One day,I was reading an article named The Soul of Mountains,which depicts a teacher in mountainous area.Closing the book,I was touched by the protagonist deeply.But actually there are many rural teachers as great as the protagonist.One of them is my former teacher Qu Dashan.

　　Mr.Qu taught me mathematics when I was in primary school.At that time,my hometown was in poverty.Once you came there，what would come into your eyes first would be nothing but the continuous mountains and the infinite wild weeds.People there were so poor that they were still using oil lamps after I graduated from primary school.Very few teachers were there-it is very difficult to find a teacher who graduated from junior middle school,let alone those with high education backgrounds.

　　Mr.Qu had to quit his further studies after graduating from the junior middle school due to the Cultural Revolution.Since then he had been a poor farmer.One year,a teacher moved out of the mountains,so Mr.Qu was recomended to undertake the vacant position as a primary school teacher.

　　In my memory he had only one suit of clothes:a faded blue canvas coat with a small piece of patch on the right sleeve，black dirty pants,and green Jiefang shoes.Just imagine that in a tatty and dark classroom,a teacher in patched clothes with a dog-eared book in his hand is explaining to a group of children in ragged clothes.What a scene!

　　As a heavy smoker,Mr.Qu always smokes tabacco planted by himself.I still remember the process of his somking:at the beginning,he rolled a piece of little rectangle paper,filled it with oddments of tobacco.Then he twisted the end of the paper and licked it with his big tongue.Thus a self-made cigarette was formed.With the cigarette kept between his lips and one hand keeping off the wind,he lighted the lighter with the other hand.Then he neared the cigarette to flame and lit his crude cigarette.He breathed deeply and stopped,smoke leaking from his mouth and nares.In order to load his tobacco oddments,he sewed a small packet,which was very easy to carry by pulling the string.Besides,to save money he also had an old lighter,and took it with him wherever he went,because in his mind it was too expensive to use match!

　　Mr.Qu taught us earnestly.Unfortunately he only received the junior middle school education,what even worse,he forgot lots of the knowledge he learned before.Sometimes he illustrated a question for many times，but we still could not understand，at last he had to write the analysis onto the blackboard and had us recited it.He always delayed his class，and even gave us remedial class on Sundays.As a result he didn't leave his students a good impression.Some one called him"old smoke ghost"secretly.

　　However,as a monitor I could project myself into his position and feel his pains.In order to improve his academic level and impartation ability,he copied other teachers'teaching-notice-books and thought over them himself.To save more time,he wouldn't stop reading even when he was eating.In order to get along well with his students and keep the class in order,he often called me to his office and talked over hours.He even made some"Behavior Rules"at one time,however due to various reasons most of them became fruitless and the class was still in a mess.Facing the naughty and naive children,he smoked more heavily.Several months later,his beards got longer and he looked older.

　　Later my father found a job in a city and all my family members would move there,so I had to say goodbye to Mr.Qu.On that day we left,he came to see me off,still in his shabby blue coat.He sent me a pen and encouraged me to study hard so as to teach those poor children in mountains in future.At that moment his air was serious.I nodded though I couldn't fully grasp the profound meaning.

　　Following a cart he sent me out of the small mountainous village.I noticed that his right hand,in which there was always a cigarette,was trembling slightly.He watched me,with his eyes mixed with regrets，hopes and attachments.But it is that very eyes that send me to go to the distance.

　　Before long,I heard that Mr.Qu returned to the farmland and went on doing those laborious farmers' trifles again.I wrote several letters to him，only got one response.Later I couldn't get access to his whereabouts,I guess he must be too tired or he was ill because of his heavy smoking.

　　How great the teachers are!For the sake of the continuation of human civilization,they spend their precious young life to the cause of education,dedicating their affection and energy to the students.When we，the students grow up,they are old，leaving themselves only the grey hairs and a kind a consolation.

　　Another Teachers'Day is coming.Let's send our best wishes to all the great and honorable teachers!

　　(文/山东济南郭加祥；英语辅导报小学教师版03~04学年第19期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)