《廊桥遗梦》｜单词注释｜Chapter 3｜1
Francesca
1
Deep autumn was birthday time for Francesca, and cold rain swept
against
her
frame
house in the south Iowa
countryside
.
against /ə'ɡɛnst/ prep. 碰
frame /freɪm/ adj. 有木架的
countryside /ˈkʌntrisaɪd/ n. 乡下
2
She watched the rain, looked through it toward the hills along Middle River,
thinking of
Richard.
think of 想起
3
He had died on a day like this, eight years ago, from something with a name she
would rather
not remember.
would rather adv. 最好
4
But Francesca thought of him now and his
sturdy
kindness
, his
steady
ways
, and the even life he had given her.
sturdy /ˈstɜːrdi/ adj. 坚定的
kindness /ˈkaɪndnəs/ n. 仁慈
steady /ˈstedi/ adj. 沉着的
way /we/ n. (行事)作风
5
The children had called. Neither of them could make it home again this year for her birthday, though it was her sixty-seventh.
6
She understood, as she always did.
7
Always had. Always would.
8
They were both in
midcareer
, running hard, managing a hospital, teaching students, Michael getting into his second marriage, Carolyn
struggling
with her first.
midcareer n. 职业生涯中期
struggle /ˈstrʌɡl/ vi. 挣扎
9
Secretly
she was glad they never seemed to arrange a visit on her birthday; she had her own
ceremonies
reserved for that day.
secretly /ˈsikrɪtlɪ/ adv. 私底下地
ceremony /ˈserəmoʊni/ n. 仪式
10
This morning her friends from Winterset had
stopped
by with a birthday cake.
stop /stɑp/ vi. 逗留
11
Francesca made coffee, while the talk ran to grandchildren and the town, to Thanksgiving and what to get for Christmas for whom.
12
The quiet laughter and the rise and fall of conversation from the
living room
were comforting in their
familiarity
living room n. 客厅
familiarity /fəˌmɪliˈærəti/ n. 亲密
13
and reminded Francesca of one small reason why she had stayed here after Richard’s death.
14
Michael had
touted
Florida, Carolyn New England.
tout /taʊt/ vt. 吹捧
15
But she had
remained
in the hills of south Iowa, on the land, keeping her old
address
for a special reason, and she was glad she had done that.
remain /rɪ'men/ vi. 留下
address /əˈdres , ˈædres/ n. 地址
16
Francesca had watched them leave at lunchtime.
17
They drove their
Buicks
and
Fords
down the
lane
, turned onto the
paved
county road,
Buick 别克
Ford 福特
lane /leɪn/ n. 小巷
pave /peɪv/ vt. 铺设
18
and headed toward Winterset,
wiper blades
pushing aside
the rain.
wiper blade 雨刷
push aside 把......向旁边推
19
They were good friends, though they would never understand what
lay
inside of her, would not understand even if she told them.
lay /le/ v. 安放
20
Her husband had said she would find good friends, when he brought her here after the war, from
Naples
.
Naples /ˈnepəlz/ n. 那不勒斯
21
He said, “Iowans have their
faults
, but one of them is not lack of caring.”
fault /fɔːlt/ n. 缺点
22
And that was true, is true.
23
She had been twenty-five when they met— out of the
university
for three years, teaching at a
private school
for girls,
wondering
about her life.
university /ˌjunɪ'vɝsəti/ n. 大学
private school n. 私立中小学
wonder /'wʌndɚ/ vt. & vi. 好奇
24
Most of the young Italian men were dead or
injured
or in
POW
camps or
broken
by the
fighting
.
injured /ˈɪndʒərd/ adj. 受伤的
POW /ˌpioˈdʌbəlju/ abbr. 战俘（prisoner of war）
broken /'brokən/ adj. 颓丧的
fighting /'faɪtɪŋ/ n. 战斗
25
Her
affair
with Niccolo, a professor of art at the university, who painted all day and took her on
wild
,
reckless
tours of the
underside
of Naples at night,
affair /əˈfer/ n.（尤指关系不长久的）风流韵事
wild /waɪld/ adj. 放荡的
reckless /ˈrekləs/ adj. 鲁莽的
underside /'ʌndɚsaɪd/ n. 底部
26
had been over for a year,
done in
finally by the
unceasing
disapproval
of her
traditional
parents.
do in 杀死
unceasing /ʌn'sisɪŋ/ adj. 不断的
disapproval /'dɪsə'prʊvl/ n. 不赞同
traditional /trə'dɪʃənl/ adj. 传统的
27
She wore
ribbons
in her black hair and
clung
to her dreams.
ribbon /ˈrɪbən/ n. 丝带
clung /klʌŋ/ v. 坚持（cling的过去分词）
28
But no handsome sailors
disembarked
looking for her, no voices came up to her window from the streets below.
disembark /'dɪsɪm'bɑrk/ vt. & vi. (使)登陆〔上岸〕
29
The hard press of reality brought her to the
recognition
that her choices were
constrained
.
recognition /ˌrekəɡˈnɪʃn/ n. 认识
constrain /kənˈstreɪn/ vt. 限制
30
Richard offered a reasonable
alternative
:
kindness
and the sweet promise of America.
alternative /ɔːlˈtɜːrnətɪv/ n. 可供选择的事物
kindness /ˈkaɪndnəs/ n. 体贴
31
She had studied him in his soldier’s uniform as they sat in a cafe in the
Mediterranean
sunlight, saw him looking
earnestly
at her in his midwestern way, and came to Iowa with him.
mediterranean /ˌmɛdɪtəˈreniən/ n. 地中海
earnestly /ˈə..nɪstlɪ/ adv. 诚挚地
32
Came to have his children, to watch Michael play football on cold October nights, to take Carolyn to Des Moines for her
prom
dresses.
prom /prɑm/ n. 正式舞会
33
She exchanged letters with her sister in Naples several times each year and had returned there twice, when each of her parents had died.
