"Lois Lowry - The Giver" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lowry Lois)

wrong turn. Des-perately the Pilot had been trying to make his way back before his error was noticed.
N E E D L E S S T O S A Y , H E W I L L BE R E L E A S E D , the voice
had said, followed by silence. There was an ironic tone to that final message, as if the Speaker found it
amusing; and Jonas had smiled a little, though he knew what a grim statement it had been. For a
contributing citizen to be re-leased from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an
overwhelming statement of failure.




2
Even the children were scolded if they used the term lightly at play, jeering at a teammate who missed a
catch or stumbled in a race. Jonas had done it once, had shouted at his best friend, тАЬThatтАЩs it, Asher!
YouтАЩre released!тАЭ when AsherтАЩs clumsy error had lost a match for his team. He had been taken aside for a
brief and serious talk by the coach, had hung his head with guilt and embarrassment, and apologized to
Asher after the game.
Now, thinking about the feeling of fear as he pedaled home along the river path, he remembered that
moment of palpable, stomach-sinking terror when the aircraft had streaked above. It was not what he was
feeling now with December approaching. He searched for the right word to describe his own feeling.
Jonas was careful about language. Not like his friend, Asher, who talked too fast and mixed things up,
scram-bling words and phrases until they were barely recogniz-able and often very funny.
Jonas grinned, remembering the morning that Asher had dashed into the classroom, late as usual,
arriving breathlessly in the middle of the chanting of the morning anthem. When the class took their seats at
the conclusion of the patriotic hymn, Asher remained standing to make his public apology as was required.
тАЬI apologize for inconveniencing my learning commu-nity.тАЭ Asher ran through the standard apology
phrase rap-idly, still catching his breath. The Instructor and class waited patiently for his explanation. The
students had all been grinning, because they had listened to AsherтАЩs expla-nations so many times before.
тАЬI left home at the correct time but when I was riding




3
along near the hatchery, the crew was separating some salmon. I guess I just got distraught, watching
them.
тАЬI apologize to my classmates,тАЭ Asher concluded. He smoothed his rumpled tunic and sat down.
тАЬWe accept your apology, Asher.тАЭ The class recited the standard response in unison. Many of the
students were biting their lips to keep from laughing.
тАЬI accept your apology, Asher,тАЭ the Instructor said. He was smiling. тАЬAnd I thank you, because once
again you have provided an opportunity for a lesson in language. тАШDistraughtтАЩ is too strong an adjective to
describe salmon-viewing.тАЭ He turned and wrote тАЬdistraughtтАЭ on the in-structional board. Beside it he wrote
тАЬdistracted.тАЭ
Jonas, nearing his home now, smiled at the recollection. Thinking, still, as he wheeled his bike into its
narrow port beside the door, he realized that frightened was the wrong word to describe his feelings, now
that December was al-most here. It was too strong an adjective.
He had waited a long time for this special December. Now that it was almost upon him, he wasnтАЩt
frightened, but he was . . . eager, he decided. He was eager for it to come. And he was excited, certainly.
All of the Elevens were excited about the event that would be coming so soon.
But there was a little shudder of nervousness when he
thought about it, about what might happen.