Video：from 像學母語一樣學英語 LIKE A NATIVE
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Contents：
Chris Gardner saw a man with a beautiful red car.
The car was shiny and new. Its color was deep and strong.
The man next to it had a very happy smile. Chris did not have a happy smile.
He was thirty years old. His job was not good.
He sold heavy machines to doctors. Each machine was in a big, gray box.
The box was heavy on his back. He carried it through busy city streets.
The sounds of cars and people were loud. He went into many hospitals and clinics.
The air inside always smelled like medicine. Most doctors did not want his machines.
They looked at the price. Their faces said “no” before their mouths did.
The machines were expensive. Chris had many bills to pay.
His small apartment needed rent money. The landlord knocked on his door often.
Life was a sad, quiet circle for him. Every day was the same.
He woke up tired. He went to bed worried. He felt very small in a very big city.
He walked to the smiling man. His own shoes were old. The man’s shoes were new and shiny.
“What do you do?”, Chris asked. His voice was quiet.
The man looked at his own nice suit. “l am a stockbroker, ” he said.
The word was new to Chris. It sounded important. A new idea started to grow in his mind.
He thought, “Maybe l can do that.” His wife, Linda, did not like the idea. She was in the kitchen.
The room was small and dark. “A stockbroker? Not an astronaut?”she said.
Her words were cold like winter air. Chris felt a pain in his heart. He was a failure in her eyes.
He saw his reflection in the window. A tired man looked back at him.
Linda had a reason for her anger. The rent was two months late.
A red letter from the landlord was on thetable. She worked two jobs every day.
Her hands were always tired. Their son, Christopher, went to a cheap daycare.
The place was noisy and not very clean. It was a very hard life for them.
A few years ago, they had a big dream. Chris used all their money. It was their life savings.
He bought many bone-density scanners. These were the heavy machines in the gray boxes.
Chris had thought they could sell them all. They had a plan to be rich.
He had promised Linda a better life. The plan did not work.
His new scanners were better than old ones. They showed clearer pictures.
But the price was much higher. Doctors did not buy them.
Years passed. Christopher was a little boy now. Some machines were still in their home.
They were like big, silent reminders of a failed dream.
Chris walked the streets every day. He carried a heavy machine.
The weight hurt his shoulders. His work was to sell them. The work was very hard.
He often parked his car near hospitals. He did not have money for parking meters.
He got many yellow parking tickets. They were like small flags of his failure.
One day, a police officer took his car. The tickets were not paid.
Chris watched his old car go away on a big truck. He could do nothing.
His hands were empty. It was another bad day. He had to take the bus now.
The bus was slow and always full of people.
But the new idea was still in his mind. It was a small light in the darkness.
He wanted to be a stockbroker. Chris went to a big office building.
The building was tall and made of glass. He wanted to get an application form.
He needed to look good for the interview. His shirt was not very clean.
He tried to make it look better. A girl with a long guitar was outside. She was a hippie.
Her clothes had many colors. Chris gave his machine to her.
“Please watch this for me, “he said. “l will be back soon.” The girl smiled and said okay.
He went inside the building. The lobby was clean and quiet. It was a different world.
Chris got the application form. The paper felt important in his hand. He felt a small spark of hope.
He came back outside into the bright sun. The girl was gone. His machine was also gone.
His heart dropped. He saw her across the street. She was walking away fast.
“Hey!” chris shouted. His voice was loud. The girl started to run. He ran after her.
Cars honked their horns. They ran into a subway station.
The air was warm and smelled of metal. The girl jumped onto a train.
The doors closed with a loud sound. He lost her.
He lost his machine. Losing one machine was very bad.
It was like losing a month of food money.
Today, he only had a paper form.
The form said the company wanted twenty people for an internship.
An internship was a job to learn. But only one person would get the real job at the end.
The chance was very small. He thought, “Nineteen people will fail.” Chris did not give up.
He went back to the company. He gave the form to a manager.
The manager was a very busy man. His name was Mr. Twistle.
He walked very fast. He did not have time to talk. He took the paper from Chris.
He did not even look at him. Outside, Chris saw the hippie girl again.
She still had his machine. This time, he would not lose.
Chris ran very fast. His lungs burned. He got on a bus with her.
He took the machine back. The girl did not fight. He felt a little stronger.
It was a small victory in a long war. He went home with two machines. He carried one.
He had the other one from the bus. Linda saw them. Her face was tired.