34
But Madison County was home now, and she had no
longing
to go back again.
longing /'lɔŋɪŋ/ n. 渴望
35
The rain stopped in
midafternoon
, then
resumed
its
ways
just before evening.
midafternoon /'mɪd,æftə'nʊn/ n. 下午三时左右
resume /rɪˈzuːm/ vt. & vi. 恢复
way /we/ n. 情况
36
In the
twilight
, Francesca poured a small glass of
brandy
and opened the bottom drawer of Richard’s
rolltop desk
,
twilight /'twaɪlaɪt/ n. 黄昏
brandy /ˈbrændi/ n. 白兰地酒
rolltop desk 有活动盖板的办公桌
37
the
walnut
piece that had passed down through three generations of his family.
walnut /'wɔlnət/ n. 胡桃木
38
She took out a
manila
envelope and brushed her hand across it slowly, as she did each year on this day.
manila /mə'nɪlə/ adj. 马尼拉纸制的
39
The
postmark
read “Seattle, WA, Sep 12 ’65.” She always looked at the postmark first. That was part of the
ritual
.
postmark /'postmɑrk/ n. 邮戳
ritual /ˈrɪtʃuəl/ n. 仪式
40
Then to the address written in
longhand
: “Francesca Johnson, RR 2, Winterset, Iowa.”
longhand /'lɔŋhænd/ n. 普通书写（速记或打字）
41
Next the
return address
,
carelessly
scrabbled
in the upper left: “
Box
642, Bellingham, Washington.”
return address 寄件人地址
carelessly /ˈk ɛrlɪslɪ/ adv. 草率地
scrabble /'skræbl/ v. 乱涂
box /bɑks/ n. 邮箱
42
She sat in a chair by the window, looked at the addresses, and concentrated,
43
for
contained
in them was the
movement
of his hands, and she wanted to bring back the feel of those hands on her twenty-two years ago.
contain /kənˈteɪn/ vt. 包含
movement /ˈmuːvmənt/ n. 动作
44
When she could feel his hands touching her, she opened the envelope, carefully removed three letters,
45
a short
manuscript
, two photographs, and a complete
issue
of National Geographic
along with
clippings from other issues of the magazine.
manuscript /ˈmænjuskrɪpt/ n. 手稿
issue /ˈɪʃuː/ n. (报纸、杂志等的)期号
along with 连同...一起
46
There, in
gray
light fading, she sipped her brandy, looking over the
rim
of her glass to the handwritten note
clipped
on the
typed
manuscript pages.
gray /ɡreɪ/ n. 暗淡的光线
rim /rɪm/ n. 边缘
clip /klɪp/ v. 固定住
type /taɪp/ vt. & vi. 打字
47
The letter was on his
stationery
, simple stationery that said only “Robert Kincaid, Writer-Photographer” at the top in
discreet
lettering.
stationery /ˈsteɪʃəneri/ n. 信纸
discreet /dɪˈskriːt/ adj. 不引人注意的
48
September 10, 1965
49
Dear Francesca,
50
Enclosed
are two photographs.
enclosed /ɪn'klozd/ adj. 随函附上的
51
One is the shot I took of you in the
pasture
at sunrise. I hope you like it as much as I do.
pasture /ˈpæstʃər/ n. 牧场
52
The other is of Roseman Bridge before I
removed
your note
tacked
to it.
remove /rɪˈmuːv/ vt. 拿开
tack /tæk/ v. 固定住
53
I sit here
trolling
the gray areas of my mind for every detail, every moment, of our time together.
troll /troʊl/ v. 搜寻
54
I ask myself
over and over
, “What happened to me in Madison County, Iowa?” And I struggle to bring it together.
over and over 反复
55
That’s why I wrote the little piece, “Falling from
Dimension
Z,” I have enclosed, as a way of trying to
sift
through my confusion.
dimension /dɪˈmenʃn/ n. (空间的)纬度
sift /sɪft/ vi. 细究
56
I look down the
barrel
of a lens, and you’re at the end of it.
barrel /ˈbærəl/ n. 桶
57
I begin work on an article, and I’m writing about you.
58
I’m not even sure how I got back here from Iowa. Somehow the old truck brought me home, yet I barely remember the
miles
going by.
miles /mailz/ n. 长距离
59
A few weeks ago, I felt
self-contained
,
reasonably
content
. Maybe not
profoundly
happy, maybe a little lonely, but at least content. All of that has changed.
self-contained /ˌsɛlfkənˈtend/ adj. 自给自足的
reasonably /ˈriz n..əblɪ/ adv. 相当地
content /ˈkɑːntent/ adj. 满足的
profoundly /prə'faʊndli/ adv. 深切地
60
It’s clear to me now that I have been moving toward you and you toward me for a long time.
