley

in California, extending its mission to build schools and operating

other humanitarian projects not only in Pakistan but beyond it, across

the many countries whose names end with “stan” scattered along the

separate routes of the Silk Road.

1) envision: to imagine (something not yet in existence); to picture in

the mind

2) operation: any specific plan, project, venture

3) humanitarian: concerned with improving bad living conditions

and preventing unfair treatment of people

4) “stans”: the Persian suffix “stan” means “land.” There are many

countries in Central Asia whose names contain “stan,” such as

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrghyzstan,

Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, etc.

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5) unravel: to untangle, separate the threads

6) the Silk Road: The Silk Road (or Silk Routes) is an extensive

interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent

connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean

world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe. The Silk

Road gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade, a major

reason for the connection of trade routes into an extensive trans-

continental network. The English term “the Silk Road” has come

into general use in spite of the fact it was a network of routes, few

of which were more than rough caravan tracks, and silk was by no

means the only item traded along them. China traded silk, spices,

teas, and porcelain; while India traded ivory, textiles, precious stones,

and pepper.

46. He’d had too much trouble getting one school off the ground...Hoerni’s

scale. (Para. 38): He had had so much trouble getting the plan of

building one school started successfully. And he had to concentrate on

completing this one and had no time or energy to think on the large

scale of building more schools envisioned by Hoerni.

47. On the far bank of the Braldu, Haji Ali stood, sculpted...the precipice.

(Para. 39): On the far bank of the Braldu River, Haji Ali stood like a

sculpture as always on the highest point of a very steep side of the high

mountain.

48. before first light (Para. 40): before dawn

49. ...he was determined that there would be no more interminable...

completion. (Para. 40): Realizing his wider responsibilities in his new

role, he was determined that no more long meetings or big banquets

like the one the villagers had had last time would take place again

to interfere with the construction so that he would have this school

completed as swiftly as possible and then move on to other projects.

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1) interminable: long and boring

2) drive: the word “drive” means he decided to make everybody

work fast

50. ...Mortenson met them, plumb line, level, and ledger in hand.

(Para. 41): The phrase “plumb line, level, and ledger in hand” is a

nominative absolute construction. Mortenson had three tools in hand,

indicating he was ready to take work seriously.

51. “Getting the construction going was like conducting an orchestra...”

(Para. 41): simile, comparing getting the construction going to

conducting an orchestra. The work seemed simple but in fact rather

complicated, needing someone to direct the work and the participation

of different people. In the following sentences Mortenson describes

how the work was done. Paragraph 41 is mainly a description of a

process, that is, how something is done step by step.

52. “Finally, dozens of village children would dart in...between

bricks.” (Para. 41): Finally, children would move in suddenly and

fast, solidly fixing small pieces of cut stone into the cracks between

bricks. Through Mortenson’s words, this paragraph describes how

the construction got done step by step with everybody eagerly

participating: Masons and villagers; men, women and children.

53. Paragraphs 42 and 43: Paragraphs 42 and 43 use direct speech by

two girls — Hussein the teacher’s daughter Tahira, and Haji Ali’s

granddaughter Jahan — to show why they were excited about the

building of the school and how they participated in the construction.

54. All through June, the school walls rose steadily...for Mortenson’s

liking. (Para. 44): All through June, the school walls became higher

and higher. But half the construction workers were missing every day

as they had to tend their crops and animals, and so for Mortenson the

progress was too slow, not something he had wanted.

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for someone’s liking: (formal) being just what someone wants

55. “I tried to be a tough but fair taskmaster ...” (Para. 44): I tried to make

everyone work very hard but treat them in a reasonable and equal way.

56. from sunrise to sunset (Para. 44): alliteration

57. ...anxious to account for every rupee. (Para. 44): anxious to make

sure every rupee donated by Hoerni be used for a good purpose

58. “...I drove people hard.” (Para. 44): I make people work excessively

hard.

