Para 1 One summer day my father sent me to buy wire and fencing for our farm in Marion County, South Carolina. At 16, I liked nothing better than getting behind the wheel of our Chevy pickup, but this time there was a damper on my spirits. My father had told me I'd have to ask for credit at the store.
Sixteen is a prideful age, when a young man wants respect, not charity. It was 1976, and the ugly shadow of racism was still a fact of life. I'd seen my friends ask for credit and then stand, head down, while a patronizing store owner questioned whether they were "good for it". I knew black youths just like me who were watched like thieves by the store clerk each time they went into a grocery.
My family was honest. We paid our debts. But before harvest, cash was short. Would the store owner trust us?

夏日的一天，父亲让我去为我们在南卡罗莱纳州马里恩县的农场买铁丝网和围栅栏用的材料。当时我才16岁，我最爱做的事莫过于驾驶我们的狩猎牌卡车了。但这次我却兴奋不起来。因为父亲告诉我，我们得赊帐。
16岁是个自尊心极强的年龄，年轻人需要的是尊重，而不是同情。那是在1976年，种族歧视的阴影仍然是笼罩着我们的生活。我曾经见过我的朋友们为了要求赊账，当傲慢的店主质问他们是否值得信任时，只能低着头站在那里。我知道像我这样的黑人小子，每次去杂货店时，都会被店员当贼一样的防着。
我们一家是诚实的，我们会付清债款。可是在丰收之前，现金短缺的状况下，店主会相信我们吗？

[summary] The writer introduces the beginning of his story and also the background of that time.

1. One summer day my father sent me to buy wire and fencing for our farm in Marion County, South Carolina.

[paraphrase] One day in summer I was sent by my father to buy materials for building up a fence in our farm in Marion County, South Carolina.

fencing: n. (materials for making) fences 围墙材料
Has the fencing been delivered to the site?

send: vt. to direct or order ( sb.) to go 派某人做某事
The mother sent her daughter to buy some milk.
[phrases]
send away: 1) to send to another place 送去另外的地方2) to order goods to be sent by post 定货
send in: to send ( sth. for official consideration, such as a form ) to a place where it will be dealt with 登记或提出
send off: to post ( a letter, parcel, message, etc.) 邮寄（信件，包裹等）
He sent his son away to school in Germany.
She sent away for a set of bed linen she saw advertised in a magazine.
Listener sent in their suggestions to the radio station.
I need to go to the post office to send a letter off.

2. At 16, I liked nothing better than getting behind the wheel of our Chevy pickup, but this time there was a damper on my spirits.

[paraphrase] When I was 16 years old, I liked driving our small Chevy truck, but this time it made me low in spirits when I was sent to buy things.

pickup: n. a pickup truck, a light van having an open body with low sides 敞蓬小货车
cf.
van: n. 运货车, 搬运车, 棚车; (铁路的)行李车, 有盖货车
lorry: n. [英]卡车(=[美]truck)
truck: 卡车 breakdown truck: n. 故障排除车 forklift truck: n.<美>[机]铲车, 带有叉式升降机的车

damper: an influence that makes people feel sad or discouraged 扫兴的事
The accident put a damper on out party.

3. My father had told me I'd have to ask for credit at the store.

[paraphrase] My father had told me that I had to ask the store owner to let me have the goods now but pay later, since my father gave me no money.

[grammatical point] ‘That' is used to introduce reported speech clauses. After the more common reporting verbs, ‘that' can be left out.
James said (that) he was feeling better.
I suggested (that) we should go home.

ask: to expect or demand (sth., e.g. a price ) from sb. 要求；索（价）
They're asking a lot of money for their house.
[idioms]
ask after sb.: to ask about the health of: to ask for news of 问候（身体健康）
ask for sth.: to behave in a way that is likely to bring (a bad result) 要求；请求; 自找麻烦
"My mother asked after you." –"How kind of her."
Letting the children play with those matches was just asking for trouble.
cf. ask, inquire, request
‘Inquire' is fairly formal words. In conversation, people usually use ‘ask'. ‘Ask' can be used with or without a direct object, while we do not use ‘inquire' with a direct object.
She asked about his work.
I asked him what he wanted.
He asked if Mr. Gilbert's operation had been successful.
When the doctor answered the phone, Mr. Gilbert said he was inquiring about a certain patient, a Mr. Gilbert.
* He inquired her if she was well. (using "ask" instead of "inquire" in the sentence)
When someone asks for something to be done or provided, you can say that they make a 'request'.
My friend made a polite request.
The Minister had granted the request.
When someone ‘requests' something, they ask for it.
The president requested an emergency session of the United Nations.
The provisional government requested his appointment as the first Government-General.
Note that when ‘request' is used as a verb, you do not use ‘for' after it.
credit: n. a system of buying foods or services and paying for them later 赊购货物
If you can't afford to pay cash, you can buy the furniture on credit.