61
Though neither of us was aware of the other before we met, there was a kind of
mindless
certainty
humming
blithely
along beneath our
ignorance
that ensured we would come together.
mindless /'maɪndləs/ adj. 不注意的
certainty /ˈsɜːrtnti/ n. 必然的事
blithely /ˈblaɪ ðlɪ/ adv. 快活地
ignorance /ˈɪɡnərəns/ n. 无知
62
Like two
solitary
birds flying the great
prairies
by
celestial
reckoning
, all of these years and lifetimes we have been moving toward one another.
solitary /ˈsɑːləteri/ adj. (人或动物)独处的
prairie /'prɛri/ n. 大草原
celestial /səˈlestʃl/ adj. 天上的
reckoning /'rɛkənɪŋ/ n. 计算
63
The road is a strange place.
Shuffling along
, I looked up and you were there walking across the grass toward my truck on an August day.
shuffle along 踯躅而行
64
In
retrospect
, it seems
inevitable
—it could not have been any other way—a
case
of what I call the high probability of the
improbable
.
retrospect /ˈretrəspekt/ n. 回顾
inevitable /ɪnˈevɪtəbl/ adj. 必然发生的
case /keɪs/ n. 情况
improbable /ɪm'prɑbəbl/ adj. 不大可能的
65
So here I am walking around with another person inside of me.
66
Though I think I
put
it better the day we
parted
when I said there is a third person we have created from the two of us.
put /pʊt/ vt. 表达
part /pɑːrt/ vt & vi (使)分离[开]
67
And I am
stalked
now by that other
entity
.
stalk /stɔːk/ v. 跟踪
entity /ˈentəti/ n. 实体
68
Somehow
, we must see each other again. Any place, anytime.
somehow /ˈsʌmhaʊ/ adv. 不知为什么
69
Call me if you ever need anything or simply want to see me. I’ll be there,
pronto
.
pronto /'prɑnto/ adv. 〈美俚〉很快地
70
Let me know if you can come out here sometime— anytime. I can arrange plane
fare
, if that’s a problem.
fare /fer/ n. 票价
71
I’m off to southeast India next week, but I’ll be back in
late
October.
late /leɪt/ adj. 晚期的
72
I Love You,
73
Robert
74
P. S
., The photo project in Madison County
turned out
fine. Look for it in NG next year. Or tell me if you want me to send
a copy of
the
issue
when it’s published.
P. S abbr.（信的）附笔（Post Scriptum）
turn out 结果是
a copy of 一本
issue /ˈɪʃuː/ n. 发行物
75
Francesca Johnson set her brandy glass on the wide oak
windowsill
and stared at an eight-by-ten black-and-white photograph of herself.
windowsill /'wɪndo,sɪl/ n. 窗台
76
Sometimes it was hard for her to remember how she had looked then, twenty-two years ago.
77
In tight
faded
jeans,
sandals
, and a white T-shirt, her hair blowing in the morning wind as she leaned against a fence post.
faded /'feɪdɪd/ adj. 已褪色的
sandal /'sændl/ n. 凉鞋
78
Through the rain, from her place by the window, she could see the
post
where the old fence still
circumscribed
the
pasture
.
post /poʊst/ n. 柱
circumscribe /ˈsɜːrkəmskraɪb/ vt. 包围
pasture /ˈpæstʃər/ n. 牧场
79
When she rented out the land, after Richard died, she
stipulated
the pasture must be kept
intact
, left
untouched
, even though it was empty now and had turned to meadow grass.
stipulate /ˈstɪpjuleɪt/ v. 明确要求
intact /ɪnˈtækt/ adj. 原封不动的
untouched /ʌnˈtʌtʃt/ adj. 未改变的
80
The first serious
lines
were just beginning to show on her face in the photograph. His camera had found them. Still, she was pleased with what she saw.
line /laɪn/ n. 皱纹
81
Her hair was black, and her body was
full
and warm, filling out the jeans just
about right
.
full /fʊl/ adj. 丰满的
about right 合适地
82
Yet it was her face at which she stared. It was the face of a woman
desperately
in love with the man taking the picture.
desperately /ˈd ɛspərɪtlɪ/ adv. <口>极度地
83
She could see him clearly also,
down
the flow of her memory.
down /daʊn/ adv. 沿着
84
Each year she ran all of the images through her mind,
meticulously
, remembering everything, forgetting nothing,
imprinting
all of it, forever,
meticulously /me'tikjuləsli/ adv. 胆小地
imprint /ɪmˈprɪnt/ vt. 帮...印记在心中(或脑海中)
85
like
tribesmen
passing down an
oral
history through the generations.
tribesman /'traɪbzmən/ n. 部落成员
oral /ˈɔːrəl/ adj. 口述的
86
He was tall and thin and hard, and he moved like the grass itself, without effort, gracefully.
87
His silver-gray hair
hung
well below his ears and nearly always looked
disheveled
,
hang /hæŋ/ vt. & vi. 垂下
disheveled /dɪˈʃɛvəld/ adj. 凌乱的
88
as if he had just come in from a long sea voyage through a stiff wind and had tried to brush it into place with his hands.
89
His narrow face, high cheekbones, and hair falling over his forehead
set off
light blue eyes that seemed never to stop looking for the next photograph.
set off 衬托
90
He had smiled at her, saying how fine and warm she looked in
early light
, asked her to lean against the post,
early light 晨光
91
and then moved around her in a wide arc, shooting from knee
level
, then standing, then
lying on his back
with the camera
pointed
up at her.
level /ˈlevl/ n. 水平线
lie on one's back 仰卧
point /pɔɪnt/ v. 瞄准
92
She had been slightly embarrassed at the amount of film he used but pleased by the amount of attention he paid to her.