Her eyes had no light in them. She did not want this life anymore.
Chris told her about his day. He talked about the internship. His voice was full of hope.
Linda did not care. “Whatever, ” she said.
“What does ‘whatever’ mean?” Chris asked. His hope started to fade.
“lt means l don’t care,” she said. Her voice was flat.
He tried to save his family. He touched her arm. “Everything will be okay, “he said.
Linda looked at him. Her eyes were sad and empty. “You said that before, ” she said.
“When l was pregnant, you said it would be fine.” She did not trust him now. The trust was broken.
One month later, Chris went to the company again. He waited for Mr. Twistle.
The busy manager came out of the elevator. He was going somewhere important.
Chris had an idea. It was a crazy idea. He asked to share a taxi.
Mr. Twistle was surprised. But he said yes. They got into a yellow taxi together.
The car smelled like old coffee. Chris had only a few minutes.
He talked about himself. He said he was smart. He told the manager he was good with numbers.
But Mr.Twistle was not listening.
The manager was looking at a small toy in his hands. It was a Rubik’s Cube.
The toy had many bright colors. It was very difficult to solve. Mr. Twistle played with it.
He turned it again and again. He could not do it. He looked frustrated.
Chris saw his chance. It was a small window of opportunity. “Il can do it, ” he said.
Mr. Twistle laughed a short, sharp laugh. “‘No, you can’t, ” he said. “l am sure l can, ” Chris said.
His voice was steady. He took the cube. His hands moved very fast.
He had a special talent for puzzles. He turned the small squares.
The colors started to line up. The taxi driver watched in the mirror. Mr. Twistle watched.
His eyes were wide with surprise. He stopped talking.
The taxi arrived at the manager’s place. The driver stopped the car.
Time was up. Chris had one last part to turn. He turned it. Click.
All the colors were perfect. Every side was one solid color. He had solved the Rubik’s Cube.
Mr. Twistle was shocked. He took the cube. He looked at Chris in a new way.
He saw a special person. He did not see just a poor salesman.
He saw a man who could solve problems.
Chris got off the taxi. He did not pay. He had no money in his pocket.
The taxi driver was angry. He shouted at Chris. Chris ran. He ran and ran.
He forgot his scanner in the taxi. He remembered it. He ran back to get it.
Then he ran into a subway station. He jumped onto a train.
The doors closed very fast. The scanner was stuck. It was outside the door.
The train started to move. He had to let it go.
The metal door was cold against his fingers. Another machine was gone.
Food for a month was also lost. He felt sick.
Now, he had only one thing left to do. That night, he called home from a payphone.
Linda was not there. A man’s voice was on the phone. Then Linda spoke.
“l’m leaving, Chris, ” she said. “l am taking our son. We are going away now.”
The world stopped for Chris. The sounds of the street disappeared.
He ran home. The rain started to fall. The apartment was empty and silent.
Linda’s clothes were gone from the closet. Christopher’s small toys were gone.
He was all alone in the empty rooms. Then, the phone rang.
The sound was loud in the silence. He thought it was Linda. It was not.
It was Mr. Twistle. “We want you to come for an interview, ” the manager said.
Chris had a chance. He had one chance. The next day, he went to the daycare.
He took his son back. He held Christopher’s small hand.
Now, his son was his whole world. The landlord came that night.
“You need to pay the rent, “he said. “Or you must leave tomorrow.”
Chris asked for more time. His voice was low. “Please, one more week, ” he said.
“l will paint the walls for you.” The landlord looked at him.
He saw the desperation in Chris’s eyes. He agreed. One more week.
The next day, Chris was painting the wall. The paint smelled strong.
Two police officers came to the door. They were there for his old parking tickets.
He had to pay all of them now. He wrote a check.
But the check was not good until the bank opened tomorrow.
So the police took him to jail for the night. His interview was the next morning.
His son was with a friend. Chris was in a small, cold room. The bench was hard.
He had so many problems. He thought, “How can l win? How can l get out of this hole?”
The next morning, the police let him go. He ran from the police station.
He did not have time to go home. He did not have time to change his clothes.
Chris ran to the big office building. He was wearing his old painting clothes.
His face had white paint on it. He walked into the interview room.
The bosses sat at a long, polished table. They wore expensive suits.
They looked at him. They saw his dirty clothes. They saw the paint on his skin.
Chris told them the truth. He told them about the jail.
He told them about the tickets. He was honest. He was also funny.
