When I think of English learning，I will never forget my first Englsih teacher Mr．Qiu at junior middle school．He was a grey-haired，tall man wearing spectacles for long sight and an old suit of western-style clothes all the year round．He gave us lessons in a gentlemanly and earnest manner though most of his students did not care about their studies．It was only natural that he became well disposed towards me when he found me working harder at English than any of the others．He used to make me answer questions or read texts in class and I would somehow feelquite inspired each time I saw the old man nodding with satisfaction．
I joined the army not long after Shanghai was liberated．When I was anticipating not without some pity saying good bye to school life for good and all，itturned out as a surprise that I was luckily sent to a foreign languages institute run by the army．The war in Korea was being waged fiercely at that time．Seething with great hatred for the imperialists，all of us worked very hard at English．We usually had to be driven from our classroom by our teacher every afternoon when sports time began，and if anyone of us happened to get a three in atest，he would be too sad to swallow his meals．Our old devoted professors took a lot of trouble to cram into our heads“Advanced English”introduced from the USSR， which contained plenty of abstruse（難解的，深奧的）classic works． Meanwhile，we were encouraged to read as many as possible varied and interesting easy English readers imported from Hongkong．We had so little listening and speaking training that spoken English was almost athing unknown to us．Through four years of hard work，I made good progress in reading skillas the institute required．In the graduation exam，my comprehension came out in front，but when I spoke English with a strong Shanghai accent，the chiefexaminer did get a little puzzled．
It was not long before I became an English translator at the Academy of Military Sciences．Striving to do my job well，I became absorbed in learning military knowledge， translation technique，Chinese as well as English day and night in my office and after only a few months I had filled five loose-leaf note-books with information．But happy days were soon over when one after another unaccountable political movements occurred．Then followed the retrogressive cultural revolution．I was compelled to be transferred from the army and in fact did manual labour for nearly twelve years as a down-transferred cadre．In spite of allthese painful twists and turns，I insisted that a man should live an honest life．I whiled away the time by reading a great number of long winter nights diving into old English novels in the great northern wilderness．I usually lay in bed studying English usage or just going through a dictionary after torturing work in a hot brickkiln（磚窯）in Xinjiang's summer heat．I was developing more and more liking for English，though I realized that I was practising a skillno more usefulthan that of slaughtering adragon，and lamented by singing a mournful English song I had learned at middle school“My bonny lies over the ocean．．．”