93
She hoped none of the neighbors were out early on their
tractors
. Though on that particular morning she hadn’t cared too much about neighbors and what they thought.
tractors /'træktɚ/ n. 拖拉机
94
He shot, loaded film, changed lenses, changed cameras, shot some more, and talked quietly to her as he worked, always telling her how good she looked to him and how much he loved her.
95
“Francesca, you’re incredibly beautiful.”
96
Sometimes he stopped and just stared at her, through her, around her, inside of her.
97
Her
nipples
were clearly
outlined
where they pressed against the
cotton
T-shirt.
nipple /'nɪpl/ n. 乳头
outline /ˈaʊtlaɪn/ v. 显示......的轮廓
cotton /ˈkɑːtn/ n. 棉制物
98
She had been
strangely
unconcerned
about that, about being
naked
under the shirt. More, she was glad of it and was warmed knowing that he could see her breasts so clearly down his lenses.
strangely /'strendʒli/ adv. 奇怪地
unconcerned /ˌʌnkən'sɝnd/ adj. 漠不关心的
naked /ˈneɪkɪd/ adj. 明显的
99
Never would she have dressed this way around Richard. He would not have approved.
Indeed
, before meeting Robert Kincaid, she would not have dressed this way anytime.
indeed /ɪnˈdiːd/ adv. 实际上
100
Robert had asked her to
arch
her
back
ever so
slightly, and he had whispered then, “Yes, yes, that’s it, stay there.”
arch /ɑːrtʃ/ vt. & vi. (使)弯成拱形
back /bæk/ n. 背部
ever so 非常
101
That was when he had taken the photograph at which she now stared.
102
The light was perfect, that’s what he had said — “
cloudy
bright” was his name for it — and the
shutter
clicked steadily as he moved around her.
cloudy /'klaʊdi/ adj. 模糊的
shutter /'ʃʌtɚ/ n. (照相机的)快门
103
He was
lithe
; that was the word she had thought of while watching him.
lithe /laɪð/ adj. 轻盈的
104
At fifty-two his body was all
lean
muscle, muscle that moved with the kind of
intensity
and power that comes only to men who work hard and take care of themselves.
lean /liːn/ adj. 瘦的
intensity /ɪnˈtensəti/ n. 强度
105
He told her he had been a
combat
photographer in the Pacific, and Francesca could imagine him coming up smoke-
drenched
beaches with the
marines,
cameras banging against him,
combat /ˈkɑːmbæt/ n. 战斗
drenched /drɛntʃt/ adj. 充满的
marine /məˈriːn/ n. 海军陆战队士兵
106
one to his eye, the shutter almost on fire with the speed of his
picture taking
.
take picture 拍照
107
She looked at the picture again,
studied
it. I did look good, she thought, smiling to herself at the
mild
self-admiration
.
study /'stʌdi/ v. 仔细看
mild /maɪld/ adj. (感觉或表情)微弱的
self-admiration /'self,ædmə'reiʃən/ n. 自赏
108
“I never looked that good before or after. It was him.” And she took another
sip
of brandy while the rain climbed up and
rode
hard
on the back of November wind.
sip /sɪp/ n. 小口喝
ride /raɪd/ vi. 漂浮
hard /hɑːrd/ adv. 猛烈地
109
Robert Kincaid was a
magician
of sorts, who lived
within
himself in strange, almost
threatening
places.
magician /məˈdʒɪʃn/ n. 魔术师
within /wɪˈðɪn/ prep. 在自己内心
threatening /'θrɛtnɪŋ/ adj. 恐吓的
110
Francesca had
sensed
as much immediately on a hot, dry Monday in August 1965, when he
stepped
out of his truck onto her driveway.
sense /sɛns/ vt. 感觉到
step /stɛp/ vt. & vi. 行走
111
Richard and the children were at the Illinois
State
Fair,
exhibiting
the
prize
steer
that received more attention than she did, and she had the week to herself.
state /steɪt/ adj. 州的
exhibit /ɪɡˈzɪbɪt/ vt. 展览
prize /praɪz/ adj. 获奖的
steer /stɪr/ n. 肉用公牛
112
She had been sitting on the front porch
swing
, drinking iced tea,
casually
watching the dust spiral up from under a pickup coming down the
county
road.
swing /swɪŋ/ n. 秋千
casually /ˈkæʒuəli/ adv. 漫不经心地
county /ˈkaʊnti/ n. 县
113
The truck was moving slowly, as if the driver were looking for something, stopped just
short
of her
lane
, then turned up it toward the house. Oh, God, she had thought. Who’s this?
short /ʃɔrt/ n. 短
lane /leɪn/ n. 小巷
114
She was
barefoot
, wearing jeans and a faded blue workshirt with the
sleeves
rolled up,
shirttail
out
.
barefoot /'bɛr'fʊt/ adj. 赤脚的
sleeve /sliːv/ n. 袖子
shirttail /ˈʃɚtˌtel/ n. 衬衣下(后)摆
out /aʊt/ adv. 在外
115
Her long black hair was fastened up by a
tortoiseshell
comb
her father had given her when she left the old country.
tortoiseshell /ˈtɔrtɪsˌʃɛl/ n. 玳瑁壳
comb /koʊm/ n. 梳子
116
The truck
rolled
up the lane and stopped near the
gate
to the wire fence surrounding the house.