The bosses started to laugh. It was a good sound. One boss asked a hard question.
“What would you say if a man came to an interview without a shirt, and l hired him?”
Chris thought for a moment. He looked at the man. He smiled.
“He must have on some really nice pants, ” he said. The room filled with laughter.
His interview was perfect. He got the internship. He was one of the twenty.
But then he learned something terrible. The internship had no salary.
For six months, there was no money. He had to sell his last six machines.
He had to live on that money for six months.
And the chance to get the real job was only 5 percent. It was a very big risk.
He thought about his son. He had to provide for him.
That night, his wife Linda came back. She brought Christopher.
She was going to New York. A new job was waiting for her.
She was leaving for good. She looked tired but determined.
Chris looked at his sleeping son. The boy’s face was peaceful.
He made a decision. He would take the risk. For Christopher.
He and Christopher moved to a cheaper hotel. The room was very small.
One day, they played basketball.
Christopher said, “I will be a professional basketballplayer. “
Chris looked at his son. “You will probably be average, “he said. “‘Like me.”
The boy’s happy face became sad. The basketball stopped bouncing. He stopped playing.
Chris saw the sadness. He knew his words were wrong. His own fears were talking.
“Hey, ” he said. He knelt down.
“Don’t ever let somebody tell you that you can’t do something. Not even me.”
He looked into his son’s eyes.
“You got a dream, you gotta protect it. You want something, go get it. Period.”
These words were for his son. They were also for himself.
The internship started. It was very hard. The office was bright and busy.
He had a long list of phone numbers. He had to call important people.
He had to ask them to invest money with his company.
He had very little time. He did not drink water, so he did not need to use the bathroom.
Every minute was important. He made more calls than anyone.
One day, during a short break, he saw a homeless man. The man had his lost scanner.
It was the one from the subway station. Chris ran after him. He ran across a busy street.
A car hit him. He was okay. But he lost one shoe. The shoe flew into the air.
He went back to work with only one shoe on his foot.
His bosses asked him to get coffee. They asked him to park their cars.
He always said yes with a smile. He listened to their talk in the office.
Their words were a free lesson for him. He felt small. But he did not complain.
He did the small jobs well. He could not sell his machines.
The hotel owner wanted the rent. Chris had no money.
Two months passed. He had no new business. He tried a new way.
He went to the top of his list. He called the boss of a very big company.
The boss’s assistant answered. “He is busy, ” she said. Chris did not give up.
He called again and again. Finally, he got a meeting. But it was in twenty minutes.
The office was far away. He ran downstairs. His manager asked him to park his car.
Chris had no time. But he said yes. He tried to park the car.
He could not find a parking space. He finally found a space.
He did not pay the parking meter. He ran to the meeting. He was late.
The big boss was already gone. Chris walked back to the car.
There was a parking ticket on it. More money he did not have.
He stood by the car for a moment. Chris took a deep breath.
His mind became clear. He would try again on the weekend.
The next weekend, he took Christopher. They went to the big boss’s house.
He waited outside the large gate. He was taking a big chance. The boss came out.
He was going to a football game. Chris was polite. He apologized for being late.
The boss remembered him. He invited Chris and his son to the game.
They sat in a special box. They watched the game with rich and important people.
Chris talked to them. He got their business cards. He made connections.
It was a good day. He felt like he belonged. He sold all his machines.
Four months of the internship were over. He thought things were getting better.
Then he got a letter from the government. He had not paid his taxes.
The government took all the money from his bank account.
He had only twenty-one dollars left. He was broke. Again.
The feeling was cold and heavy. The hotel owner kicked them out.
Chris and Christopher had no place to go. Their bags were on the street.
The sun was going down. Chris looked at his son. He thought of a place.
It was not a home. But it was safe. Chris pretended it was a game.
He held his son’s hand tightly. “We are going on an adventure, “he said.
They went to the subway station.
He told his son the scanner was a time machine.
“We are hiding from dinosaurs, “he whispered. They went into the public bathroom.
It was small and dirty. The floor was cold. He locked the door.
Christopher fell asleep on the floor. Chris sat next to him on some paper towels.
People knocked on the door. They wanted to use the bathroom. Chris held the door with his foot.
He covered his son’s ears. Tears fell from his eyes. He was quiet. He did not want to wake his son.
It was the lowest point of his life. He felt completely alone.
After that, they went to a church shelter every night. They had to wait in a long line.
Sometimes they got a bed. Sometimes they did not.