59. One clear afternoon at the beginning of August, Haji Ali...take a

walk. (Para. 45): Haji Ali’s asking Mortenson to take a walk was quite

unusual when everybody was working so hard. So he must have

wanted to have a serious talk with Mortenson. This sentence also

serves as transition linking what has happened and what will happen.

tap someone on the shoulder: to hit someone on the shoulder lightly

to get the person’s attention

60. The old man led the former climber uphill for an hour, on

legs...younger man. (Para. 45): The old man led Mortenson to climb

the mountain for an hour. Although Haji Ali was old, his legs were still

strong enough to leave the younger man far behind and thus feel ashamed.

humble: to easily defeat someone who is much stronger than you are;

to lower in pride; to make modest in mind

e.g. The mighty U.S. army was humbled by a small South East Asian

country.

61. ...Mortenson was panting, as much from the thought...his exertion.

(Para. 45): Mortenson was panting not only because he had made

strong physical efforts in climbing, but also because he felt precious

time was slipping away and he was worried about the progress of

the tasks.

exertion: strong physical or mental effort

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62. The air had the fresh-scrubbed clarity that only comes with altitude.

(Para. 46): metaphor. The air was so clear as if it had been just

scrubbed. You can have such clear air only when you get to a certain

high altitude.

scrub: to rub something hard, especially with a still brush in order to

clean it

63. Beyond Korphe K2, the ice peaks of the inner Karakoram knifed...

blue sky. (Para. 46): metaphor and personification, comparing ice

peaks to knives and personifying a blue sky

64. A thousand feet below, Korphe, green with ripening barley

fields...on a sea of stone. (Para. 46): metaphor, comparing Korphe to

a life raft and the mountain to a sea of stone

1) life raft: a small raft, now usually inflatable, for use as an emergence

craft at sea

2) adrift: floating freely without being steered; not anchored, drifting

65. lambswool topi (Para. 47): lambswool pillbox cap, a cap in the shape

of a small, shallow box, often cylindrical

66. “These mountains have been here a long time...what to do...”

(Para. 47): These words show Haji Ali’s respect and awe for the

mountains which had been there for a long time. What Haji Ali meant

was that there was a connection between humans and the earth. As

Helena Norberg-Hodge put it in the quotation placed before Chapter

12, there was “an interconnectedness that ancient cultures have never

abandoned.”

67. ...he said, with an air of gravity that transfixed Mortenson as much

as the view. (Para. 47): Haji Ali said these words with a solemn air that

filled Mortenson with great awe and made him motionless, just like as

he felt when he saw the awesome view before his eyes.

transfix: to pierce through with or as with something pointed; to

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make motionless as if impaled

e.g. transfixed with horror

68. “I followed him all the way to his house, worrying about what he

was doing.” (Para. 50): I followed him all the way to his house, feeling

uneasy because I didn’t know what he was doing.

69. “He took the key he always kept around his neck...musket gun.”

(Para. 50):

1) thong: a narrow strip of leather, etc., used as a lace, strap, etc.

2) with faded Buddhist wood carvings: Buddhism had existed here

before Islam took over, and so this shows that the cabinet has a long

history.

3) a shank of curing ibex: shank: the lower part of the leg; cure: to

preserve (meat, fish, etc.), as by salting or smoking

70. ...he stared out into inward space. (Para. 51): Haji Ali didn’t stare at

any particular object, but rather he looked inwardly, into his mind and

heart.

71. “The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger...even

die...” (Para. 52): If the guest takes time to share three cups of tea, his

role will change progressively from a stranger to an honored guest

and finally to a family member. And for family, the Balti are totally

dedicated. Paragraph 52 explains the meaning of the book title Three

Cups of Tea.