roll /roʊl/ v. 摇晃着行进
gate /ɡeɪt/ n. 大门
117
Francesca stepped off the porch and walked
unhurriedly
through the grass toward the gate.
unhurriedly /'ʌn'hʌridli/ adv. 不慌不忙地
118
And out of the pickup came Robert Kincaid, looking like some
vision
from a never-written book called An
Illustrated
History of
Shamans
.
vision /ˈvɪʒn/ n. 幻象
illustrated /'ɪləstret/ adj. 有插图的
shaman /'ʃæmən/ n. 萨满(据信能和善恶神灵沟通,能治病的人)
119
His tan
military
-style shirt was
tacked
down to his back with
perspiration
; there were wide,
dark
circles of it under his arms.
military /ˈmɪləteri/ adj. 军人的
tack /tæk/ v. 固定住
perspiration /ˌpɝspə'reʃən/ n. 汗
dark /dɑrk/ adj. 深色的
120
The
top
three buttons were
undone
, and she could see tight
chest muscles
just below the
plain
silver chain around his neck.
top /tɑp/ adj. 最上面的
undone /ʌn'dʌn/ adj. 已解开的
chest muscle 胸肌
plain /pleɪn/ adj. 无装饰的
121
Over his shoulders were wide orange
suspenders
, the kind
worn
by people who spent a lot of time in
wilderness
areas.
suspender /sə'spɛndɚ/ n. 背带
worn /wɔrn/ v. 穿（wear的过去分词）
wilderness /ˈwɪldərnəs/ n. 荒野
122
He smiled. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m looking for a
covered bridge
out
this way, and I can’t find it. I think I’m
temporarily
lost.”
covered bridge 廊桥
out /aʊt/ prep. <口>沿着…的路线
temporarily /ˌtɛmpə'rɛəli/ adv. 暂时地
123
He wiped his forehead with a blue
bandanna
and smiled again.
bandanna /bæn'dænə/ n. 扎染印花大手帕（等于bandana）
124
His eyes looked directly at her, and she felt something jump inside.
125
The eyes, the voice, the face, the silver hair, the
easy
way he moved his body, old ways,
disturbing
ways, ways that
draw you in
.
easy /'izi/ adj. 自如的
disturbing /dɪ'stɝbɪŋ/ adj. 令人不安的
draw in 引诱
126
Ways that whisper to you in the final moment before sleep comes, when the
barriers
have
fallen
.
barrier /ˈbæriər/ n. 障碍物
fall /fɔːl/ v. 倒塌
127
Ways that rearrange the
molecular
space between male and female,
regardless
of
species
.
molecular /məˈlekjələr/ adj. 分子的
regardless /rɪˈɡɑːrdləs/ adv. 不论怎样
species /ˈspiːʃiːz/ n. 物种
128
The generations must roll, and the ways whisper only of that single requirement,
nothing more
.
nothing more part. 而已
129
The power is infinite, the design
supremely
elegant
.
supremely /su:'pri:mli/ adv. 极其
elegant /ˈelɪɡənt/ adj. 优美的
130
The ways are
unswerving
, their goal is clear. The ways are simple; we have made them seem
complicated
.
unswerving /ʌn'swɝvɪŋ/ adj. 坚定不移的
complicated /ˈkɑːmplɪkeɪtɪd/ adj. 复杂的
131
Francesca sensed this without knowing she was sensing it, sensed it at the level of her cells. And there began the thing that would change her forever.
132
A car went past on the road,
trailing
dust behind it, and
honked
.
trail /treɪl/ vt. & vi. (使某物)被拖在后面
honk /hɑŋk/ vt. 按汽车喇叭
133
Francesca waved back at Floyd Clark’s
brown
arm sticking out of his
Chevy
and turned back to the stranger. “You’re pretty close. The bridge is only about two miles from here.”
brown /braʊn/ adj. 棕色的
chevy /'tʃɛvi/ 雪佛兰（Chevrolet）
134
Then, after twenty years of living the close life, a life of
circumscribed
behavior and
hidden
feelings
demanded
by a
rural
culture,
circumscribe /ˈsɜːrkəmskraɪb/ vt. 约束
hidden /'hɪdn/ adj. 隐藏的
demand /dɪˈmænd/ vt. 要求
rural /ˈrʊrəl/ adj. 农村的
135
Francesca Johnson surprised herself by saying, “I’ll be glad to show it to you, if you want.”
136
Why she did that, she never had been sure. A young girl’s feelings rising like a
bubble
through water and bursting out, maybe, after all these years.
bubble /ˈbʌbl/ n. 气泡
137
She was not shy, but not
forward
, either. The only thing she could ever
conclude
was that Robert Kincaid had drawn her in somehow, after only a few seconds of looking at him.
forward /ˈfɔːrwərd/ adj. 热心的
conclude /kənˈkluːd/ vt. 作结论
138
He was obviously
taken aback
, slightly, by her
offer
. But he
recovered
quickly and with a serious look on his face said he’d appreciate that.
take aback vt. 使吃惊
offer /ˈɔːfər/ n. 主动提议
recover /rɪˈkʌvər/ vt. 恢复(意识、神志或身体状态)
139
From the back steps she picked up the cowboy boots she wore for farm chores and walked out to his truck, following him around to the
passenger side
.
passenger side 副驾驶位
140
“Just take me a minute to
make room
for you; lots of gear ‘n’ stuff in here.” He mumbled mostly to himself as he worked, and she could tell he was a little
flustered
, and a little shy about the whole affair.
make room 腾出地方
flustered adj. 慌张的
141
He was rearranging
canvas
bags and tripods, a Thermos bottle and paper
sacks
.
canvas /ˈkænvəs/ n. 帆布
sack /sæk/ n. 大袋
142
In the back of the pickup were an old tan
Samsonite
suitcase
and a guitar case, both dusty and
battered
, both tied to a spare tire with a piece of
clothesline
rope.