When they did not get a bed, they slept on the bus. He brought his luggage to work everyday.
After work, he ran to the daycare. Then they ran to the shelter. Run, run, run. That was his life.
He studied for the final exam. He studied in the dark shelter with a small light.
He studied on the bus. One day, a partner at the company saw him.
The partner needed five dollars for a taxi. Chris looked in his wallet. He only had a few dollars.
It was his food money. He hesitated. Then he gave the five dollars to the partner.
He was desperate. He sold his own blood for twenty-four dollars.
With that money, he bought a new part for his last broken scanner. He fixed it.
He went to a doctor’s office. His heart was beating fast. He pushed the button.
A bright light came from the machine. It worked. The doctor bought the scanner.
He had money again. A little money. It was enough for a real hotel room for a few nights.
It was the last day of the internship. The final day. His hard work had paid off.
He had brought in 31 new clients. The bosses knew he was the best intern.
But he was still scared. He knew one thing.
His whole life was in the next five minutes. The main boss called him into his office.
All the partners were there. Chris walked in. His heart was beating fast.
This was the moment. The boss looked at him. “Wear a shirt tomorrow, okay?” he said.
Chris was confused. He did not understand. The boss smiled.
“Because tomorrow is your first day, if you would like to work here as a broker. “
He got the job. The words were like music. He said, “Thank you. His voice was shaking.
He walked out of the office. He walked out of the building.
He was in the middle of a crowded street. People were walking everywhere.
They were busy. They did not see him. He started to clap his hands.
He clapped for himself. The sound was small in the big city. But for him, it was loud.
It was a victory. Tears of joy ran down his face. He was not a failure anymore.
He ran to the daycare. He ran faster than ever before. Christopher saw him.
Chris picked him up. He held his son very tight. He spun him around.
“We’re going to be okay, “he said. “Everything is going to be okay.”
And this time, it was true.
Words：
shiny /ˈʃaɪni/ (形容詞) 閃亮的 表面光滑而明亮的。
machine /məˈʃiːn/ (名詞) 機器 使用動力完成任務的裝置。
clinic /ˈklɪnɪk/ (名詞) 診所 提供醫療服務的小型機構。
medicine /ˈmɛdsən/ (名詞) 藥 用於治療疾病的物質。
expensive /ɪkˈspɛnsɪv/ (形容詞) 昂貴的 需要花費很多錢的。
apartment /əˈpɑːrtmənt/ (名詞) 公寓 住宅大樓中的一個單位。
landlord /ˈlændlɔːrd/ (名詞) 房東 出租房屋或土地的人。
