英语阅读教材：乡间土路 Dirt Roads
在那条乡间的土路上，我嗅到了泥土的气息，眼前浮现出的是深深的车辙，还有行走中的路人与淳朴的农夫的身影。
What's mainly wrong with society today is that too many Dirt Roads have been paved.
There's not a problem in America today, crime, drugs, education, divorce, delinquency that wouldn't be remedied, if we just had more Dirt Roads, because Dirt Roads give character.
That it can jar1) you right down to your teeth sometimes, but it's worth it, if at the end is home...a loving spouse, happy kids and a dog.
People that live at the end of Dirt Roads learn early on that life is a bumpy2) ride.
We wouldn't have near the trouble with our educational system if our kids got their exercise walking a Dirt Road with other kids, from whom they learn how to get along.
There was less crime in our streets before they were paved.
Criminals didn't walk two dusty miles to rob or rape, if they knew they'd be welcomed by 5 barking dogs and a double barrel shotgun.
People did not worship their cars more than their kids, and motorists were more courteous, they didn't tailgate3) by riding the bumper4) or the guy in front would choke you with dust and bust your windshield5) with rocks. Our values were better when our roads were worse!
Dirt Roads taught patience.
Dirt Roads were environmentally friendly, you didn't hop in6) your car for a quart of milk you walked to the barn for your milk. For your mail, you walked to the mail box.
What if it rained and the Dirt Road got washed out? That was the best part, then you stayed home and had some family time, roasted marshmallows7) and popped popcorn and pony rode on Daddy's shoulders and learned how to make prettier quilts than anybody.
Most paved roads lead to trouble, Dirt Roads more likely lead to a fishing creek or a swimming hole.
At the end of a Dirt Road, the only time we even locked our car was in August, because if we didn't some neighbor would fill it with too much zucchini8).
At the end of a Dirt Road, there was always extra springtime income, from when city dudes9) would get stuck, you'd have to hitch up10) a team and pull them out.
Usually you got a dollar...always you got a new friend...at the end of a Dirt Road!
当今社会的主要问题都出在太多的土路被铺成了公路这上面。
在现今的美国，所有涉及犯罪、毒品、教育、离婚或其他过失的问题都可以解决。前提是只要我们能有更多的土路，因为土路有它的特殊性。
可能它有时会颠簸得让你牙齿打颤，但是只要它的终点是你的家，在那里有你的爱人、可爱的孩子还有一条狗在等着你的话，这一切就都值得。
在土路的尽头居住的人们懂得生活就是颠簸旅程的道理。
有了土路，我们就不会再为教育体系而大伤脑筋。和其他的小伙伴们一道，我们的孩子在土路上学会了如何跋涉，如何与人相处。
而我们的街道在被铺设前也没有那么多的犯罪。
罪犯们如果事先就知道，在满是灰尘的土路上行走两英里之后，最终等待他们的是五只狂吠的大狗和双管猎枪的话，就绝对不会去抢劫或者强奸了。
我们的价值观在道路的状况不是很好的时候会更加高尚。
人们不会把车子看得比孩子还重要，而驾车人也更加小心，他们不会紧随前车行驶而造成追尾，因为前面的车扬起的灰尘足够让你窒息，飞起得小石块也会让你车子的挡风玻璃吃不消的。
土路让人懂得忍耐。
而土路也是环保的，你不会驱车到畜棚就为了一壶牛奶，而顶多是步行而已。到邮筒取信你自然也会步行。
那么要是碰上了下雨的天气而土路被冲没了怎么办？这其实是最好不过了呢！你就会呆在家里真正地享受家庭生活，有美味的蜜饯和爆米花，还有可以骑在爸爸的背上或者学着怎么把被褥叠得比其他人都整齐。
大多数的公路带来的都是麻烦，而土路引领你去的是可以垂钓的小溪或可以游泳的池塘。
在土路上，我们惟一要锁车的时间是八月，因为（在那个收获的季节）邻居们会把整个车里塞满南瓜的。
在土路上，总会有些额外的收获，那些城里来的有钱人们遇到麻烦就会要搭你的车，还要请你找一帮子人帮他们把车从泥潭里拽出来。
通常你能得到一美元的报偿更好的是能认识一个新的朋友看，一切都发生在一条土路上！