Samsonite /'sæmsənait/ 新秀丽
suitcase /ˈsuːtkeɪs/ n. 手提箱
battered /'bætɚd/ adj. 磨损的
clothesline /'kloz,laɪn/ n. 晒衣绳
143
The door of the truck
swung
shut,
swing /swɪŋ/ v. 做弧线运动
144
banging him in the rear as he mumbled and
sorted
and stuffed paper coffee cups and banana
peels
into a brown grocery bag that he tossed into the truck box when he was finished.
sort /sɔːrt/ vt. 挑选出某物
peel /piːl/ n. 果皮
145
Finally he removed a blue-and-white
ice chest
and put that in the back as well. In faded red paint on the green truck door was printed “Kincaid Photography, Bellingham, Washington.”
ice chest 冰箱
146
“Okay, I think you can squeeze in there now.” He held the door, closed it behind her, then went around to the driver’s side and with a peculiar, animal-like grace stepped in behind the wheel.
147
He looked at her, just a quick glance, smiled slightly, and said, “Which way?”
148
“Right.” She
motioned
with her hand. He turned the key, and the
out-of-tune
engine
ground
to a start.
motion /ˈmoʊʃn/ vi. 打手势
out-of-tune 走调
grind /ɡraɪnd/ v. (机器或车辆伴有噪音地)缓慢运转
149
Along the lane toward the road,
bouncing
, his long legs working the pedals
automatically
, old Levi’s running down over leather-laced, brown field boots that had seen lots of foot miles go by.
bounce /baʊns/ v. (使)上下晃动
automatically /ˌɔːtəˈmætɪkli/ 无意识地,不自觉地,机械地
150
He leaned over and reached into the
glove compartment
, his
forearm
accidentally
brushing across her lower
thigh
.
glove compartment n. (汽车前排座位前放小物件的)杂物箱
forearm /fɔrˈɑrm/ n. 前臂
accidentally /ˌæksɪˈdentəli/ adv. 非故意地
thigh /θaɪ/ n. 大腿
151
Looking half out the windshield and half into the compartment, he took out a business card and handed it to her. “Robert Kincaid, Writer-Photographer.”
152
His address was printed there, along with a phone number.
153
“I’m out here on assignment for National Geographic,” he said. “You familiar with the magazine?”
154
“Yes.” Francesca nodded, thinking, Isn’t everybody?
155
“They’re doing a
piece
on covered bridges, and Madison County, Iowa, apparently has some interesting ones.
piece /pis/ n. (报道、新闻、广播的)一篇
156
I’ve located six of them, but I guess there’s at least one more, and it’s supposed to be out in this direction.”
157
“It’s called Roseman Bridge,” said Francesca over the noise of the wind and tires and engine.
158
Her voice sounded strange, as if it belonged to someone else, to a teenage girl leaning out of a window in Naples,
159
looking far down city streets toward the trains or out at the harbor and thinking of distant lovers
yet to come
.
yet to come 尚未到来
160
As she spoke, she watched the muscles in his
forearm
flex
when he shifted gears.
forearm /fɔrˈɑrm/ n. 前臂
flex /flɛks/ vi. 弯曲
161
Two knapsacks were beside her. The flap of one was closed, but the other was folded back, and she could see the silver-colored top and black back of a camera sticking out.
162
The end of a film box, “
Kodachrome
II, 25. 36
Exposures
,” was taped to the camera back.
kodachrome /'kəudəkrəum/ n. 柯达彩色(单张)胶片
exposure /ɪkˈspoʊʒər/ n. 单张胶片
163
Stuffed behind the packs was a tan vest with many pockets. Out of one pocket dangled a thin cord with a
plunger
on the end.
plunger /'plʌndʒɚ/ n. 活塞
164
Behind her feet were two tripods. They were badly scratched, but she could read part of the
worn
label on one: “Gitzo.”
worn /wɔrn/ adj. 磨薄的
165
When he had opened the glove box, she noticed it was crammed with notebooks, maps, pens, empty film
canisters
,
loose
change, and a carton of Camel cigarettes.
canister /'kænɪstɚ/ n. （放咖啡，茶叶，烟等的）小罐
loose /luːs/ adj. 零散的
166
“Turn right at the next corner,” she said. That gave her an excuse to glance at the
profile
of Robert Kincaid.
profile /ˈproʊfaɪl/ n. 侧面
167
His skin was tanned and smooth and shiny with sweat.
168
He had nice lips; for some reason she had noticed that right away.
169
And his nose was like that she had seen on Indian men during a vacation the family had taken out west when the children were young.
