Tonight ,after listening to The VOA :American Stories -- judge,the only words I have remembered  is :"everyone have to learn something in his life ,It's just bad luck for you and me ,go back home Boy !"that was said by Judge (the big man in the boy's town)after boy went back to judge'stone house with wet clothes ,his traps gun and furs dropped in the river .  what a bad night for the boy ,but the judge's words like rock,stability and no exercuse .oh ,boy ! you must like a man to learn it ,you must like been a man faster.
突然想起刘欢的一首歌，好像是为下岗工人再就业作宣传的，叫“从头再来”，不过在看到这篇故事的这个情节时，我的脑海中却想起了这首歌“再苦再累，也要坚持，。。。。一切只不过是从头再来！”竟然感觉有几分豪气，呵呵，当然，故事的主人公只有十六岁，他又足够的时间去从头再来，如果让一个四十岁的人再来唱这首歌，恐怕感觉更多的就是悲壮了吧。（史玉柱除外）
下面这篇故事的听力记录：呵呵，不是我做得。just I wish I can do it :
When Charlie Harsco died. He left a wife and 9 children. They lived on the small piece of land, in the house with four rooms. John was the oldest boy; he was 16 years old, and tall for his age. After his father dead. John’s mother told him, he would have to take care of the family, so John went into the cornfield behind the small house. There was very little corn and very many weeds, his family needed corn and corn needed the room to grow. John bend down and begin to pulling out the weeds, when John came in for super that night, he told his mother that he had clean half of cornfield, she would surprised and immediately went outside to look at what he had done, while she was looking at the field, she remembered that her husband had sold some corn to Judge Doan, she also remembered the day had never clicked the money for the corn, she told John to go to the Judge’s house right away to get it. John was afraid of Judge Doan, the Judge was the richest man in town. He owned a lot of land and everyone owed him money. His stone house looks like a palace. John went to the house, and knocked on the door, the servant open it right away, brought john into the Judge’s office. Judge Doan was sitting at his desk, he was a very big man with red face, long white hair and serious blue eyes. John stood with his back to the door, he held his hat with both hand.

“ hello! John, what do you want?” said judge. John told the judge about the money. “ oh , yes!” said judge. “ I’d forgotten about that, I’m sorry.” He stood up, and reached into his pocket. Slowly he pull out a large brown leather wallet, he open it, took out a new dollar bill and handed it to John. Then he sat down at his desk again. “ how r u and ur family doing?” he asked. “ all right, sir.” John said. “ I won’t bother u about this money. But we needed it.” “ that is all right.” Judge said slowly. “ I should have to remember it . I didn’t think of it, because your father owed me money, he owed me 40 dollars.” John was so shocked, he couldn’t think of anything to say. 40 dollars was a fortune for him and his family. The Judge looked john for a few moment. “ how old r u , boy?” he asked. “ 16, sir!”. “ and when do you think you would pay me back 40 dollars your father owed me?” he asked. John’s face got very white. “ I don't know. Sir” he whispered. The Judge stood up. “ I hope your r not like your father.” He said. “ he was a lazy man who never worked hard.” He held his hand out to the boy. “ good luck to you” he said as he shook john’s hand. Then he walk with him to the front door and said good night.

During the summer, john worked on the other farms for 40 cents a day. At first, nobody wanted him. People remembered how lazy his father had been. They give the work to other boys. But John was a hard worker, and began to get the jobs. Soon he was working on other people farm 6 days of the week. He worked on his own family’s land every evening and all day Sunday. That summer for the first time. The little farm had enough foods and vegetables to feed John and his family, and would even for enough for sale at the market. John used to wonder how his father had always found time to go fishing. John had very little time to fish that summer. When he did have time to relax, he thought about 40 dollars he owed Judge Doan . then he would go out look for more work. At first, he give all the money he earned to his mother. but then he begin saving a few pennies every time he was paid. At end of august, he had saved a dollar. As he held the money in his hand, he realized for the first time. Someday he might able to pay back all the money he owed to the Judge. By the middle of October, John had saved 5 dollars to give to the judge. So one night after super, he went back to the Judge’s big stone house. He found the Judge sitting in his office. “ sit down. John.” Judge said. “ I know you worked hard this summer. I’ll be glad to help you if you need some money for the winter,” John felt his face become very hot. “ I didn’t come to here for ask anything, Judge.” He said. He pushed his hand deep into his pocket, and pulled out his money. “I want to pay back some of money I owe you. It’s only five dollars. But here it is.” And he handed the money to the Judge. Judge Doan counted the money, and then he went to his desk, and put the money into drawer. “ where would you find the work this winter? john.”. “I don’t know, Sir!”.