72. “We’re the country of thirty-minute power lunches and two-minute

football drills.” (Para. 53): We in America do everything quickly,

without much patience. We discuss business over lunch that only lasts

30 minutes and do football drills that only last two minutes.

power lunch: important lunchtime business meeting, a meeting over

lunch that gives somebody the opportunity to cultivate an important

contact or discuss high-level business matters, 商务午餐

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73. “Our leaders thought their ‘shock and awe’ campaign...it even

started.” (Para. 53): “Shock and awe” (technically known as rapid

dominance) is a military doctrine based on the use of overwhelming

power, dominant battlefield awareness, dominant maneuvers, and

spectacular displays of force to paralyze an adversary’s perception of

the battlefield and destroy its will to fight. The doctrine was written

by Harlan K. Ullman and James P. Wade in 1996 and is a product of

the National Defense University of the United States. Before the 2003

invasion of Iraq, officials in the United States armed forces described

their plan as employing shock and awe. The term “shock and awe” is

typically used to describe only the very beginning of the invasion of

Iraq, nor the larger war. So the idea that “we Americans think you have

to accomplish everything quickly” is pervasive in Americans’ daily life

as well as in their politics and military actions.

74. “Haji Ali taught me to share three cups of tea, to slow down...

building projects.” (Para. 53): This is the most important lesson

Mortenson had ever learned in his life. He realized that sharing

three cups of tea had a symbolic meaning — building relationships,

developing friendship and trust. In a modern society like America,

people are alienated and almost all relationships have become

impersonalized, business-like.

75. Paragraph 53: In Paragraph 53 Mortenson reflects on the American

way of life. He comes to see that he, from a modern and prosperous

society, had something to learn from the people he had come to help.

This paragraph echoes the quotation by Helena Norberg-Hodge:

It may seem absurd to believe that a “primitive” culture in the

Himalayas has anything to teach our industrialized society.

But our search for a future that works keeps spiraling back to

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an ancient connection between ourselves and the earth, an

interconnectedness that ancient cultures have never abandoned.

76. Three weeks later, with Mortenson demoted from foreman to

spectator... (Para. 54): After the talk with Haji Ali, Mortenson changed

his role from foreman to spectator.

foreman: a skilled worker who is in charge of a group of builders or

factory workers

77. The roof beams Changazi pilfered were never recovered...deepest

winter. (Para. 54): They never got back the beams that Changazi stole,

and so Mortenson returned to Skardu where he and Parvi took charge

of the purchase and construction of wood beams that had to be strong

enough to support the heavy burdens of snows on the roofs when

Korphe was wrapped up in snow and became helpless and paralyzed

throughout deepest winter.

mummify: Originally the word “mummify” means to preserve a dead

body by putting special oils on it and wrapping it with cloth, as done

by the ancient Egyptians. Figuratively it means to make or become

helpless, useless or inefficient.

78. Predictably, the jeeps carrying the wood up to Korphe...their

destination. (Para. 55): As predicted, the moving of the jeeps carrying

the wood beams from downhill up to Korphe was stopped by another

landslide that blocked the track eighteen miles before they reached

Korphe.

1) halt: to stop moving

2) shy of: less than the amount needed

e.g. He was only one vote shy of the number he needed for the

nomination.

79. “Haji Ali somehow heard about our problem...walked all night.”

(Para. 55): Haji Ali somehow heard about this problem and he

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organized men to carry the wood beams on their shoulders by walking

the eighteen miles all night.

80. “They arrived clapping and singing and in incredible spirits...slept.”

(Para. 55): Though they hadn’t slept and had walked such a long

distance, they arrived clapping and singing, in incredibly high

spirits.

81. “And then the most amazing thing of all happened.”(Para. 55): The

next sentence and the next paragraph explain that the most amazing

thing was that Sher Takhi, the village’s holy man, led the column of

men by carrying the first load. This was amazing for two reasons:

firstly, the holy men in these areas are not supposed to do physical

labor which is regarded as losing face; secondly, he had polio as a child

and he must have walked in agony under the heavy loads.

