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1、Asakid,IspentmysummerswithmygrandparentsontheirranchinTexas.Ihelpedfixwindmills,vaccinatecattle,anddootherchores.Wealsowatchedsoapoperaseveryafternoon,especially"DaysofourLives."MygrandparentsbelongedtoaCaravanClub,agroupofAirstreamtrailerownerswhotraveltogetheraroundtheU.S.andCanada.
2、Andeveryfewsummers,we'djointhecaravan.We'dhitchuptheAirstreamtrailertomygrandfather'scar,andoffwe'dgo,inalinewith300otherAirstreamadventurers.IlovedandworshippedmygrandparentsandIreallylookedforwardtothesetrips.Ononeparticulartrip,Iwasabout10yearsold.Iwasrollingaroundinthebigbenchseat
3、inthebackofthecar.Mygrandfatherwasdriving.Andmygrandmotherhadthepassengerseat.Shesmokedthroughoutthesetrips,andIhatedthesmell.在我还是一个孩子的时候，我的夏天总是在德州祖父母的农场中度过。我帮忙修理风车，为牛接种疫苗，也做其它家务。每天下午，我们都会看肥皂剧，尤其是《我们的岁月》。我的祖父母参加了一个房车俱乐部，那是一群驾驶Airstream拖挂型房车的人们，他们结伴遍游美国和加拿大。每隔几个夏天，我也会加入他们。我们把房车挂在祖父的小汽车
4、后面，然后加入300余名Airstream探险者们组成的浩荡队伍。我爱我的祖父母，我崇敬他们，也真心期盼这些旅程。那是一次我大概十岁时的旅行，我照例坐在后座的长椅上，祖父开着车，祖母坐在他旁边，吸着烟。我讨厌烟味。Atthatage,I'dtakeanyexcusetomakeestimatesanddominorarithmetic.I'dcalculateourgasmileage—figureoutuselessstatisticsonthingslikegroceryspending.I'dbeenhearinganadcampaignaboutsmoki
5、ng.Ican'trememberthedetails,butbasicallytheadsaid,everypuffofacigarettetakessomenumberofminutesoffofyourlife:Ithinkitmighthavebeentwominutesperpuff.Atanyrate,Idecidedtodothemathformygrandmother.Iestimatedthenumberofcigarettesperdays,estimatedthenumberofpuffspercigaretteandsoon.WhenIwa
6、ssatisfiedthatI'dcomeupwithareasonablenumber,Ipokedmyheadintothefrontofthecar,tappedmygrandmotherontheshoulder,andproudlyproclaimed,"Attwominutesperpuff,you'vetakennineyearsoffyourlife!"在那样的年纪，我会找任何借口做些估测或者小算术。我会计算油耗还有杂货花销等鸡毛蒜皮的小事。我听过一个有关吸烟的广告。我记不得细节了，但是广告大意是说，每吸一口香烟会减少几分钟的寿命，大概是两分钟。无
7、论如何，我决定为祖母做个算术。我估测了祖母每天要吸几支香烟，每支香烟要吸几口等等，然后心满意足地得出了一个合理的数字。接着，我捅了捅坐在前面的祖母的头，又拍了拍她的肩膀，然后骄傲地宣称，“每天吸两分钟的烟，你就少活九年!”Ihaveavividmemoryofwhathappened,anditwasnotwhatIexpected.Iexpectedtobeapplaudedformyclevernessandarithmeticskills."Jeff,you'resosmart.Youhadtohavemadesometrickyestimates,figu
8、reout
