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.......学习参考.Theglasscastle1IneverbelievedinSantaClaus.2Noneofuskidsdid.MomandDadrefusedtoletus.Theycouldn'taffordexpensivepresents,andtheydidn'twantustothinkweweren'tasgoodasotherkidswho,onChristmasmorning,foundallsortsoffancytoysunderthetreethatweresupposedlyleftbySantaClaus.Sotheytoldusallabouthowotherkidsweredeceivedbytheirparents,howthetoysthegrown-upsclaimedweremadebylittleelveswearingbellcapsintheirworkshopattheNorthPoleactuallyhadlabelsonthemsayingMADEINJAPAN.3Trynottolookdownonthoseotherchildren,Momsaid.It'snottheirfaultthatthey'vebeenbrainwashedintobelievingsillymyths.4WecelebratedChristmas,butusuallyaboutaweekafterDecember25,whenyoucouldfindperfectlygoodbowsandwrappingpaperthatpeoplehadthrownawayandChristmastreesdiscardedontheroadsidethatstillhadmostoftheirneedlesandevensomesilvertinselhangingonthem.MomandDadwouldgiveusabagofmarblesoradolloraslingshotthathadbeenmarkedwaydowninanafter-Christmassale.5Dadlosthisjobatthegypsummineaftergettinginanargumentwiththeforeman,andwhenChristmascamethatyear,wehadnomoneyatall.OnChristmasEve,Dadtookeachofuskidsoutintothedesertnightonebyone.Ihadablanketwrappedaroundme,andwhenitwasmyturn,IofferedtoshareitwithDad,buthe.......学习参考.saidnothanks.Thecoldneverbotheredhim.IwasfivethatyearandIsatnexttoDadandwelookedupatthesky.Dadlovedtotalkaboutthestars.Heexplainedtoushowtheyrotatedthroughthenightskyastheearthturned.HetaughtustoidentifytheconstellationsandhowtonavigatebytheNorthStar.Thoseshiningstars,helikedtopointout,wereoneofthespecialtreatsforpeoplelikeuswholivedoutinthewilderness.Richcityfolks,he'dsay,livedinfancyapartments,buttheirairwassopollutedtheycouldn'tevenseethestars.We'dhavetobeoutofourmindstowanttotradeplaceswithanyofthem.6Pickoutyourfavoritestar,Dadsaidthatnight.HetoldmeIcouldhaveitforkeeps.HesaiditwasmyChristmaspresent.Youcan'tgivemeastar!Isaid.Nooneownsthestars.That'sright,Dadsaid.Nooneelseownsthem.Youjusthavetoclaimitbeforeanyoneelsedoes,likethatdagofellowColumbusclaimedAmericaforQueenIsabella.Claimingastarasyourownhaseverybitasmuchlogictoit.7IthoughtaboutitandrealizedDadwasright.Hewasalwaysfiguringoutthingslikethat.8IcouldhaveanystarIwanted,Dadsaid,exceptBetelgeuseandRigel,becauseLoriandBrianhadalreadylaidclaimtothem.9Ilookeduptothestarsandtriedtofigureoutwhichwasthebestone.Youcouldseehundreds,maybethousandsorevenmillions,twinklinginthecleardesertsky.Thelongeryoulookedandthemoreyoureyesadjustedtothedark,themorestarsyou'd.......