After the down fall of the gang of four，things were restored to normality．In the past few years I have done my utmostto teach middle-school students and help to train new English teachers．At one time，I had to answer endless questions at school and even at home everyday．I felt deeply that there was ample scope for my abilities but that my English was too limited．I made up my mind to start all over again．Now I have devoted a lot of time to pronunciation and spoken English．I have tried to close the wide gap between modern English and the English I had learned a dozen years before．Nowadays，a wide variety of English text books are emerging in an endless stream and English broadcasting programmes transmitted one after another may be listened to．It is only a pity that there is a limit to my time and energy．However，when Igotto know awhile ago that some of my old classmates had achieved considerable successes in English and that quite a few of my former teachers were stillwriting new books，I was unable to sleep
in peace．English is a high mountain without a peak，I shall keep on climbing till my last breath．
英語學(xué)習(xí)之路
談起學(xué)英語，我終身難忘念初中時的第一位英語老師邱先生。邱先生高高的個子，一頭白發(fā)，鼻梁上架一副老花鏡，一年四季穿一身舊西服。他教書溫文爾雅，嚴肅認真，盡管當時多數(shù)學(xué)生對學(xué)習(xí)抱滿不在乎的態(tài)度。他發(fā)現(xiàn)我學(xué)習(xí)英語比別人用功，自然對我有了好感。他總是讓我在課堂上回答問題，朗讀課文，而我一看到這位老先生滿意點頭時，不知怎么地就會受到很大鼓舞。
上海解放不久我參軍了。當我正在不無遺憾地以為將要跟學(xué)校生活永遠告別的時候，沒想到竟有幸被送進一所軍隊辦的外語學(xué)院。當時朝鮮戰(zhàn)爭正在激烈進行。我們個個懷著對帝國主義者的深仇大恨努力學(xué)習(xí)英語。每天下午開始體育鍛煉的時候，我們常常還得讓班主任攆著才放下書本。有誰考試偶而得了三分，他準會難受得連飯都咽不下去。我們忠于職守的老教授煞費苦心地把蘇聯(lián)出版的《高級英語》填進我們的腦子里。這套書選入大量深奧的經(jīng)典作品。同時，我們也被鼓勵多看從香港進口的豐富多彩的英語簡易讀物。我們極少進行聽說訓(xùn)練，幾乎不知道什么是口語。經(jīng)過四年努力學(xué)習(xí)，我的閱讀能力一如學(xué)院要求的那樣有了很大提高。畢業(yè)考試時我的理解能力比較突出。不過，當我用濃重的上?？谝粽f英語時，主考老師卻大惑不解。
不久，我在軍事科學(xué)院當了英語翻譯。為了做好工作，我沒日沒夜地在辦公室里埋頭學(xué)習(xí)軍事知識、翻譯技術(shù)、漢語和英語；幾個月功夫，就在五個活頁筆記本上記滿了各種學(xué)習(xí)心得。可是好景不長，莫名其妙的政治運動接踵而來。隨后是倒行逆施的“文化*”。我被迫轉(zhuǎn)業(yè)，實際上成為下放干部勞動將近十二年。盡管經(jīng)受了種種折磨，我堅信人還是應(yīng)當正直地生活。我在北大荒一本又一本地啃著英語舊小說，送走許多個漫長寒冷的冬夜。我在新疆夏天酷熱的磚窯里艱辛勞動之余，常常躺在床上研究英語慣用法，或者干脆通讀詞典。我覺得跟英語已結(jié)下不解之緣；雖然，有時意識到自己所練的本領(lǐng)跟“屠龍術(shù)”一樣無用。于是我就唱起一首在中學(xué)學(xué)會的英語哀歌：我的青春葬送在東洋大?！?BR> “四人幫”垮臺后，一切逐步恢復(fù)正常。近幾年我竭盡全力給中學(xué)生講英語，并幫助培養(yǎng)英語師資。有一個時期，每天都得在學(xué)校，甚至在家里解答沒完沒了的問題。我深深感到自己有了用武之地而自己的英語太不夠用了。我下決心從頭開始。我在語音和口語方面下了不少功夫。我設(shè)法彌合現(xiàn)代英語跟我學(xué)過的英語之間的差距。眼下各種英語課本層出不窮，英語廣播節(jié)目充耳可聞。只可惜我的時間和精力十分有限。不過，前些時候當我得悉我的有些老同學(xué)已在英語方面取得不少成就，我當年的老師還在揮筆著書的時候，我不由得坐臥不寧，精神大為振奮。英語是一座沒有頂點的高山，只要一息尚存，我就要不停地攀登。
［編后語］“老驥伏櫪，志在千里”。讀罷毛老先生的文章，不禁漢顏。毛老先生為我國西部地區(qū)的英語教育事業(yè)嘔心瀝血，鞠躬盡瘁，但仍不斷進取，這種敬業(yè)精神可歌可泣。時代呼喚、人民需要的正是具有這種敬業(yè)精神的人。
I joined the army not long after Shanghai was liberated．When I was anticipating not without some pity saying good bye to school life for good and all，itturned out as a surprise that I was luckily sent to a foreign languages institute run by the army．The war in Korea was being waged fiercely at that time．Seething with great hatred for the imperialists，all of us worked very hard at English．We usually had to be driven from our classroom by our teacher every afternoon when sports time began，and if anyone of us happened to get a three in atest，he would be too sad to swallow his meals．Our old devoted professors took a lot of trouble to cram into our heads“Advanced English”introduced from the USSR， which contained plenty of abstruse（難解的，深奧的）classic works． Meanwhile，we were encouraged to read as many as possible varied and interesting easy English readers imported from Hongkong．We had so little listening and speaking training that spoken English was almost athing unknown to us．Through four years of hard work，I made good progress in reading skillas the institute required．In the graduation exam，my comprehension came out in front，but when I spoke English with a strong Shanghai accent，the chiefexaminer did get a little puzzled．
