Last Letter （最后一封信）

这是我在圣诞节前夕写给学生们的最后一封信。这项名为Something to Say的写作交流计划已经成为我跟学生们的重要沟通渠道，我不希望他们在圣诞节期间停止写作。我鼓励他们写信给我，继续跟我沟通。

　　TEACHER'S

　　Dear students，

　　The Christmas holiday is coming and this is my last STS before the Christmas holiday. May I take this opportunity to wish all of you a truly merry Christmas and a happy New Year！ I， however， realize that many of you will be too busy to have fun because you have to prepare for the coming examination. Too bad！ Let's think this way——People are born both to work and to have fun. Perhaps we shall feel a little happier then. To make you feel better——I have to spend my holiday doing my assignments too. Of course， I won't neglect my kids. I think my wife and I will take them somewhere， like Lantau Island or Macao， to have some fun. Playtime is important to the healthy development of kids.

　　You are also welcome to write me letters if you have something to say to me during the holiday. I will write back to you if you let me have your address. If you think that it is a good idea， you may come and get my address. （It is not very appropriate for me to write down my address here.）

　　Ah， I am sorry to tell you that I made terrible spelling mistakes in my STSs dated October 25th and 29th. I misspelt the word “amah” as “armour”。 “Amah” means housemaid whose main duty is taking care of and bringing up children while “armour” means the equipment for fighting. An average teacher， like me， makes mistakes all the time. That is why I always say， “People make mistakes！” If teachers make mistakes， including grammatical， spelling and pronunciation mistakes， it goes without saying that students， like you， will often make mistakes. Never be discouraged because of making too many mistakes！ Read more， write more， listen more， speak more and your English will get better and better. I would like to share with you one of my poems from my book， The Power of Love：

　　Don't put too much emphasis on grammar； if not， you'll be made to stammer. Worrying too much about making mistakes， you feel as though your tongue were fixed. I don't think grammar is so important， so long as you are filled with passion. If you really have something to say， you will try your best to get the right way.

　　Dennis

　　May I take this opportunity to…这并非问句，所以句末不用加上问号。这是婉转的表达手法，意思是“让我借此机会……”。

　　truly是副词，用来修饰形容词merry（快乐的）。

　　用to have fun比to play 贴切，因为前者可泛指一切娱乐活动。

　　Too bad意思是“真遗憾”，用以表示同情。

　　Let's think this way意思是“让我们这样想吧”。

　　then在这里的意思是“当我们这样想的时候”。

　　这里切勿写作 spend my holiday todo…

　　留意neglect解作“疏忽”，而ignore则解作“不理会”。

　　这里的 like可用 e. g. 或 such as代替。

　　Playtime是名词，泛指“游戏/娱乐的时间”。

　　留意不同用法：

　　· You are welcome（形容词） to joinus. = 欢迎你加入。

　　· You will be warmly welcomed（动词，被动语态） when you are back. = 你回来时将会受到热情的招待。

　　更简单的说法是 leave me your address.

　　这里用terrible（解作“可怕的”）是夸张手法。

　　dated在这里作为定语，形容某些事情发生的日期。

　　it goes without saying that…的意思是“……则更不用说是……”

　　Never be discouraged because of的意思是“不要因……而气馁”。

　　get better and better可用 get better代替。但前者有“不断改善”的含意。

　　留意不同词性的用法：

　　· put emphasis（名词） on grammar

　　· emphasize（动词） grammar（不用加on）

　　if not可用 otherwise代替。但otherwise并非连词；因此，otherwise之前应加上句号或分号。

　　be made to stammer的意思是“被弄至口吃”。

　　passion是指“强烈的感情”。

　　LANGUAGE

　　Show your talent

　　在写文章时，若能在适当的地方加些优美的短诗，往往能加强文章的感染力，并使读者较易接受所灌输的道理或信息。因为诗词能使语气变得温和，读者容易产生共鸣。最后，让我们重温本单元内的短诗。

　　EXAMPLE

　　1.Don't put too much emphasis on grammar；

　　if not， you'll be made to stammer.

　　所灌输的道理：过于强调语法，便难以流畅地表达自己的意思。

　　2.Worrying too much about making mistakes，

　　you feel as though your tongue were fixed.

　　所表达的信息：如过分担忧会犯语法错误，则会影响你的表达。

　　3.I don't think grammar is so important，

　　so long as you are filled with passion.

　　希望产生共鸣：你的经历和感情会使文章内容更加丰富。

　　4. If you really have something to say，

　　you will try your best to get the right way.

　　所灌输的道理：若真的有信息要表达出来，自然会尽力把文章写好。