170
He wasn’t handsome, not in any
conventional
sense. Nor was he homely.
conventional /kənˈvenʃənl/ adj. 传统的
171
Those words didn’t seem to
apply
to him. But there was something, something about him. Something very old, something slightly
battered
by the years, not in his
appearance
, but in his eyes.
apply /əˈplaɪ/ vi. 适用
batter /ˈbætər/ v. 肆虐
appearance /əˈpɪrəns/ n. 外表
172
On his left wrist was a complicated-looking watch with a brown, sweat-
stained
leather band.
stained /steɪnd/ adj. 沾了污渍的
173
A silver
bracelet
with some
intricate
scrollwork
clung
to his right wrist.
bracelet /ˈbreɪslət/ n. 手镯
intricate /ˈɪntrɪkət/ adj. 错综复杂的
scrollwork /'skrol,wɝk/ n. 漩涡形装饰
clung /klʌŋ/ v. 贴近（cling的过去分词）
174
It needed a good
rubbing
with silver
polish
, she thought,
rub /rʌb/ v. 摩擦
polish /ˈpɑːlɪʃ/ n. 擦亮剂
175
then
chastised
herself for being caught up in the
trivia
of small-town life she had silently
rebelled
against through the years.
chastise /tʃæˈstaɪz/ vt. 责骂
trivia /ˈtrɪviə/ n. 琐事
rebel /ˈrebl/ v. 反抗(规定、行为规范等)
176
Robert Kincaid pulled a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket, shook one halfway out, and offered it to her.
177
For the second time in five minutes, she surprised herself and took the cigarette. What am I doing? she thought.
178
She had smoked years ago but gave it up under the
steady
thump
of criticism from Richard.
steady /ˈstedi/ adv. 持续地
thump /θʌmp/ v. 重重（或狠狠）地做
179
He shook out another one, put it between his lips, and flicked a gold Zippo
lighter
into
flame
, holding it toward her while he kept his eyes on the road.
lighter /'laɪtɚ/ n. 打火机
flame /fleɪm/ n. 火焰
180
She
cupped
her hands around the lighter to hold the wind in
abeyance
and touched his hand to steady it
against
the bouncing of the truck.
cup /kʌp/ vt. 使成杯状
abeyance /əˈbeɪəns/ n. 中止
against /ə'ɡɛnst/ prep. 以......为背景
181
It took only an instant for her to light the cigarette, but that was long enough to feel the warmth of his hand and the tiny hairs along the back of it.
182
She leaned back and he
swung
the lighter toward his own cigarette,
expertly
forming his wind cup, taking his hands off the
steering wheel
for no more than a second.
swing /swɪŋ/ v. (使)突然转向
expertly /ˈ ɛkspɚtlɪ/ adv. 熟练地
steering wheel n. 方向盘
183
Francesca Johnson, farmer’s wife, rested against the dusty truck seat, smoked the cigarette, and pointed. “There it is, just around the
curve
.”
curve /kɜːrv/ n. 转弯
184
The old bridge, peeling red
in color
,
tilting
slightly from all the years, sat across a small stream.
in color 着色
tilt /tɪlt/ vi. 倾斜
185
Robert Kincaid had smiled then. He quickly looked at her and said, “It’s great. A sunrise shot.”
186
He stopped a hundred feet from the bridge and got out, taking the open knapsack with him. “I’m going to do a little
reconnaissance
for a few minutes, do you mind?”
reconnaissance /rɪˈkɑːnɪsns/ n. 侦查
187
She shook her head and smiled back.
188
Francesca watched him walk up the country road, taking a camera from the knapsack and then
slinging
the bag over his left shoulder.
sling /slɪŋ/ vt. (随便地)扔
189
He had done that thousands of times, that
exact
movement. She could tell by the
fluidity
of it.
exact /ɪɡˈzækt/ adj. 精确的
fluidity /flu:'idəti/ n. 流畅优美
190
As he walked, his head never stopped moving, looking from side to side, then at the bridge, then at the trees behind the bridge. Once he turned and looked back at her, his face serious.
191
In
contrast
with the local
folks
, who
fed
on
gravy
and potatoes and red meat, three times a day for some of them, Robert Kincaid looked as if he ate nothing but fruit and nuts and vegetables.
contrast /ˈkɑːntræst/ n. 对比
folk /foʊk/ n. 人们
fed /fɛd/ vi. 以...为食(feed的过去式)
gravy /'ɡrevi/ n. 肉质
192
Hard, she thought. He looks hard,
physically
.
physically /ˈfɪzɪkl..ɪ/ adv. 身体上
193
She noticed how small his rear was in his tight jeans — she could see the
outlines
of his
billfold
in the left pocket and the
bandanna
in the right one —
outline /ˈaʊtlaɪn/ n. 轮廓
billfold /'bɪlfold/ n. 皮夹子
bandanna /bæn'dænə/ n. 扎染印花大手帕（等于bandana）
194
and how he seemed to move over the ground with unwasted motion.
195
It was quiet.
196
A redwing
blackbird
sat on fence wire and looked in at her.
blackbird /'blækbɝd/ n. (欧洲的)乌鸫
197
A
meadowlark
called from the roadside grass. Nothing else moved in the white sun of August.
meadowlark /'mɛdolɑrk/ n. (北美产的)草地鹨
198
Just short of the bridge, Robert Kincaid stopped.
199
He stood there for a moment, then
squatted
down, looking through the camera. He walked to the other side of the road and did the same thing.
squat /skwɑːt/ vi. 蹲
200
Then he moved into the
cover
of the bridge and studied the
beams
and
floor planks
, looked at the stream below through a hole in the side.
cover /ˈkʌvər/ n. 掩蔽物
beam /biːm/ n. 梁
floor plank 桥面板
201
Francesca snuffed out her cigarette in the ashtray, swung open the door, and put her boots on the
gravel
.
gravel /ˈɡrævl/ n. 碎石
202
She glanced around to make sure none of her neighbors’ cars were coming and walked toward the bridge.