Several days later, John’s mother ask him go into the town to buy cloth, she want to make some more clothing for the children for the coming winter, on his way into town. John met Sase White Feather. Sase was an Indian who also worked on the farm during the summer. But in the winter, Sase traveled to north and disappeared into the woods, as they walk toward the town, john told the Sase that he had no work for the winter, S told the john that he went into the woods every winter, to hunt and trap wild animals for their fur, Sase said he earn 200 dollar last winter. “ 200 dollars!” john thought, he turned shiny to the Indian, “ could I come to with you this year?” he asked. S looked the john without the smiling. “ have you got the gun and some animal traps?” john shook his head. “ No” , he said. “How much would that cost?” “75 dollars” the Indian replied. “if you can get those things. I will teach you how to catch the animals. I’m leaving in 2 weeks.” Only one person could help john. That night he went to the Judge house. The house was dark , except for a light that was shining in the judge’s office. John could see the judge sitting at his desk. The boy tapped of the window. Judge Doan open it. When he saw the boy thin face, he asked “ what do you want?” . “ pls! Judge.” said john. “ Could I talk to you?” .the Judge shut the window and opened the front door, they went back to his office. “Be as quick you can” the Judge said. “It’s late”. John has never been so frighten in his life. He couldn’t think or speak for a few moments. “Talk, boy!” Judge bark that in , so John told him about Sase ,and animal furs and ask Judge for the money. “ 75 dollars” the Judge said. “You ask me to lend you that money to a 16 years boy? Just flack that?” “I could do it with 50 dollars.” John said. “ But if you think it’s a bad idea. I won’t bother you anymore.” “Shut up!” the judge said. “If I’m going to lend you money. I want to be sure you u don’t starve to death in the woods. Then I would never get my money back, wouldn’t I?” the judge looked hard at john for a few moment. “ What about this Sase?” He asked, “ can you trust him?” John nodded his head. “He is always being nice to me” he said. The Judge pulls out of piece of paper from his desk, and wrote something on it. “ Sign this”, he said when he finish writing. “It says you promise pay me back 75 dollars by next spring.” John was embarrassed to told the Judge that he did not know how to read or write. “Put the mark of the bottom that state of your name.” Judge said. “ Here is your money. Don’t lose it.” He walks the John to the door. And shook the boy’s hand. “ Good luck! Come here as soon as you get back next spring.”

When Charlie Harsco died, he left a wife and 9 children. They lived on a small piece of land, in a house with four rooms. Since John was the oldest boy, his mother told him he would have to take care of the family. He was 16, John went to Judge Doan, the richest man in town, to collect a dollar for some corns the Judge bought from the John’s father. Judge Doan gave him the dollar. Then he said John’s father owed him some money, he said the farmer had borrowed 40 dollars from him, when do you think you ‘d pay me back the money you owe me, the Judge asked john, I hope you are not like your father he said. He was a lazy man who never worked hard. During that summer, john worked on other people’s farms all week, he worked on his own family’s land every evening and all day Sunday. By the end of summer, john had saved 5 dollars to give to the Judge. John’s friend, the Indian Sase White Feather, offer John a way to make money during the winter, when it was too cold for farming, he said he would teach john how to hunt and trap animals for their fur, he told the boy he could earn a lot of money by doing this. But he said john needed 75 dollars to buy a gun, traps and food for the winter in the woods

John went to c Judge Doan, he explain what he wanted to do. The Judge agreed to lend him money he needed. On the first day of November, John kissed his mother goodbye and left home with Sass, on his back he carried a large sack of food, a new gun, animal traps he had bought with the Judge’s money. He and the Indian walked for hours. To the cabin deep in the forest, Sass has built a little house several years before. John learned a lot at that winter. He learned how to hunt and set traps for wild animals and how to live in the forest. His body grew strong. And the forest tested his strength and made him brave. John traps a lot of animals. In early march. His pile of animal skin was almost as tall as he was. Sass said John should get at lease 200 dollar for his furs. John was ready to go home. But Sass wanted to continue to hunting until April. So john decided to go home by himself. Sass help the John packed his furs, traps so he could carried them on his back. then Sass said : “now listen to me, when u cross the river. Do not walk on the ice .it is very thin now. find the place where the ice has melted . Then tie some logs together, u can float on them across the river. It’d take u few hours longer to do this. But it is safer.” “yes! I will.” John said quickly. He wanted to leave right way.

