A Book of Stamps

A locked safe, old stamps and a promise across the sea · 一册旧邮票 · 一段跨国往事

Pat became obsessed with detective stories when he was about twelve years old. He was a young fan of Sherlock Holmes.

Every day, he tried to find a mystery to solve. One of his prime interests was the family safe, which was kept in the basement. He kept wondering what was inside.

After thinking about it a lot, he decided to open the safe and look inside. One day, when his parents were away for a long weekend, Pat located the PIN numbers kept in a notebook in his father's desk drawer. He was nervous, but he managed to open the safe.

To his surprise, he found only a book of stamps inside. He didn't know if these stamps had any value. To him, it was just a book of old Chinese stamps from the early 1940s to the late 1950s.

Where did it come from? Why was it locked in the safe? With his head full of questions, he had no way of figuring it out. It was really a mystery worthy of Sherlock Holmes.

When his parents came back, he admitted that he had opened the safe and discovered the book of stamps. His father didn't yell at him. Instead, he told him the story behind the stamps.

A Catholic Father, who was a missionary in China from the early 1940s to 1960s, had collected these stamps while he was preaching in China. Later, he left China and returned to his hometown in Canada. Before the Father passed away, he gave the stamps to his niece, who then sold the stamps to Pat's father.

As Pat listened to the story of the book of stamps, he imagined how the Father managed to collect all the stamps during the war. Pat's father told him that whenever he looked at the stamps, he felt as if the Father was talking to him about his days in China. He felt like he was asking him to bring the stamps back to where he had lived.

Pat's father then revealed his plan. One day, in the near future, he would hold an exhibition of the stamps in China, in the name of the Father.

A Book of Stamps — A locked safe, old stamps and a promise across the sea

Pat became o(1)__________ with detective stories when he was about twelve years old. He was a young fan of Sherlock Holmes.

Every day, he tried to find a m(2)__________ to solve. One of his prime interests was the family safe, which was kept in the b(3)__________. He kept wondering what was inside.

After thinking about it a lot, he decided to open the safe and look inside. One day, when his parents were away for a long weekend, Pat l(4)__________ the PIN numbers kept in a notebook in his father's desk drawer. He was nervous, but he managed to open the safe.

To his surprise, he found only a book of stamps inside. He didn't know if these stamps had any value. To him, it was just a book of old Chinese stamps from the early 1940s to the late 1950s.

Where did it come from? Why was it locked in the safe? With his head full of questions, he had no way of figuring it out. It was really a mystery worthy of Sherlock Holmes.

When his parents came back, he a(5)__________ that he had opened the safe and discovered the book of stamps. His father didn't y(6)__________ at him. Instead, he told him the story behind the stamps.

A Catholic Father, who was a m(7)__________ in China from the early 1940s to 1960s, had c(8)__________ these stamps while he was preaching in China. Later, he left China and returned to his hometown in Canada. Before the Father passed away, he gave the stamps to his n(9)__________, who then sold the stamps to Pat's father.

As Pat listened to the story of the book of stamps, he imagined how the Father managed to collect all the stamps during the war. Pat's father told him that whenever he looked at the stamps, he felt as if the Father was talking to him about his days in China. He felt like he was asking him to bring the stamps back to where he had lived.

Pat's father then revealed his plan. One day, in the near future, he would hold an e(10)__________ of the stamps in China, in the name of the Father.

📌 重点单词 · Key Vocabulary

🔗 重点词组 · Key Phrases

💡 语法小贴士 · Grammar Tips

📮 文化拓展 · Stamps, Memories and a Promise

本文讲述了一册旧中国邮票背后的跨国情缘：少年 Pat 像小侦探一样打开了家里的保险箱，却发现里面只有一本 20 世纪 40 至 50 年代的中国邮票。谜底是一个关于记忆与承诺的故事——一位在中国传教近二十年的加拿大神父收集了这些邮票，去世前托付给侄女，几经辗转来到 Pat 父亲手中。

在西方文化中，"philately"（集邮）是一项有着两百多年历史的爱好，邮票被称为"国家的名片"，方寸之间记录着一个时代的历史、风景与人文。对那位神父而言，这些邮票是他青春岁月与中国记忆的载体；对 Pat 的父亲而言，把邮票带回中国办展览，是替故人完成"让记忆回到它生长的地方"的心愿。

故事里的父亲也展现了高明的教育智慧：面对儿子偷开保险箱，他没有 yell at him，而是顺势讲出一段往事——一次宽容，换来孩子对历史、承诺与情义的全新理解。正如福尔摩斯所说，最好的谜题，答案往往藏在人心深处。