stockbroker /ˈstɒkˌbroʊkər/ (名詞) 股票經紀人 買賣股票為職業的人。
astronaut /ˈæstrənɔːt/ (名詞) 太空人 接受訓練前往太空旅行的人。
failure /ˈfeɪljər/ (名詞) 失敗的人或事 未能達到預期目標的人。
reflection /rɪˈflɛkʃən/ (名詞) 倒影 鏡子或水面中映出的影像。
rent /rɛnt/ (名詞) 租金 為使用房屋或設備支付的錢。
daycare /ˈdeɪˌkɛər/ (名詞) 日托中心 白天照顧幼兒的地方。
saving /ˈseɪvɪŋ/ (名詞) 儲蓄 為未來存下來的錢。
scanner /ˈskænər/ (名詞) 掃描儀 用於檢測或成像的設備。
promise /ˈprɒmɪs/ (動詞) 承諾 向某人保證會做某件事。
reminder /rɪˈmaɪndər/ (名詞) 提醒物 使人記起某事的人或物。
shoulder /ˈʃoʊldər/ (名詞) 肩膀 連接手臂和身體的部位。
meter /ˈmiːtər/ (名詞) 計量器 用於測量和記錄的儀器。
ticket /ˈtɪkɪt/ (名詞) 罰單 記錄違規並要求罰款的通知。
officer /ˈɒfɪsər/ (名詞) 警官 警察部隊的成員。
application /ˌæplɪˈkeɪʃən/ (名詞) 申請書 請求某物的正式書面文件。
guitar /ɡɪˈtɑːr/ (名詞) 吉他 一種有六根弦的撥弦樂器。
hippie /ˈhɪpi/ (名詞) 嬉皮士 反主流文化崇尚和平的年輕人。
lobby /ˈlɒbi/ (名詞) 大廳 建築物入口處的寬敞空間。
spark /spɑːrk/ (名詞) 火花 微小的一線希望或跡象。
subway /ˈsʌbweɪ/ (名詞) 地鐵 在地下隧道中運行的火車。
internship /ˈɪntɜːrnʃɪp/ (名詞) 實習 為獲取經驗而做的短期工作。
manager /ˈmænɪdʒər/ (名詞) 經理 負責管理組織或部門的人。
pregnant /ˈprɛɡnənt/ (形容詞) 懷孕的 腹中懷有胎兒的。
trust /trʌst/ (名詞) 信任 對某人誠實可靠的信念。
elevator /ˈɛlɪveɪtər/ (名詞) 電梯 運送人或物到不同樓層的裝置。
frustrated /frʌˈstreɪtɪd/ (形容詞) 沮喪的 因無法改變或實現某事而煩惱。
opportunity /ˌɒpərˈtjuːnɪti/ (名詞) 機會 做某件事的有利時機。
puzzle /ˈpʌzəl/ (名詞) 謎題 考驗智力的遊戲或問題。
salesman /ˈseɪlzmən/ (名詞) 推銷員 銷售商品或服務的人。
desperation /ˌdɛspəˈreɪʃən/ (名詞) 絕望 因情況極差而產生的無望感。
jail /dʒeɪl/ (名詞) 監獄 關押罪犯的地方。
polished /ˈpɒlɪʃt/ (形容詞) 拋光的 經過打磨而光滑閃亮的。
honest /ˈɒnɪst/ (形容詞) 誠實的 說實話且不欺騙的。
salary /ˈsæləri/ (名詞) 薪水 員工定期獲得的固定報酬。
risk /rɪsk/ (名詞) 風險 發生不好事情的可能性。
provide /prəˈvaɪd/ (動詞) 供給 供應某人需要的東西。
determined /dɪˈtɜːrmɪnd/ (形容詞) 堅決的 已下定決心且不會改變的。
professional /prəˈfɛʃənəl/ (形容詞) 專業的 以某項技能為職業的。
average /ˈævərɪdʒ/ (形容詞) 普通的 不好不壞，處於中間水平的。
protect /prəˈtɛkt/ (動詞) 保護 使某人或某物免受傷害。
period /ˈpɪəriəd/ (名詞) 句號 用來結束一句話，表示確定。
invest /ɪnˈvɛst/ (動詞) 投資 投入資金以期獲得回報。
complain /kəmˈpleɪn/ (動詞) 抱怨 表達對某事的不滿。
assistant /əˈsɪstənt/ (名詞) 助理 幫助他人完成工作的人。
apologize /əˈpɒlədʒaɪz/ (動詞) 道歉 為自己的錯誤表示歉意。
connection /kəˈnɛkʃən/ (名詞) 人脈 社會或業務上的關係。
government /ˈɡʌvərnmənt/ (名詞) 政府 治理國家或地區的機構。
tax /tæks/ (名詞) 稅 政府向個人或企業徵收的款項。
account /əˈkaʊnt/ (名詞) 帳戶 在銀行記錄資金往來的戶頭。
broke /broʊk/ (形容詞) 破產的 完全沒有錢的。
pretend /prɪˈtɛnd/ (動詞) 假裝 裝作某種樣子來欺騙他人。
adventure /ədˈvɛntʃər/ (名詞) 冒險 不尋常且令人興奮的經歷。
dinosaur /ˈdaɪnəsɔːr/ (名詞) 恐龍 史前時代的一種大型爬行動物。
shelter /ˈʃɛltər/ (名詞) 庇護所 為無家可歸者提供住宿的地方。
luggage /ˈlʌɡɪdʒ/ (名詞) 行李 旅行時攜帶的箱子和包。
partner /ˈpɑːrtnər/ (名詞) 合夥人 公司的高級管理人員之一。
hesitate /ˈhɛzɪteɪt/ (動詞) 猶豫 因不確定而短暫停頓。
desperate /ˈdɛspərət/ (形容詞) 絕望的 因情況危急而不顧一切的。
client /ˈklaɪənt/ (名詞) 客戶 接受專業服務的人或公司。
confused /kənˈfjuːzd/ (形容詞) 困惑的 無法清晰思考或理解。
broker /ˈbroʊkər/ (名詞) 經紀人 為他人安排交易並收取佣金的人。
victory /ˈvɪktəri/ (名詞) 勝利 在鬥爭或競賽中擊敗對手。