82. Not all the people of the Braldu shared Sher Takhi’s view. (Para. 57):

This sentence serves as a transition, preparing the reader for something

not so agreeable to happen.

83. A band of strangers was crossing the bridge, they warned...to the

village. (Para. 57): As the boys stood on the roofs they could see a

long way. When they saw a group of strangers crossing the bridge and

moving toward their village, they gave a warning to Mortenson and

Twaha.

84. Mortenson followed Haji Ali to his lookout on the bluff high over

the bridge. (Para. 58):

1) lookout: a place for keeping watching carefully for something or

someone

2) bluff: a very steep cliff or slope

85. The four burly men walking behind carried clubs...with their steps.

(Para. 58): These big and strong men carried clubs and smacked them

against their palms to show that they were ready to beat anyone on

their boss’s order. They were Haji Mehdi’s henchmen.

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1) burly: big and strong

2) club: a thick heavy stick used to hit people or things

3) smack: to hit something against something else so that it makes a

short loud noise

4) in time with: following the same rhythm

86. “He made a show of being a devout Muslim...a mafia boss.”

(Para. 60): As Twaha said, this man Haji Mehdi, the chief of Askole,

was not a good man. He did things deliberately to make other people

believe that he was a pious Muslim, but in fact he controlled the

economy of the whole Braldu Valley like a secret criminal group

leader.

1) devout: very religious and pious

2) mafia: in the U.S. and elsewhere, a secret society of Italian origin,

engaged in illegal activities such as gambling, prostitution, and illicit

trade in drugs

87. “He took a percentage of every sheep, goat, or chicken...for supplies.”

(Para. 60): When a Balti sold sheep, goat or chicken, he would

charge the person a percentage of money from the sales. He also

took advantage of climbers by setting unreasonably high prices

for supplies.

1) rip off: (slang) to steal or rob; to cheat, exploit, take advantage of

2) outrageous: exceeding all bounds of decency or reasonableness,

very offensive or shocking

88. “If someone sold so much as an egg to an expedition...with clubs.”

(Para. 60): If someone sold a small article like an egg to an exploration

team without paying him his share, he sent his henchmen to beat them

with clubs.

1) expedition: sending forth or starting out on a journey, voyage,

march, etc. for some definite purpose, as exploration or battle; people,

ships, equipment, etc. on such a journey

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2) cut: (colloquial ) a share, as profit or loot

3) henchman: a faithful supporter, especially of a political leader or a

criminal

89. After Haji Ali embraced Mehdi, Askole’s nurmadhar declined his

invitation to tea. (Para. 61): Haji Ali treated Haji Mehdi as a guest by

walking out to meet him, embracing him and inviting him to tea. But

the latter was very rude, and declined the invitation, implying that he

didn’t come for a friendly visit but for something else.

90. “I have heard that an infidel has come to poison Muslim children...”

Haji Mehdi barked. (Para. 61): Haji Mehdi used words like “infidel”

and “poison” when referring to Mortenson building the school, thus

showing his hostile attitude.

bark: to speak or shout sharply, snap

91. “Allah forbids the education of girls. And I forbid the construction

of this school.” (Para. 61): Haji Mehdi spoke as if he were acting on

Allah’s instruction.

92. Mortenson stepped forward, hoping to defuse the violence

gathering in the air. (Para. 63): Seeing violence was about to take

place, Mortenson came forward, in an attempt to make the situation

less tense.

defuse: to remove the fuse (from a bomb other explosive devices); to

make less tense, as by diplomacy

93. “You have to understand, in these villages, a ram...” Mortenson

explains. (Para. 69): In these villages, a ram was very much valued,

meaning something extremely precious like a firstborn child, a prize

cow and a family pet combined.

prize: (adj.) worthy of a prize, first-rate

94. “The most sacred duty of each family’s oldest boy was...devastated.”