4. Sixteen is a prideful age, when a young man wants respect, not charity.

[paraphrase] When a young is sixteen years old, he is filled with self-respect. What he wants is respect from others not their sympathy towards him.

prideful: adj. filled with self-respect 自尊心较强的
He is a prideful student and doesn't want to lose his face in public
pride: reasonable self-respect; proper high opinion of oneself 自尊，得意,

charity: n. [U] sympathy and kindness shown when judging others 同情，怜悯
They showed little charity towards their former leader after his elections defeat.

5. I'd seen my friends ask for credit and then stand, head down, while a patronizing store owner questioned whether they were "good for it".

[paraphrase] I'd seen the scene that when my friends asked for credit, they couldn't raise their heads up. And the arrogant store owner asked whether they were trustworthy, that is, whether they would pay him later when they had money.

patronizing: treating (sb. whom one is helping, talking to, etc.) as if he were an inferior person; treating in a condescending manner; arrogant 以恩人自居的; 屈尊俯就的; 神气十足的; 傲慢的
He always has a patronizing air, so nobody likes him.
patronize: vt. to treat (sb. whom one is helping, talking to, etc.) as if he were an inferior person; to treat in a condescending manner对...以恩人自居, 屈尊,以屈尊俯就的态度对待

Para 2 At Davis Brothers General Store, Buck Davis stood behind the register, talking to a middle-aged farmer. Buck was a tall, weathered man in a red hunting shirt and khaki pants, and I nodded as I passed him on my way to the hardware aisle. When I brought my purchases to the register, I said carefully, "I need to put this on credit."
The farmer gave me an amused, cynical look. But Buck's face didn't change. "Sure," he said easily. "Your daddy is always good for it." He turned to the other man. "This here is one of James Williams's sons."
The farmer nodded in a neighborly way. I was filled with pride. James Williams's son. Those three words had opened a door to an adult's respect and trust.

在戴维斯兄弟百货商店里，别克·戴维斯站在收银台后面与一个中年农民交谈。别克是个饱经风霜的高个子，他身着红色的狩猎服和卡其布的裤子，我去五金货架时从他身边经过，向他点了点头。等我把所需物品放在收银台上后，我小心翼翼地说："我想赊帐。"
那个农民朝我幸灾乐祸地冷笑，而别克依然如故。"当然可以，"他轻松地说，"你的父亲信誉很好。"他转向那个人。"这位是詹姆斯·威廉姆斯的一个儿子。"
那个农民友好的点了点头。我的心中充满了自豪。詹姆斯·威廉姆斯的儿子，这三个字为我赢得了成年人的尊重和信任。

[summary] The writer tells us how he was treated by the store owner.

1. Buck was a tall, weathered man in a red hunting shirt and khaki pants, and I nodded as I passed him on my way to the hardware aisle.

[paraphrase] Buck was tall and his face was wrinkled by constant exposure to the weather. He wore a red hunting shirt and khaki pants. I nodded to him when I passed him and went to the place where hardware was placed.

weather: vt. to change or be changed by being left in the air and weather over a period of time 暴露于自然条件之下
Wood weathers better if I it is treated with creosote.

aisle: n. a narrow passage between rows of seats, shelves, etc., e.g. in a theatre, plane, or large shop （戏院、飞机上的座位或商店里货架之间的）过道
It is not easy to see clearly the aisles in the theatre when the light is out.

2. When I brought my purchases to the register, I said carefully, "I need to put this on credit."

[paraphrase] When I brought what I wanted to buy to the place where money is paid, I said with care, "I need to buy this but pay later."

purchases: n. something bought 被购买的东西
Today I brought a lot of purchases back home.

3. The farmer nodded in a neighborly way.

[paraphrase] The farmer nodded to me in a friendly manner.
neighborly: friendly; like or typical of a good neighbor 像邻居的, 亲切的
He gave me a lot of neighborly help.

Para 3 That day I discovered that a good name could bestow a capital of good will of immense value. The good name my father and mother had earned brought our whole family the respect of our neighbors. Everyone knew what to expect from a Williams: a decent person who kept his word and respected himself too much to do wrong.

那天我发现，好名声价值真是无可估量的。父母得来的声誉使我们整个家庭得到邻居的尊敬。每个人都知道威廉姆斯一家：为人正直，恪守承诺，严于律己。

[summary] The writer realized the value of a good name.

1. That day I discovered that a good name could bestow a capital of good will of immense value.

[paraphrase] Just that day I realized that a good name was so valuable.

bestow: vt. to give 给予；赐赠
Several gifts were bestowed on the royal visitors.
cf.
award: vt.to grant as merited or due 奖励
present: vt. to give sth.. esp. at a ceremonial occasion
donate: vt. to make a gift of, esp. for a good purpose
tender: vt. to offer; give to be accepted
extend: vt. to offer; give
The chairman awarded prizes to the winners.
He presented the prizes at the school sports date.
He donated land to the city for a park.
He tendered them his deepest thanks.
I wish to extend a warm welcome to our visitors.

capital: n. material wealth used or available for use in the production of more wealth 资产
The company was started with a capital of $30000.

