托尼·卢/Tong Lu

When Dr. Gullickson was assigning project mates for his introduction to experimental psychology class, I secretly hoped he would pair me with a cute coed or at least a classmate I could have some fun with. Above all, I hoped he wouldn’t assign me to work with the intense, fiercely competitive, singularly serious fellow who always wore dark clothes and apparently had a personality to match. As fate would have it, Dr. Gullickson very deliberately matched everyone in class and announced that I would be working with the one person in class I wanted to avoid.

I went up to my new lab mate and introduced myself. He looked at me as though I weren’t there. I felt he treated me as though I would hold him back and probably cause his grade-point average to take a nosedive. He wasn’t outright mean or abusive. He just gave me the impression he could do whatever project we dreamed up better if he did it alone. He was a loner, and I could only impede his research. He had important things to do, and I was going to be something of an annoyance he'd have to deal with.

Needless to say, I didn’t look forward to an entire semester of being brushed off, but I tried to make the best of it and didn't say anything, lest I make things worse.

The project required each lab team to develop a hypothesis, set up an experiment to test the hypothesis, run the tests, do the statistical analysis and present the findings. Whatever grade the team received would be shared by both students. When my lab mate and I met to discuss our project, I was uneasy. Here was this challenging student who had a reputation for single-mindedness and good grades-the exact opposite of me. I was outmatched. I actually wanted to drop the class at one point, but stopped short because I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of my chickening out. I asked my friends at work what I should do, and the overall response was to stick it out no matter what.

After lengthy discussions, we somehow agreed to do a study on the tactile-kinesthetic perception of space. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but at least we had a topic. We started to meet regularly to formulate our plans, and every time I felt the project was more his than mine. The more we met, the more I resented his intelligence and his ability to cut through to the core issues. And I was aware he was much more advanced than I.He knew technical things and approached every detail with great singularity of purpose.

I, on the other hand, must have seemed naive, with little to offer. At one point l summoned up my courage and asked him why he seemed so uptight and serious. To my surprise, he replied that he didn’t have time for small talk or petty people and things that would waste his time. He even went on to say that he didn’t have many friends because most so-called friends were just a distraction. But, he added, when he did choose someone to be his friend, they would be a friend for life. I was floored by his cold and cynical response. Right then and there, I realized the end of the semester couldn’t come soon enough.

As the semester wore on, we tried to fashion a simple yet elegant experiment. Part of our job was to select students who had volunteered to be subjects for our project. I decided to devote myself to the task of working with the subjects, while he developed the scientific model. I put in my two cents’worth whenever I could, but I still felt he was the driving force.

Then one day I got word that he was in the hospital. Apparently, he had been admitted for a hemorrhaging ulcer. The stress of getting the best grades, holding down a job and helping his girlfriend through the medical crisis she was going through had taken its toll on him.

When I visited him in the hospital, I noticed for the first time a sense of vulnerability on the face of my stoic lab mate. I knew that he was aware that I could blow the experiment, and our shared grade would shatter his lofty G.P.A.and possibly derail his chances for graduate school. I assured him I would not let him down and he should only concentrate on getting better. I would do my best. We both knew I’d have to do better than my best.

I had a formidable task ahead of me. I was in over my head, running the statistical data. I poured more time and energy into that project than I had ever done on any assignment in my life. I was not going to let him see me fail and have it reflect on him. I was working the graveyard shift at my job, so I used whatever quiet time from midnight to 6：00 A.M.to work on the project. The work consumed me. There was a sense of challenge that completely overtook me. The question remained:Was I up to it?Eventually, the semester came to a close, and each team had to present its findings in front of the assembled class. When it was our turn, I did my level best to present his scientific methodology with my showmanship. To my amazement, we were awarded an A!

When I told my lab mate about our shared triumph, he smiled and thanked me for carrying on. Something connected then. Something special. It had to do with trust and the exhilaration of sharing a common prize.

We have stayed close throughout the years. He went on to achieve a doctorate. He also went on to marry his college girlfriend.

I learned more than statistical analysis and experimental procedures that semester. My life has been enhanced by our encounter and challenged by this man, who became my unlikely hero.

And in the end, he was right:we have become friends for life.

当古尔利克森博士正在为实验心理学课安排研究小组时，我默默地祈祷他能够把我与一个可爱的女生，至少是一个志趣相投的同学分在一组。总而言之，我希望他不要让我与那个具有强烈竞争意识、异常严肃的家伙做搭档，这个人总爱穿着深颜色的衣服，并且个性十足。经过一番深思熟虑之后，古尔利克森博士公布了分组决定，宣布我与一个我最想躲避的人成为一组，这就像命中注定似的。

我走到自己的实验搭档面前，作了自我介绍。他看着我的样子，仿佛我并不存在似的。我感觉到，他似乎认为我会阻碍他进步，并且很可能导致他的平均成绩直线下降。他并不完全怀有恶意，只是给了我这样的印象，无论什么实验，如果他独自去做就会做得更好。我的加入似乎只会妨碍他的研究，只能成为他不得不花时间和精力应付的麻烦，因为他是一个能够独立完成任务的人，他有重要的事情要做。