(Para. 69): Caring for the family’s rams was considered a sacred duty

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which was entrusted to the oldest boy in the family. So the boys were

extremely shocked and sad when they heard that their village had to

pay the man from Askole twelve of their largest rams.

1) sacred: The words “sacred” and “holy” are synonyms, and both can

be translated into “ 神圣的 ” in Chinese. Note the difference between

them. The word “holy” suggests that which is held in deepest religious

reverence or is basically associated with a religion. So in the text the

mullah was a “holy” man. Other examples include Holy Spirit, holy

war, holy love, holy land, etc. The word “sacred” refers to that which

is set apart as holy or is dedicated to some exalted purpose and,

therefore, connotes inviolability. So caring for rams was the “sacred”

duty of the oldest boy in the family, and this practice cannot be

violated. Other examples include sacred rights, sacred cause, etc.

2) devastate: to make someone feel extremely shocked and sad

e.g. The children were devastated by the death of their father.

95. Haji Ali led the line of rams, lowing mournfully...without a word.

(Para. 70):

1) low: to make the characteristic sound of a cow

2) mournfully: expressing sorrow and grief

3) lead: a cord, strap, etc. by which a dog or other animal is held in check

96. Then he turned on his heel and herded his people toward the site of

the school. (Para. 70):

1) turned on his heel: to turn around abruptly

2) herded his people: to move his people like a herd

97. “but he was smiling like he’d just won a lottery.” (Para. 71): Haji

Ali was smiling although they had lost twelve large rams, almost half

of the wealth of the village. Twelve rams were indeed a high price to

pay. Superficially Haji Mehdi won in the conflict and got what he

demanded. But Haji Ali won the opportunity of education for boys

and girls, which was priceless.

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98. “Long after all those rams are dead and eaten this school...forever.”

(Para. 72): antithesis, contrasting “today” and “forever.” These

philosophical remarks prove Haji Ali’s vision and wisdom.

99. After dark, by the light of the fire that smoldered in his balti...beside

him. (Para. 73):

1) smoldered: to burn or smoke without flame

2) balti: large, central room

3) beckoned: to call or summon by a silent gesture

100. This chapter titled “Haji Ali’s Lesson” ends with Haji Ali’s and

Mortenson’s remarks. Only at the end of the story do we learn that

Haji Ali, who gave everything to support the building of the school,

was an illiterate. He said this was the saddest thing in his life and that

he would do anything to make sure that children in Korphe would

never have this feeling but enjoy the education they deserved. In

the last paragraph, Mortenson reflected on what he learned from

Haji Ali. From the moment he promised to build a school to the

completion of the first school, he had made great efforts and met

with numerous difficulties and hardships. But now he realized that

all this was nothing compared to the sacrifices Haji Ali was prepared

to make for his people. Mortenson saw that Haji Ali was fully aware

of the value of education and willing to make any sacrifice for this

purpose. He was a very wise man indeed.

Key to Exercises

III. Paraphrase1. What does it matter if we have to go without a school for another

winter?

2. Sher Takhi had a booming voice, and without the advantage of

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amplification it filled the small room. He called Korphe’s believers,

who were widely scattered working on their respective jobs, to pray five

times a day.

3. At this time, the moon went up high in the sky above Korphe K2. The

villagers danced around the fire and taught Mortenson lines from the

Himalayan Epic of Gesar, beloved across most parts of the Himalayas

which is the highest part of the world, and introduced him to a

tradition of Balti folk songs so rich that it could never be finished or

used up.

4. The Balti didn’t have a written history, but that fact didn’t mean that its

rich history didn’t exist.

5. He had had so much trouble getting the plan of building one school

started successfully. And he had to concentrate on completing this one

and had no time or energy to think on the large scale of building more

schools envisioned by Hoerni.

6. Although Haji Ali was old, his legs were still strong enough to leave the

younger man far behind and thus feel ashamed.

7. The air was so clear as if it had been just scrubbed. You can have such

clear air only when you get to a certain high altitude.