Para 4 We children--eight brothers and two sisters--could enjoy that good name, unearned, unless and until we did something to lose it. Compromising it would hurt not only the transgressor but also those we loved and those who loved us. We had a stake in one another--and in ourselves.
A good name, and the responsibility that came with it, forced us children to be better than we otherwise might be. We wanted to be thought of as good people, and by acting like good people for long enough, we became pretty decent citizens.
The desire to keep the respect of a good name propelled me to become the first in our family to go to university. Eventually, it gave me the initiative to start my own successful public relations firm in Washington, D.C.

我们这八个儿子和两个女儿，可以无偿地继承、享受这种名誉，并且，如果我们不做出什么有损名誉的事情的话，我们可以一直拥有它。如果我们做出了有损名誉的事情，那么受到伤害的不仅仅是我们自己，同时还会波及到那些我们爱的和爱我们的人。我们是互相联系的整体，牵一发而动全身。
好的名声以及随之而来的责任感迫使我们这些孩子做得更好。我们渴望得到肯定，肯定我们的信誉，并且希望通过我们始终如一的实际行动，使自己成为受人尊敬的体面人。
一种要保持由于好名声而受到尊敬的愿望鞭策着我，使我成为了家里第一个大学生。而最终，它给了我在华盛顿特区成功创办自己的公共关系事务所的动力。

[Summary] The writer tells us a good name has a great influence on the children in their family especially on himself.

1. Compromising it would hurt not only the transgressor but also those we loved and those who loved us.

[paraphrase] Damaging it would do harm not only to the person himself who damaged it but also to those people whom we loved and who loved us.
[grammatical point] The –ing form often acts like a verb and a noun at the same time. It can be followed by an object, but it can also itself be the subject, object or complement of a sentence.
Beating a child will do more harm than good.
I hate writing letters.
One of my bad habits is biting my nails.
[idioms] not only...but also
This structure is usually ‘balanced', so that the same kind of words follow ‘only' and ‘also'.
She not only sings like an angel, but also dances divinely.
Compare the following two sentences. The second is not exactly wrong, but many people would feel that the style was bad (at least in writing).
He plays not only the piano, but also the violin.
He not only plays the piano, but also the violin.
Other ‘balanced' structures of this kind are made with ‘both...and', ‘either...or' and ‘neither...nor'.

compromise: to put into a dishonorable position; bring shame to 连累, 损害名誉
They refused to compromise their principles by doing a deal with the terrorists.

transgressor: n. a person who transgress (sth.) 违背者
transgress: vt. 1) to go beyond ( a proper or legal limit) 越过(范围、限度等); 违反, 违背(规则、法律、条约等)
　　　　　2) to do wrong; to offend against a moral principle 道德犯罪， 违背道德规范
His behavior transgressed the unwritten rules of social conduct.
He was punished for his transgressing.

2. We had a stake in one another--and in ourselves.

[paraphrase] We are related with each other closely and have a strong interest in each other's well-being.

stake: n. a share in sth., esp. in a business, that gives one an interest in whether it succeeds or fails 投资，利害关系
The company is selling off its one quarter stake in the Commercial Bank.
have a stake in sth.: have important relations with 与某事有利害关系
We must give young people the feeling that they have a stake in the country's future.
[idiom] at stake: at risk; dependent on what happens在危险中, 利害, [生死]攸关
The company is on the verge of bankruptcy, and hundreds of jobs are at stake.

3. A good name, and the responsibility that came with it, forced us children to be better than we otherwise might be.

[paraphrase] A good name and what we should do keep it forced us children to be better than what we might be if we didn't have that good name.

[grammatical point] In identifying relative clauses, we very often use ‘that' instead of the other relative pronouns, especially in a conversational style.
‘That' is especially common after the following words:
all every(thing) some(thing) any(thing) no(thing) none little few much only
Is this all that's left?
The only thing that matters is to find our way home.
‘That' is also very often used after superlatives.
It's the best film that's ever been made on the subject of madness.
In identifying relative clauses, we often leave out the relative pronoun if it is the object of the verb in the relative clause. This is extremely common in conversational English.
He's a man people like at first sight.
Anything you say is all right with me.
otherwise: 1) adv. in a different way; differently 以另外的方式；不同地
　　　　　　2) under other circumstances 否则，不然在另外的情况下；不然
　　　　　　2)3) in other respects 在其他方面
I was not able to attend to the conference because I was otherwise engaged.
Otherwise I might have helped.
She has an otherwise logical mind.

4. The desire to keep the respect of a good name propelled me to become the first in our family to go to university.

[paraphrase] I always wanted to keep the good name and got respect from others. This gave me the power to make efforts to study, so that I could become the first university student in our family.

propel: vt. to move, drive, or push forward 推动，促进
A sailing boat is propelled by wind.