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AmericanDream---TonyTrivisonno’sAmericanDreamFrederickC.CrawfordIntroductionTheAmericanDreammeansdifferentthingstodifferentpeople.Butformany,particularlyimmigrants,itmeanstheopportunitytomakeabetterlifeforthemselves.ForthemthedreamisthattalentandhardworkcantakeyoufromlogcabintoWhiteHouse.TonyTrivisonnodidnotrisequitesohigh,yethemanagedtomakehisowndreamcometrue.HecamefromarockyfarminItaly,somewheresouthofRome.HoworwhenhegottoAmerica,Idon'tknow.ButoneeveningIfoundhimstandinginthedriveway,behindmygarage.Hewasaboutfive-foot-sevenoreight,andthin.Imowyourlawn,hesaid.ItwashardtocomprehendhisbrokenEnglish.Iaskedhimhisname.TonyTrivisonno,hereplied.Imowyourlawn.ItoldTonythatIcouldn'taffordagardener.Imowyourlawn,hesaidagain,thenwalkedaway.Iwentintomyhouseunhappy.Yes,theseDepressiondaysweredifficult,buthowcouldItoturnawayapersonwhohadcometomeforhelp?WhenIgothomefromworkthenextevening,thelawnhadbeenmowed,thegardenweeded,andthewalksswept.Iaskedmywifewhathadhappened.Amangotthelawnmoweroutofthegarageandworkedontheyard,sheanswered.Iassumedyouhadhiredhim.Itoldherofmyexperiencethenightbefore.Wethoughtitstrangethathehadnotaskedforpay.Thenexttwodayswerebusy,andIforgotaboutTony.Weweretryingtorebuildourbusinessandbringsomeofourworkersbacktotheplants.ButonFriday,returninghomealittleearly,IsawTonyagain,behindthegarage.Icomplimentedhimontheworkhehaddone.Imowyourlawn,hesaid.Imanagedtoworkoutsomekindofsmallweeklypay,andeachdayTonycleaneduptheyardandtookcareofanylittletasks.Mywifesaidhewasveryhelpfulwhenevertherewereanyheavyobjectstoliftorthingstofix.Summerpassedintofall,andwindsblewcold.Mr.Craw,snowprettysoon,Tonytoldmeoneevening.Whenwintercome,yougivemejobclearingsnowatthefactory.Well,whatdoyoudowithsuchdeterminationandhope?Ofcourse,Tonygothisjobatthefactory.Themonthspassed.Iaskedthepersonneldepartmentforareport.TheysaidTonywasaverygoodworker.OnedayIfoundTonyatourmeetingplacebehindthegarage.Iwanttobe'prentice,hesaid.Wehadaprettygoodapprenticeschoolthattrainedlaborers.ButIdoubtedwhetherTonyhadthecapacitytoreadblueprintsandmicrometersordoprecisionwork.Still,howcouldIturnhimdown?Tonytookacutinpaytobecomeanapprentice.Monthslater,Igotareportthathehadgraduatedasaskilledgrinder.Hehadlearnedtoreadthemillionthsofaninchonthemicrometerandtoshapethegrindingwheelwithaninstrumentsetwithadiamond.MywifeandIweredelightedwithwhatwefeltwasasatisfyingendofthestory.Ayearortwopassed,andagainIfoundTonyinhisusualwaitingplace.Wetalkedabouthiswork,andIaskedhimwhathewanted.Mr.Craw,hesaid,Ilikeabuyahouse.Ontheedgeoftown,hehadfoundahouseforsale,acompletewreck.Icalledonabankerfriend.Doyoueverloanmoneyoncharacter?Iasked.No,hesaid.Wecan'taffordto.Nosale.Now,waitaminute,Ireplied.Hereisahard-workingman,amanofcharacter,Icanpromiseyouthat.He'sgotagoodjob.You'renotgettingadamnthingfromyourlot.Itwillstaythereforyears.Atleasthewillpayyourinterest.Reluctantly,thebankerwroteamortgagefor$2,000andgaveTonythehousewithnodownpayment.Tonywasdelighted.Fromthenon,itwasinterestingtoseethatanydiscardedoddsandendsaroundourplace—abrokenscreen,abitofhardware,boardsfrompacking—Tonywouldgatherandtakehome.Afterabouttwoyears,IfoundTonyinourfamiliarmeetingspot.Heseemedtostandalittlestraighter.Hewasheavier.Hehadalookofconfidence.Mr.Craw,Isellmyhouse!hesaidwithpride.Igot$8,000.Iwasamazed.But,Tony,whereareyougoingtolivewithoutahouse?Mr.Craw,Ibuyafarm.Wesatdownandtalked.Tonytoldmethattoownafarmwashisdream.HelovedthetomatoesandpeppersandalltheothervegetablesimportanttohisItaliandiet.HehadsentforhiswifeandsonanddaughterbackinItaly.Hehadhuntedaroundtheedgeoftownuntilhefoundasmall,abandonedpieceofpropertywithahouseandshed.Nowhewasmovinghisfamilytohisfarm.Sometimelater.TonyarrivedonaSundayafternoon,neatlydressed.HehadanotherItalianmanwithhim.HetoldmethathehadpersuadedhischildhoodfriendtomovetoAmerica.Tonywassponsoringhim.Withanamusedlookinhiseye,hetoldmethatwhentheyapproachedthelittlefarmhenowoperated,hisfriendstoodinamazementandsaid,Tony,youareamillionaire!Then,duringthewar,amessagecamefrommycompany.Tonyhadpassedaway.Iaskedourpeopletocheckonhisfamilyandseethateverythingwasproperlyhandled.Theyfoundthefarmgreenwithvegetables,thelittlehouselivableandhomey.Therewasatractorandagoodcarintheyard.Thechildrenwereeducatedandworking,andTonydidn'toweacent.Afterhepassedaway,IthoughtmoreandmoreaboutTony'scareer.Hegrewinstatureinmymind.Intheend,Ithinkhestoodastall,andasproud,asthegreatestAmericanindustrialists.Theyhadallreachedtheirsuccessbythesamerouteandbythesamevaluesandprinciples:vision,determination,self-control,optimism,self-respectand,aboveall,integrity.Tonydidnotbeginonthebottomrungoftheladder.Hebeganinthebasement.Tony'saffairsweretiny;thegreatestindustrialists'affairsweregiant.But,afterall,thebalancesheetswereexactlythesame.Theonlydifferencewaswhereyouputthedecimalpoint.TonyTrivisonnocametoAmericaseekingtheAmericanDream.Buthedidn'tfindit—hecreateditforhimself.Allhehadwere24precioushoursaday,andhewastednoneofthem.NewWordsandExpressionsdrivewayn.宅旁私家车道mowv.修剪（草坪），刈（草）comprehendvt.understandfullylawnn.草地，草坪t