8. In these villages, a ram was very much valued, meaning something

extremely precious like a firstborn child, a prize cow and a family pet

combined.

IV. Practice with Words and ExpressionsA.

1. porter: a person who carries burdens, especially one employed to carry

baggage for patrons

2. novel: new and unusual, especially the first of its kind

3. foothold: a secure position from which it is difficult to be dislodged

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4. packed: pressed together firmly

5. sanctify: to make something special or sacred

6. business: a matter, affair, activity, etc.

7. count on: to depend on or to be certain of someone or something

mandate: an official command given to a person or an organization to

do something

8. flank: to have something or someone on both sides

9. level: a tool used in checking the surface flat

10. taskmaster: a person, especially a strict and demanding person, who

assigns tasks or hard work to others

11. cure: to preserve (meat, fish, etc.), as by salting or smoking

12. mummified: originally the word “mummify” means to preserve a dead

body by putting special oils on it and wrapping it with cloth, as done

by the ancient Egyptians. Figuratively it means to make or become

helpless, useless or inefficient

13. shy: less than the amount needed

14. cut: share of profit or loot

15. prize: worthy of a prize, first-rate

16. lead: leash, a cord, strap, etc. by which a dog or other animal is held in check

B.

1. In fall, if the weather is perfectly clear, you can see the highest point of

K2 stand up straight in the sky.

2. He was so overwhelmed by his happiness that he couldn’t keep it to

himself but must share with someone else.

3. Twaha congratulated Mortenson by hitting his arms and shoulders

suddenly and repeatedly.

4. He tried to suppress a grin but then his face broke into a broad smile

through his thick beard.

5. Men rushed quickly out of every doorway.

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6. Mortenson felt that his job was to help the men who surrounded the

fire in a circle, rather than to teach them.

7. He was still not used to the unfamiliar title and so his hand hesitated for

a moment when he filled out the arrival form.

8. ...across the many countries whose names end with “stan” scattered

along the separate routes of the Silk Road.

9. On the far bank of the Braldu River, Haji Ali stood like a sculpture as

always on the highest point of a very steep side of the high mountain.

V. TranslationA.

1. When he was saved from the river, he was more dead than alive.

2. In my previous visit, there was no school, but now one stands on the

mountain.

3. As he came to himself, he opened his eyes, trying to figure out what

had happened and why he was lying there.

4. At the exhibition there were many novel electronic products that

attracted the attention of visitors.

5. People were keen on taking pictures of the many exotic flowers and

plants in the greenhouse.

6. This writer came from a large, prominent family whose genealogy

stretches back fifteen generations.

7. Before killing an animal, the indigenous ethnic people usually hold

rituals to request permission from their God.

8. The fact that the villagers are poor doesn’t mean they are ignorant or

stupid.

9. The volunteers made concerted efforts and got the project off the

ground.

10. The climber felt so dizzy that he could hardly stand up, as much from

over exhaustion as from starvation.

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B.

1. 这些石头看上去更像是古老的废墟而不是新学校的建筑石板。

2. 前一个冬天，当摩顿森离开科尔飞村时，他把固定帐篷用的木

桩打进冻土，并系上红蓝两色编织的尼龙绳，来标记他心中有

五间房子的学校的范围。

3. 科尔飞的清真寺在过去的几个世纪里根据环境的变化而变化，

如同挤在寺里的人们一样随着时间改变了他们的信仰。

4. 他和摩顿森一起测量了确切的长度，把绳子浸在钙和石灰的混

合液里，然后用村子里经过时间考验的土办法标出了工地的长

宽范围。

5. 哈吉·阿里和儿子塔瓦哈把绳子拉得紧绷绷的，然后朝地面上

用力地弹了一下，在夯实的地面上留下白色的线条，那些线条

就是将来学校的墙壁竖立起来的地方。

6. 当沟挖好时，哈吉·阿里冲两块切割好了的大石头点点头，这时，

六个男人抬起石头，艰难地移动着步子朝挖好的沟移动，然后

将石头慢慢放到面向乔戈里峰的科尔飞村的地基角落处。

7. “公羊太大了，以致于即使塔瓦哈用尽最大的力气，也是公羊拽

着他往前走，一步步接近公羊的屠宰者。”

