I will never forget one day in my first year in high school. I was sitting on the stairs descending1） into the basement， putting my head in my hands and crying out in despair to my parents that I would never be able to save enough money for college. My parents tried to console me， but it seemed impossible to save ＄64，268， the cost for the private institution that I desperately wanted to attend.

　　Now let me tell you the amazing story of how I earned this sum of money.

　　It all began with a paper route in Ankeny， IA. I hated delivering that route， but was determined to stick it out for six months until my family moved to Wausau， WI. With a few meager2） dollars from my paper route， a small nest egg began to develop. My next job was with an athletic company as a telephone customer service representative. The savings account continued to grow very slowly. Then， the fall of my junior year of high school， I began to waitress at Denny's restaurant. It was hard work， but the money began to roll in3） and this job paid at least twice as much money per hour.

　　By the time my senior year arrived， I had saved a considerable amount of money. This was encouraging， but I knew that I would also need some help， so began the process of applying for scholarships. Sometimes it was discouraging because I was rejected again and again. Then， my first scholarship offer came in， ＄2，000 a year to play tennis. This is only a small dent4） at a school that costs approximately ＄14，000 a year， but it was a start. Several other academic scholarships also came my way5） and soon I was up to have ＄9，050 in scholarships. Between scholar-ships and savings， I had enough money for my first year.

　　Another interesting development emerged. I began testing out of classes. Running anxiously to the mailbox in anticipation of my test scores became part of my daily routine. Excitement mounted6） as test after test came back with passing results. Each passing result saved me approximately ＄1，000 in tuition and then enabled me to graduate a year early. This would save room and board7） expenses as well.

　　Finally， I was off to college. Because of careful saving， I did not have to work during the school year. Then， summer hit and it was time to work harder than ever. I continued working as a waitress at night， instructed tennis camps several mornings a week and worked as a secretary for a few hours in the afternoons. Being a little overzealous， I decided to also take a class at a community college. This class at the community college saved me ＄650. It was an exhausting summer and made me anxious to return to my relatively easy life at college.

　　During my second and third years of undergraduate schooling， I decided to work about five hours per week in the campus admissions office answering phones. This provided a little spending money and kept me from draining8） my savings. The overall situation looked hopeful as I approached my senior year as long as I could make as much money as I had the previous summer. That is when I decided to go to Israel to study for 3 weeks. I hesitated in making this decision and had just about decided not to go because it would cost me ＄1，600 more to get the credits in Israel. About two weeks later my Mom called to tell me that I had ＄1，600 in the bank that I had forgotten about. One of my concerns about this trip was not only the cost， but the loss of time to make money；however， I made as much that summer in the ten weeks that I was home as I had made during the fourteen weeks that I was home the summer before. The way everything worked together to make this trip feasible was one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to me.

　　Finally， my senior year of college was upon me and to keep things interesting， I decided to buy a car. I obviously did not have a lot of money to spend for a car and yet I wanted something reliable to make the ten-hour trips between home and school. I searched many newspaper ads and my father and I began searching for good used cars. I was ecstatic when I found a crashed car that had been fixed up for only ＄4，200.

　　Then， I also attended an 8-week course on marriage and family in Colorado. This was an incredible experience that taught me a great deal about my worldview and how to develop a healthy family. This experience was also very costly， ＄4，000. I was surprised to find that I had graduated with no debt and so many remarkable journeys along the way.

　　This experience has shaped me in many important ways. The first thing that I learned was the importance of a strong work ethic. Working long hours did a lot to mold my character and helped me learn the value of a dollar. It also made me learn how to craft creative solutions to difficult dilemmas9）。

　　Whenever I am overwhelmed or afraid of the future， I can remember my ＄64，268 miracle.

　　□by Ginger Butler

　　我永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)忘記， 在我讀高一時(shí)， 有一天， 我坐在通往地下室的樓梯上， 雙手抱著頭， 絕望地對(duì)父母哭訴說(shuō)， 我怎么也攢不夠上大學(xué)的錢(qián)。父母極力安慰我， 可當(dāng)時(shí)要掙夠64268美元（這是我迫切想上的那所私立大學(xué)的費(fèi)用）， 看來(lái)是不可能的。

　　現(xiàn)在讓我告訴你我掙這筆錢(qián)的令人驚異的過(guò)程。

　　一切是從我在艾奧瓦州安克尼市送報(bào)紙時(shí)開(kāi)始的。我很討厭那條送報(bào)路線(xiàn)， 但我決心干下去， 我堅(jiān)持干了6個(gè)月， 直到我們家遷往威斯康星州的沃索市。隨著每次送報(bào)紙換來(lái)的幾塊錢(qián)， 我的存款開(kāi)始慢慢多起來(lái)。我的第二份工作是給一家運(yùn)動(dòng)員公司做電話(huà)客戶(hù)服務(wù)代理。存折上的錢(qián)增長(zhǎng)速度仍然很慢。之后， 在我上高二的秋季， 我開(kāi)始在丹尼斯餐館當(dāng)侍者。工作很辛苦， 但錢(qián)來(lái)得快， 每小時(shí)的報(bào)酬至少要多出一倍。

　　等到了高三的時(shí)候， 我已經(jīng)存下了相當(dāng)數(shù)量的錢(qián)。這頗讓人鼓舞， 但我知道這仍不夠， 所以我就開(kāi)始申請(qǐng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金， 可接二連三地遭到拒絕， 這有時(shí)讓我頗感沮喪。后來(lái)我等來(lái)了第一筆獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金， 每年2000美元， 條件是我得為學(xué)校打網(wǎng)球。對(duì)進(jìn)這所大學(xué)每年要花費(fèi)高達(dá)14000美元來(lái)說(shuō)， 這只是杯水車(chē)薪， 但仍不失為一個(gè)良好的開(kāi)端。之后， 我又獲得了幾項(xiàng)學(xué)科獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金， 很快， 獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金的總額達(dá)到9050美元。有了獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金， 再加上我自己的存款， 第一年的學(xué)費(fèi)足夠了。