学习参考.see,layerafterlayerofthemgraduallybecomingvisible.Therewasoneinparticular,inthewestabovethemountainsbutlowinthesky,thatshonemorebrightlythanalltherest.10Iwantthatone,Isaid.11Dadgrinned.That'sVenus,hesaid.Venuswasonlyaplanet,hewenton,andprettydinkycomparedtorealstars.Shelookedbiggerandbrighterbecauseshewasmuchcloserthanthestars.PooroldVenusdidn'tevenmakeherownlight,Dadsaid.Sheshoneonlyfromreflectedlight.Heexplainedtomethatplanetsglowedbecausereflectedlightwasconstant,andstarstwinkledbecausetheirlightpulsed.12Ilikeitanyway,Isaid.IhadadmiredVenusevenbeforethatChristmas.Youcouldseeitintheearlyevening,glowingonthewesternhorizon,andifyougotupearly,youcouldstillseeitinthemorning,afterallthestarshaddisappeared.13Whatthehell,Dadsaid.It'sChristmas.Youcanhaveaplanetifyouwant.14AndhegavemeVenus.15ThateveningoverChristmasdinner,wealldiscussedouterspace.DadexplainedlightyearsandblackholesandquasarsandtoldusaboutthespecialqualitiesofBetelgeuse,Rigel,andVenus.BetelgeusewasaredstarintheshoulderoftheconstellationOrion.Itwasoneofthelargeststarsyoucouldseeinthesky,hundredsoftimesbiggerthanthesun.Ithadburnedbrightlyformillionsofyearsandwould.......学习参考.soonbecomeasupernovaandburnout.IgotupsetthatLorihadchosenaclunkerofastar,butDadexplainedthatsoonmeanthundredsofthousandsofyearswhenyouweretalkingaboutstars.16Rigelwasabluestar,smallerthanBetelgeuse,Dadsaid,butevenbrighter.ItwasalsoinOrion—itwashisleftfoot,whichseemedappropriate,becauseBrianwasanextra-fastrunner.17Venusdidn'thaveanymoonsorsatellitesorevenamagneticfield,butitdidhaveanatmospheresortofsimilartoearth's,exceptitwassuper-hot—aboutfivehundreddegreesormore.So,Dadsaid,whenthesunstartstoburnoutandearthturnscold,everyoneheremightwanttomovetoVenustogetwarm.Andthey'llhavetogetpermissionyou'reyourdescendantsfirst.18WelaughedaboutallthekidswhobelievedintheSantamythandgotnothingforChristmasbutabunchofcheapplastictoys.Yearsfromnow,whenallthejunktheygotisbrokenandlongforgotten,Dadsaid,you'llstillhaveyourstars.玻璃城堡我从来不相信有圣诞老人。我们家的孩子没人相信，因为爸爸妈妈不让我们相信。他们买不起昂贵的礼物，也不想让我们觉得我们比不上别的孩子——在圣诞节早上，他们从圣诞树下找到各种各样的新奇玩具，据说是圣诞老人留下的。所以他们告诉我们其他的孩子怎样被父母骗了，说那些大人们所说的由戴着.......学习参考.有铃铛的帽子的小精灵在他们的北极工厂所做的玩具其实标签上都写着“日本制造”。“尽量不要看不起其他小孩，”妈妈跟我们说，“他们被洗脑了，以致相信那些愚蠢的童话，这并不是他们的错。”我们也庆祝圣诞节，但通常比12月25日晚大约一周。那时候可以找到人们丢弃的非常好的蝴蝶结、包装纸及松针几乎完好就被人们扔在路旁的圣诞树，有些树上甚至还挂着一些银色的闪光金属箔。爸爸和妈妈会给我们一包彩色玻璃弹子或一个洋娃娃或弹弓，那是在圣诞节后商品大减价时买来的。在与工头吵了一架后爸爸丢了石膏矿的工作，所以在那年的圣诞节，我们一贫如洗。圣诞前夕，爸爸把我们轮流带到荒野的夜幕中。我当时裹着一床毯子，在轮到我的时候，我要把毯子分给爸爸一些，但爸爸说不用，他从不怕冷。那年我五岁，我挨着爸爸坐下，我们一起抬头看天空。爸爸很喜欢谈论星星。他告诉我们随着地球的自转星星怎么旋转、穿行于夜空。他教我们怎么辨别星座，怎么通过北极星找路。他喜欢强调一点：那些闪亮的星星是对像我们这样住在荒野里的人的特别款待。他说，那些有钱的城里人虽然住在