8．“目睹这个和我在主日学校学到的《圣经》故事一模一样的场面，

我不禁想到不同的信仰之间有着如此多的相似之处，并且，人

们可以将其传统追溯到同一个根源。”

9. 在最后一块骨头被敲碎、最后一条骨髓被吸干后，摩顿森加入

到一群男人中，他们点燃了一堆篝火，那里正是他期望的不久

将竣工的学校的院子。

10. 在他们脚下一千英尺之处，即将成熟的大麦田将科尔飞染成一

片翠绿色。它看上去如此渺小和脆弱，就像在一片石头海洋中

漂泊的一叶小小的救生筏。

11. “那些公羊很快就会被吃光，但这个学校将会长久地屹立着。”

12. 我意识到我经历的所有困难，从承诺盖一所学校开始，到为建

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成学校而进行的长期斗争，所有这些与他为自己的村民准备做

出的牺牲相比都是微不足道的。

C.

第 52 段

装着滚烫黄油奶茶的瓷碗在他们手中冒着热气，哈吉·阿里终

于开口了。“如果你想在巴尔蒂斯坦取得成功，你就得尊重我们的生

活方式，”哈吉·阿里边说边吹着他碗里的茶。“当你第一次跟巴尔

蒂人喝茶的时候，你是个陌生人；第二次喝茶，你就是我们的贵客；

第三次再和我们一起喝茶，你就已经是我们的家人了；而为了家人，

我们会无怨无悔地做任何事，甚至不惜牺牲生命。”他边说边把手亲

切地放在摩顿森的手上说。“葛瑞格医生，你必须舍得花时间去喝这

三杯茶。我们虽然没受过教育，但是我们并不愚笨，我们已经在这

里生存很久了。”

第 53 段

“那一天，哈吉·阿里给我上了一生中最重要的一课，”摩顿森

说。“我们美国人认为你必须尽快把每件事情完成。我们是个以三十

分钟的商务午餐和两分钟完成足球训练而闻名的国家。我们的领导

人以为他们发动的“震慑”军事行动能在战争开始之前就结束伊拉

克战争。哈吉·阿里则教我花时间喝上三杯茶，把速度放慢，像重

视建立学校一样重视建立与他人的关系。他使我意识到，从和我一

起工作的人们身上，我能够学到的东西要比我自以为能够教给他们

的东西多。”

Read, Think and Comment

Tahira planned to return to Korphe and teach alongside her father so

that other girls would have an opportunity to receive education like her.

234


Jahan had come to Skardu planning to become a simple health worker and

then return to work in Korphe. But now she modified and enlarged her

plans. She wanted to be such a woman that she could start a hospital and

be an executive, and look over the health problems of all the women in the

Braldu valley. She wanted to become a very famous woman of this area.

Education changed the lives of the two girls. Without education they would

be living their lives like their mothers and grandmothers, never able to read

and write, never able to leave the village. When they grew up, they would get

married, have children and be housewives. Now education provided them

with literacy, chances to leave their village to see the outside world, be able

to make their own plans and thus control their own lives. Education gave

them freedom and dignity. They had the ability to serve their people in a

much more useful way.

By building the school, Mortenson and Haji Ali planted seeds in the

hearts of these girls and now the seeds had borne fruit. For such a result,

Mortenson thought, “Five hundred and eighty letters, twelve rams, and ten

years of work was a small price to pay.”

Chapter 12 Haji Ali’s Lesson - Unipus · Chapter 12 Haji Ali’s Lesson Greg Mortenson and David...

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