　　隨之又有了進(jìn)展， 挺有意思的。我開(kāi)始參加不同課目的免修考試。每天焦慮不安地沖向郵箱， 盼望能取得考試成績(jī)， 這成了我生活的一部分。當(dāng)一個(gè)又一個(gè)考試通過(guò)的通知寄來(lái)時(shí)， 我的激動(dòng)之情也與之俱增。每通過(guò)一門(mén)課目的考試可節(jié)省約1000美元的學(xué)費(fèi)， 并可讓我提前一年畢業(yè)。這樣還可以省下伙食費(fèi)和住宿費(fèi)。

　　我終于跨進(jìn)了大學(xué)的校門(mén)。由于精打細(xì)算， 大學(xué)第一年里我不用去打工。但等暑假到來(lái)時(shí)， 我又得拼命去打工。我繼續(xù)在晚上在餐館當(dāng)侍者， 同時(shí)每周幾個(gè)上午去網(wǎng)球夏令營(yíng)當(dāng)教練， 下午再做幾個(gè)小時(shí)的秘書(shū)。我太過(guò)心急， 便同時(shí)又在社區(qū)大學(xué)修了一門(mén)課。這門(mén)課為我節(jié)省了650美元。這樣夏季過(guò)完時(shí)我已經(jīng)疲憊不堪， 盼望著開(kāi)學(xué)后回到輕松一點(diǎn)的大學(xué)生活。

　　大學(xué)的第二年和第三年， 我決定每周在學(xué)校招生辦公室工作5小時(shí)， 接聽(tīng)電話(huà)。這樣我可以?huà)挈c(diǎn)零花錢(qián)， 不必動(dòng)用積蓄。等進(jìn)入第四學(xué)年時(shí)， 我對(duì)自己已經(jīng)很有信心。只要暑假能再掙到上一個(gè)暑假那么多的錢(qián)就夠了。可我同時(shí)還想去以色列學(xué)習(xí)3個(gè)星期。當(dāng)時(shí)我猶豫不決， 正要決定放棄， 因?yàn)槿ヒ陨行迣W(xué)分要多花1600美元。大約過(guò)了兩個(gè)星期， 我媽打電話(huà)告訴我， 說(shuō)我在銀行里還存有1600美元， 而我早把它給忘了！關(guān)于以色列之行， 除了費(fèi)用之外， 另外一個(gè)顧慮是失去了掙錢(qián)的時(shí)間。然而， 那個(gè)暑假我在10個(gè)星期內(nèi)掙下了相當(dāng)于上個(gè)暑假14個(gè)星期掙的錢(qián)。各種巧合使得我的以色列之行得以實(shí)現(xiàn)， 這是我一生所經(jīng)歷過(guò)的最激動(dòng)人心的事情之一。

　　最后我進(jìn)入大學(xué)的第四學(xué)年。為了事事都稱(chēng)心， 我決定買(mǎi)輛車(chē)。我顯然不可能有太多的錢(qián)花在車(chē)上。但我需要一輛性能可靠的車(chē)， 以便我能輕松地往返于家和學(xué)校之間（約10小時(shí)車(chē)程）。我開(kāi)始搜尋報(bào)紙上的廣告。我爸和我一起查找性能良好的二手車(chē)信息。當(dāng)我找到一輛撞毀后重新修復(fù)的車(chē)， 只需4200美元時(shí)， 我欣喜若狂。

　　后來(lái)我還參加了科羅拉多州的一個(gè)為期8周的關(guān)于婚姻和家庭的研習(xí)班。這是一次不可思議的經(jīng)歷， 它改變了我的世界觀， 并教會(huì)了我如何建立一個(gè)健康的家庭。然而這次經(jīng)歷的花費(fèi)也不低：4000美元。等我畢業(yè)時(shí)， 我驚奇地發(fā)現(xiàn)， 我沒(méi)有任何負(fù)債， 而且還在大學(xué)期間進(jìn)行了那么多令人難忘的旅行。

　　這些經(jīng)歷在我身上產(chǎn)生了重大影響。首先我學(xué)到了一種堅(jiān)定的敬業(yè)精神的重要性。連續(xù)數(shù)小時(shí)長(zhǎng)時(shí)間的工作塑造了我的性格， 并讓我懂得了每一元錢(qián)的價(jià)值。它還讓我學(xué)會(huì)了在遇到難題時(shí)如何設(shè)計(jì)出富有創(chuàng)意的解決辦法。

　　每當(dāng)我對(duì)未來(lái)感到不知所措或懼怕時(shí)， 我就會(huì)想到我那64268美元的奇跡。

　　descend vi. 下來(lái)， 下降

　　meager adj. 不足的，菲薄的

　　roll in 大量擁有錢(qián)

　　dent n. 初步（或有效的）進(jìn)展

　　come sb.'s way （事情）與某人不期而遇，變得對(duì)某人有用

　　mount vi. 增加，增長(zhǎng)

　　board n. （尤指包飯的）伙食，膳食

　　drain vt. 消耗，漸漸耗盡

　　dilemma n. 進(jìn)退兩難的局面， 困難的選擇

更多 英文美文、英語(yǔ)美文、英文短文、英語(yǔ)短文，請(qǐng)繼續(xù)關(guān)注 英語(yǔ)作文大全