当然，我不想把整个学期都荒废掉，为了不让事情变得更加糟糕，我什么也没说，只是尽力把实验做好。

根据计划，每个实验小组要提出假设，作实验检验假设，作统计学分析，介绍研究结果。小组所取得的成绩就是每个小组成员的成绩。我每次都忐忑不安地与同伴讨论实验的问题，他的专注和优秀的成绩是出了名的，他是一个勇于挑战的人。正相反，我与他相差甚远，事实上，我心里曾经闪现过逃课的念头。然而，我不想被他看扁，所以很快放弃了这种想法。我向那些忙于工作的朋友请教我该如何去做，他们的答复全部是：无论发生什么，你都要坚持到最后。

经过长时间的讨论之后，我们终于达成一致，决定作一项关于空间触觉和动觉感知的研究。我们已经确定了题目，虽然我并不明白这是一项什么研究。为了制订计划，我们定期碰面，每次讨论决定之后，我都觉得制订计划的是他，而不是我。我们碰面的次数越多，我对他的才智和直击问题核心的能力就越憎恨。我逐渐意识到，他的水平比我高很多。他很了解技术方面的知识，并且能够带着非常明确的目标去处理细节问题。

另一方面，我能提出的建议微乎其微，看起来似乎很幼稚。有一次，我鼓起勇气问他，他为什么那么紧张严肃。他回答说，他没有闲聊的时间，对他来说，无聊的人和事情只是浪费时间，这让我感到惊讶。他甚至告诉我，许多所谓的朋友只会让人分心，因此，他没有结交很多朋友。不过，他补充说，一旦选择某人作为自己的朋友，他就会把他们当做一生的朋友。他的冷淡和愤世嫉俗让我感到非常震惊，当时，我恨不得这个学期马上结束。

一学期的时光慢慢过去，我们尝试设计了一个非常出色的实验，而且实验操作也很简单。挑选志愿做实验对象的学生成为我们工作的一部分，我决定致力于招募研究对象，而他负责阐述科学方法。我抓住一切可能的机会作贡献，然而，我仍然有一种感觉：他才是整个实验的推动力量。

有一天，我得知他生病住进了医院。很显然，他是因为溃疡出血才住进医院的。他想取得最好的成绩，想找一份工作，想帮助生病的女朋友度过危险期，他背负的这些压力把他压垮了。

当去医院看望这个坚忍克己的实验伙伴时，我第一次发现，他的脸上有了一种脆弱的表情。我知道，他是担心我会把实验搞砸，担心他非常高的总平均成绩被小组实验成绩给毁掉，甚至会突然失掉进研究院的机会。我告诉他，应该一心一意恢复健康，并保证我一定会付出最大的努力，不会让他失望的。我们都很清楚，我必须比最好做得还要好。

任务非常艰巨，我埋头整理统计资料，这些资料已经超出了我的理解范围。我对有生以来所做的任何作业，都不曾付出这么多的时间和精力。我不能让他看到我失败，不愿意因为我而影响他的成绩。为了能够利用一切安静的时间作研究，我把工作时间调整到夜里，从午夜一直干到早晨六点，工作耗费了我许多时间。我感觉自己全身心地投入到一场挑战中，但现在的问题是，我能胜任吗？

在本学期即将结束的时候，各个小组终于要在所有组合小组前陈述自己的研究成果了。轮到我们组的时候，我使用自己的表演技巧阐述了他的科学方法，我竭尽了全力。我们得了“A”，这让我感到异常惊喜！

当我告诉实验伙伴，我们共同的努力取得了成功时，他笑着感谢我完成了实验。那一刻，某些东西将我们联系在一起，这些特别的东西，与信赖有关，与分享获奖的喜悦有关。

这些年来，我们仍然保持着密切的联系。通过不断的学习，他获得了博士学位，并与大学女友建立了家庭。

那个学期，我学到的不仅仅是统计学分析和实验过程。他是我生活中的另类英雄，我的生活因他而面临挑战，因他而变得广阔。

事实证明，他是正确的，我们成了终身的朋友。

心灵小语

一颗纯洁而伟大的心灵，无论面对的困难有多大，都会迎难而上。他不会在意别人的看法，而是坚持自己对于成功的理解。文中的另类英雄，通过执著的努力和不懈的奋斗，实现了自己的一个又一个愿望，同时还收获了真正的友情。

词汇笔记

nosedive['n?uzdaiv]n.（价格等的）暴跌；低落；突然变坏造

例 Japan’s stock market just took a nosedive.日本股市才刚经历一次大崩盘。

loner['lun]n.孤独的人；不合群的动物造

例 She’s been a loner all her life.她一生离群索居。

floor[fl:]v.难倒；使为难；使震惊造

例 She was completely floored by two of the questions in the exam.试卷中的两个问题把她给难倒了。

formidable['f:mid?bl]adj.可怕的；令人敬畏的；艰难的；强大的造

例 Now our Party is confronted with new and formidable tasks.现在，我们党正面临着新的、艰巨的任务。

小试身手

我向那些忙于工作的朋友请教我该如何去做，他们的答复全部是：无论发生什么，你都要坚持到最后。

译________________________________________

他很了解技术方面的知识，并且能够带着非常明确的目标去处理细节问题。

译________________________________________

他是我生活中的另类英雄，我的生活因他而面临挑战，因他而变得广阔。

译________________________________________

短语家族

I didn’t look forward to an entire semester of being brushed off.brush off：刷去；丢弃；脱落

造________________________________________

As the semester wore on……wore on：缓慢地进行；时间消逝

造________________________________________