女学生和亨利先生

Captain Henry，a 98"year—old American retired fisherman，has become a first—time author．having written and published his autobiography In a Fisherman’s Language after learning to read at the age of 91． Mr.Henry spent most of his life without even his closest family members knowing he wasilliterate(不识字的)．Forced to quit school in the third grade to take odd jobs，he kept the secret close to his chest，only telling his late wife．Henry’s granddaughter，Marlisa，told reporters how he used tricks，like waiting for others to order at restaurants first，to avoid the issue． A family dispute(纠纷)in his 90s，she said，aroused his desire for education．“He signed a document he could not read about where he was going to live， Marlisa said．Starting with his name，he eventually moved on to the ABC’s and children’s books．He put them down since his wife fell ill．After the tragic loss of his wife，、he went back to reading and began to log his life．He wrote about his family’s voyage from Portugal to the US，how he went on to captain a boat，and his many journeys at sea． His life stories have become so popular that nearly 800 copies were sold in the first two weeks after the book’s release．One thousand more have since been printed as requests for the book flood in from as far as Germany．And now even Hollywood producers have approached Mr．Henry about buying the rights to his life story for a big screen adaptation． The family also now has a book agent and a deal in the works to publish a second edition．Meanwhile，the family says they are reconnecting and closer than ever as a result of Henry’s．1ate—life efforts．.“Everyone has a story，”Marlisa said．“It teaches that when you’re down and out． never give up.” 他在91岁高龄才开始读书认字，现在，这位98岁高龄的老渔夫第一次成为了一名作者，完成并出版了自己的自传。他的手稿题为“以渔夫之言”，已经被好莱坞制片人相中。 在他生命的大半时间，即便是最亲近的家人都不知道他是文盲这件事情。亨利在小学三年级时就被迫退学，打零工挣钱。他一直把这个秘密埋藏在心底——只告诉过他已故的妻子。亨利老先生的孙女，梅丽莎·麦克劳林女士向我们讲述了他的小伎俩，比如下馆子的时候，他总是让别人先点餐，或者问服务员应该付多少钱，避免别人发现他不识字的秘密。 在他90岁时，一次家庭纠纷激发了老先生重拾课本的念头。“他稀里糊涂签署了一份文件，那份文件规定了他的住处，可他根本就看不懂。”麦克劳林女士不愿透漏更多的细节。后来，他听说了乔治·道森的故事：一位奴隶的儿子，98岁时开始学习阅读，101岁时写出了自传《生命如此美好》——亨利先生也重新拾起了课本。“如果他能做到，我也要试一试。” 亨利先生说。从自己的名字开始，他认全了24个字母，直到能阅读儿童读物。痛失妻子后，他的学习耽搁了四年。但最终他又重新回来，并在老师马克·霍根的帮助下开始记录自己的生活。他写下了自己的故事：如何随家人从葡萄牙乘船来到美国，许多次的航海历程。 他的生活传奇非常受欢迎，事实上，这本书上月刚刚上架，短短两周之内就卖出近800本。出版社甚至收到了来自德国读者的图书订单，现在图书已经加印了一千多册。而好莱坞制片人也在与亨利先生接触，希望能把他的故事搬上大荧幕。 现在家里已经找来一位图书代理，并正准备出版第二版。与此同时，亨利先生的家人说，在亨利先生晚年努力之下，家庭成员之间的关系变得比之前更为融洽亲密了。“每个人都有一个故事。”麦克劳林女士说道，祖父的故事告诉我们，“在你潦倒失意时，永远不要放弃。”