As john walk through the woods that day. He began thinking about his future. He would learn how to read and write, he would buy a bigger farm for his family. Maybe someday he’d be as powerful and respected as the Judge. The heavy pack on his back made him think of what he want to do when he got home, he’d buy a new dress for his mother, he’d buy toys for his brothers and sisters. And he’d see the Judge. In his mind he saw himself entering the judge’s office. He would count the money into the Judge’s hand. John could not to wait to payback the rest of the money, the Judge Doan said his father has borrowed.

By late afternoon, john’s legs hurt, and pack on his back was very heavy. He was glad when he finally reached the river. Because that meant he was almost home. John remembered Sass’s advice. But he was too tired to search for the place where the ice had melted. He saw a large, straight tree growing by the river, it was tallied enough to reach the other side of the river. John took out of his ax and cut down the tree. It fell forming a bridge over the river. John give the tree a kick but it didn’t move. He decides not to do what Sass has said. If he cross the river on this tree. He’d be home in an hour, he could see the Judge that evening. With the furs on his back, and the gun in his arms. He stepped out on the fallen tree. It felt ? as the rock under his feet. He was about half way across the river when the tree trunk moved suddenly; John fell from it onto the ice. The ice broke and John sunk under the water, he did not have a chance even to yell, John dropped his gun, the furs, the traps slip all his back. He tried to grip them but swelling floating water carry them away, John broke through the ice and struggle to the riverbank, he ‘d lost everything. He laid in the snow for a few moment , then he got up found a long stick walk up down the river bank. He pulled through the ice for hours, looking for his furs, traps and gun, finally he give up.

He walked straight to the Judge’s house. It was very late. The Judge was still in his office. John knocked and went in, cold and still wet. John told the Judge how he ‘d ignored Sass’s advice. And what had happened. The Judge said nothing until the boy was done. Then Judge Doan said. “everybody had to learn things. It’s bad luck for you and me, that you had to learn like this, go home .boy” .

John worked hard that summer planting corns and potatoes for his family, he also worked on other people’s farms. And saved enough money to pay the Judge another 5 dollars, but he still owed him 30 dollars from his father’s debt. And 75 dollars for the traps and the gun, over 100 dollars. John felt he could never pay back the Judge. In October, Judge Doan sent for him. “ John,” he said “ you owed me a lot of money, I think the best way I can get it. It’s give u another chance to hunt and trap this winter, are you willing to go if I lend you another 75 dollars?” John found the voice to say yes. He had to go into the woods alone that year. Because Sass had moved to another part of the country, but John remembered everything that his Indian friend had taught him, he stayed in Sass’s cabin. And hunted animal everyday of that very long , lonely winter. This time he stayed until the end of April. By then he had so many furs that he had to leave his traps behind, the ice over the river had melted when he reached it. He built a raft to take him across, even although took him extra day. When he got home. The Judge helps him sell the furs for 300 dollars. John paid the Judge the 150 dollars he has borrowed to buy the traps and gun, then he slowly counted into the Judge ‘s hand, the money that his father has borrowed.

That summer, john worked on his family ‘s farm. He also learned to read and write. Every winter, for the next ten years. He hunted in the woods, he saved the money he earned form the furs. He used it finally to buy a large farm

From time to time. He was visited the Judge in his biggest stone house, the old man no longer frightened him, by the time john was 30 years old. He had become one of the leaders of his town, when the Judge died that year, he left the John his big house and much of his money, he also left John a letter.

John opened it, and looked at that date. The Judge has write it same day that John had asked him for the money for his first hunting trap.

“ Dear John!” the Judge wrote, “I was never loan your father any money, because I never trusted him. But I like u the first time I saw you, I wanted to be sure you would not like your father, so I put you to the test, that it is why I said you owed me 40 dollars. Good luck, John!” inside the envelope was 40 dollars.