【苇月的话】《安琪拉的灰烬》是一段贫民窟少年的成长史。主人公弗兰克是爱尔兰移民的后代,出生在纽约布鲁克林,4岁时随父母回到爱尔兰老家, 在那里的贫民区长大。弗兰克的父亲是一个不可救药的酒鬼,哪怕孩子们第二天就要饿死,他也要把刚到手的菲薄的薪水和救济金换成黑啤酒。母亲安琪拉是一位善良虔诚的天主教徒,她在艰难贫困中抚养7个孩子,用爱抚慰孩子的忧伤与迷茫,促使他们保持健全的人格和炽热的生存欲望,用乐观坚韧的态度去面对生活的种种磨难。尽管一直生活在饥饿与歧视中,尽管一直忍受着孤独与嘲笑,弗兰克还是没有放弃对生活的希望,并且在苦难与屈辱中挣扎着成长起来。下面我为大家选取了弗兰克与爸爸、妈妈和弟弟小马拉奇一起过圣诞节的片段。在有钱人按照传统享用着美酒和丰盛的火鸡大餐的圣诞节的雨夜,弗兰克一家却在积水泛滥的小楼里分食着用别人施舍的煤块炖熟的救济食品。我为弗兰克在众人的嘲笑中抱着猪头回家和他领着小马拉奇去捡煤渣的场景感到心酸,但作者却说:“尽管我们在物质上非常贫穷,但我们总是很快乐,有很多渴望,很多梦想,很多激情, 我们感觉很富有。”把苦难当成财富是一种高贵而优雅的精神和品质,就让我们怀着深深的敬意走近弗兰克,一起来阅读这本励志好书吧! [Yao Yue’s words] “Angel’s Ashes” is the history of the growth of a slum youth. The protagonist Frank was a descendant of Irish immigrants. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and returned to Ireland with his parents when he was 4 years old. He grew up in a ghetto. Frank’s father is an incorrigible drunkard. Even if the children are starving to death the next day, he will also replace the meager salaries and benefits he has just gotten into dark beer. Mother Angela is a kind and devout Catholic. She raises 7 children in difficult poverty. He comforts her child’s sorrows and confusions and urges them to maintain a sound personality and a fiery desire to live. He adopts an optimistic and tough attitude. Face all the hardships of life. Although he has lived in hunger and discrimination, Frank hasn’t given up hope for life despite his enduring loneliness and ridicule, and has struggled to grow up in suffering and humiliation. Below I have selected Frank for the Christmas season with his father, mother and brother Malachy. In the rainy night of Christmas, where wealthy people traditionally enjoyed fine wines and hearty turkey feasts, the Franks ate in a small building overflowing with water and other food cooked with charcoal. I feel sorry for Frank in the crowd’s ridicule that he is holding the pig’s head home and he is leading the little Malachy to lick the cinder, but the author says: "Although we are very poor in material, we are always happy. Many desires, many dreams, many passions, we feel very rich.” To treat suffering as wealth is a noble and elegant spirit and quality, let us approach Frank with deep respect and read together this inspirational good Book it!