It was not long before I became an English translator at the Academy of Military Sciences．Striving to do my job well，I became absorbed in learning military knowledge， translation technique，Chinese as well as English day and night in my office and after only a few months I had filled five loose-leaf note-books with information．But happy days were soon over when one after another unaccountable political movements occurred．Then followed the retrogressive cultural revolution．I was compelled to be transferred from the army and in fact did manual labour for nearly twelve years as a down-transferred cadre．In spite of allthese painful twists and turns，I insisted that a man should live an honest life．I whiled away the time by reading a great number of long winter nights diving into old English novels in the great northern wilderness．I usually lay in bed studying English usage or just going through a dictionary after torturing work in a hot brickkiln（磚窯）in Xinjiang's summer heat．I was developing more and more liking for English，though I realized that I was practising a skillno more usefulthan that of slaughtering adragon，and lamented by singing a mournful English song I had learned at middle school“My bonny lies over the ocean．．．”
After the down fall of the gang of four，things were restored to normality．In the past few years I have done my utmostto teach middle-school students and help to train new English teachers．At one time，I had to answer endless questions at school and even at home everyday．I felt deeply that there was ample scope for my abilities but that my English was too limited．I made up my mind to start all over again．Now I have devoted a lot of time to pronunciation and spoken English．I have tried to close the wide gap between modern English and the English I had learned a dozen years before．Nowadays，a wide variety of English text books are emerging in an endless stream and English broadcasting programmes transmitted one after another may be listened to．It is only a pity that there is a limit to my time and energy．However，when Igotto know awhile ago that some of my old classmates had achieved considerable successes in English and that quite a few of my former teachers were stillwriting new books，I was unable to sleep
in peace．English is a high mountain without a peak，I shall keep on climbing till my last breath．
英語學(xué)習(xí)之路
談起學(xué)英語，我終身難忘念初中時的第一位英語老師邱先生。邱先生高高的個子，一頭白發(fā)，鼻梁上架一副老花鏡，一年四季穿一身舊西服。他教書溫文爾雅，嚴肅認真，盡管當時多數(shù)學(xué)生對學(xué)習(xí)抱滿不在乎的態(tài)度。他發(fā)現(xiàn)我學(xué)習(xí)英語比別人用功，自然對我有了好感。他總是讓我在課堂上回答問題，朗讀課文，而我一看到這位老先生滿意點頭時，不知怎么地就會受到很大鼓舞。
上海解放不久我參軍了。當我正在不無遺憾地以為將要跟學(xué)校生活永遠告別的時候，沒想到竟有幸被送進一所軍隊辦的外語學(xué)院。當時朝鮮戰(zhàn)爭正在激烈進行。我們個個懷著對帝國主義者的深仇大恨努力學(xué)習(xí)英語。每天下午開始體育鍛煉的時候，我們常常還得讓班主任攆著才放下書本。有誰考試偶而得了三分，他準會難受得連飯都咽不下去。我們忠于職守的老教授煞費苦心地把蘇聯(lián)出版的《高級英語》填進我們的腦子里。這套書選入大量深奧的經(jīng)典作品。同時，我們也被鼓勵多看從香港進口的豐富多彩的英語簡易讀物。我們極少進行聽說訓(xùn)練，幾乎不知道什么是口語。經(jīng)過四年努力學(xué)習(xí)，我的閱讀能力一如學(xué)院要求的那樣有了很大提高。畢業(yè)考試時我的理解能力比較突出。不過，當我用濃重的上?？谝粽f英語時，主考老師卻大惑不解。
不久，我在軍事科學(xué)院當了英語翻譯。為了做好工作，我沒日沒夜地在辦公室里埋頭學(xué)習(xí)軍事知識、翻譯技術(shù)、漢語和英語；幾個月功夫，就在五個活頁筆記本上記滿了各種學(xué)習(xí)心得。可是好景不長，莫名其妙的政治運動接踵而來。隨后是倒行逆施的“文化*”。我被迫轉(zhuǎn)業(yè)，實際上成為下放干部勞動將近十二年。盡管經(jīng)受了種種折磨，我堅信人還是應(yīng)當正直地生活。我在北大荒一本又一本地啃著英語舊小說，送走許多個漫長寒冷的冬夜。我在新疆夏天酷熱的磚窯里艱辛勞動之余，常常躺在床上研究英語慣用法，或者干脆通讀詞典。我覺得跟英語已結(jié)下不解之緣；雖然，有時意識到自己所練的本領(lǐng)跟“屠龍術(shù)”一樣無用。于是我就唱起一首在中學(xué)學(xué)會的英語哀歌：我的青春葬送在東洋大?！?BR> “四人幫”垮臺后，一切逐步恢復(fù)正常。近幾年我竭盡全力給中學(xué)生講英語，并幫助培養(yǎng)英語師資。有一個時期，每天都得在學(xué)校，甚至在家里解答沒完沒了的問題。我深深感到自己有了用武之地而自己的英語太不夠用了。我下決心從頭開始。我在語音和口語方面下了不少功夫。我設(shè)法彌合現(xiàn)代英語跟我學(xué)過的英語之間的差距。眼下各種英語課本層出不窮，英語廣播節(jié)目充耳可聞。只可惜我的時間和精力十分有限。不過，前些時候當我得悉我的有些老同學(xué)已在英語方面取得不少成就，我當年的老師還在揮筆著書的時候，我不由得坐臥不寧，精神大為振奮。英語是一座沒有頂點的高山，只要一息尚存，我就要不停地攀登。
［編后語］“老驥伏櫪，志在千里”。讀罷毛老先生的文章，不禁漢顏。毛老先生為我國西部地區(qū)的英語教育事業(yè)嘔心瀝血，鞠躬盡瘁，但仍不斷進取，這種敬業(yè)精神可歌可泣。時代呼喚、人民需要的正是具有這種敬業(yè)精神的人。