hint: Joe Gumps
I first met Joe Gumps when we were both nine years old, which is probably the only reason he is one of my best friends. If I had first met Joe as a freshman in high school, we wouldn't even have had the chance to get to know each other. Joe is a day student, but I am a boarding student. We haven't been in the same classes, sports or extra-curricular activities . Nonetheless, I spend nearly every weekend at his house, and we talk on the phone every night. This is not to say that we would not have been compatible if we had first met in our freshman year. Rather, we would not have been likely to spend enough time getting to know each other, due to the lack of immediately visible mutual interests. In fact, to be honest, I struggle even now to think of things we have in common. But maybe that's what makes us enjoy each other's company so much. When I look at my friendship with Joe, I wonder how many people I've known whom I never disliked but simply didn't take the time to get to know. Thanks to Joe, I have realized how little basis there is, for the social divisions that exist in every community. Since this realization, I have begun to make an even more determined effort to find friends in unexpected people and places.
我第一次见到Joe是在我们九岁的时候，这可能就是他是我最好的朋友之一的唯一原因。如果我是作为新生在高中才见到Joe的话，我们根本没有机会去了解彼此。Joe是走读学生，而我是住读学生。我们压根不在同一个班，进行同一种运动，或者参与同一种课外活动。尽管如此，我依然在他家度过每个周末，并且我们每天晚上打电话聊天。这也不是说如果我们作为新生初遇就不会和睦相处，更准确地说，由于我们缺乏显而易见的共同兴趣，所以我们不会花足够时间去了解彼此。 说实话，我直到现在还很难相处我们的共同点。但是那也许就是让我们如此享受彼此的陪伴的原因。当我仔细看待我和Joe的友谊时，我想知道有多少我从来没有喜欢过、仅仅因为我没有花时间去了解得人。多亏了Joe，我意识到存在于每一个社会的分歧的基础是多么薄弱。自从意识到这一点，我开始下更大的决心去在不期而遇的地方寻找朋友。 ——译文来自: 学英音