203
The sun was a
hammer
in late afternoon, and it looked cooler inside the bridge.
hammer /ˈhæmər/ vi. 铁锤
204
She could see his
silhouette
at the other end until he disappeared down the
incline
toward the stream.
silhouette /ˌsɪlu'ɛt/ n. 轮廓
incline /ɪnˈklaɪn/ n. 斜坡
205
Inside, she could hear
pigeons
burbling
softly in their
nests
under the
eves
pigeon /ˈpɪdʒɪn/ n. 鸽子
burble /'bɝbl/ vi.（婴孩般）嘟囔
nest /nest/ n. (鸟)窝, 巢
eves n. 傍晚
206
and put the
palm
of her hand on the side
planking
, feeling the warmth.
palm /pɑːm/ n. 手掌
planking /'plæŋkɪŋ/ n. 铺板
207
Graffiti
was scrawled on some of the
planks
: “Jimbo—Denison, Iowa.” “Sherry + Dubby.” “Go
Hawks
!” The pigeons kept on
burbling
softly.
graffiti /ɡrə'fiti/ n. 墙上乱写乱画的东西（graffito的复数形式）
plank /plæŋk/ n. 厚木板
hawk /hɔːk/ n. 鹰
burble /'bɝbl/ vi.（婴孩般）嘟囔
208
Francesca peeked through a crack between two of the
side
planks, down toward the stream where Robert Kincaid had gone.
side /saɪd/ adj. 侧面的
209
He was standing on a rock in the middle of the little river, looking toward the bridge, and she was
startled
to see him wave.
startled /ˈst ɑrt l..d/ adj. 受惊吓的
210
He jumped back to the
bank
and moved easily up the
steep grade
. She kept watching the water until she
sensed
his boots on the bridge
flooring
.
bank /bæŋk/ n. 岸
steep grade 斜坡
sense /sɛns/ vt. 感觉到
flooring /'flɔrɪŋ/ n. 铺地板的材料(如木板和瓷砖)
211
“It’s real nice, real pretty here,” he said, his voice
reverberating
inside the
covered
bridge.
reverberate /rɪˈvɜːrbəreɪt/ vi. 回响
covered /'kʌvɚd/ adj. 有顶的
212
Francesca nodded. “Yes, it is. We
take these old bridges for granted
around here and don’t think much about them.”
take for granted 认为......理所当然
213
He walked to her and held out a small
bouquet
of wildflowers,
black-eyed Susans
.
bouquet /buˈkeɪ/ n. 花束
black-eyed Susans 黄家菊
214
“Thanks for the guided tour.” He smiled softly. “I’ll come back at
dawn
one of these days and get my
shots
.”
dawn /dɔːn/ n. 黎明
shot /ʃɑːt/ n. 一张照片
215
She felt something inside of her again.
216
Flowers. Nobody gave her flowers, even on special
occasions
.
occasion /əˈkeɪʒn/ n. 特殊(或重大)场合
217
“I don’t know your name,” he said.
218
She realized then that she had not told him and felt
dumb
about that.
dumb /dʌm/ adj. 一时说不出话的
219
When she did, he nodded and said, “I caught the smallest
trace
of an
accent
. Italian?”
trace /treɪs/ n. 痕迹
accent /ˈæksent/ n. 口音
220
“Yes. A long time ago.”
221
The green truck again. Along the
gravel roads
with the sun
lowering
itself.
gravel road 碎石路
lower /ˈloʊər/ vt. & vi. (使)降低
222
Twice they met cars, but it was nobody Francesca knew.
223
In the four minutes it took to reach the farm, she drifted, feeling
unraveled
and strange.
unravel /ʌnˈrævl/ vi. 散开
224
More of Robert Kincaid, writer-photographer, that’s what she wanted.
225
She wanted to know more and clutched the flowers on her lap, held them
straight
up, like a
schoolgirl
coming back from an
outing
.
straight /stret/ adv. 竖直地
schoolgirl /'skulɡɝl/ n. (中小学的)女生
outing /ˈaʊtɪŋ/ n. 短足旅游
226
The blood was in her face. She could feel it. She hadn’t done anything or said anything, but she felt as if she had.
227
The truck radio,
indistinguishable
almost in the
roar
of road and wind,
carried
a
steel guitar
song, followed by the five o’clock news.
indistinguishable /ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃəbl/ adj. 难分辨的
roar /rɔːr/ n. 轰鸣
carry /'kæri/ v. 广播
steel guitar 刚弦吉他
228
He turned the truck up the
lane
. “Richard is your husband?” He had seen the mailbox.
lane /leɪn/ n. 小巷
229
“Yes,” said Francesca, slightly
short of breath
. Once her words started, they kept on coming. “It’s pretty hot. Would you like an ice tea?”
short of breath 呼吸短促
230
He
looked over
at her. “If it’s
all right
, I sure would.”
look over 仔细检查〔审视〕(某人或某物)
all right adj. 可允许(的)
231
“It’s all right,” she said.
232
She
directed
him —
casually
, she hoped— to park the pickup around behind the house.
direct /dɪ'rekt/ vt. & vi. 指导
casually /ˈkæʒuəli/ adv. 若无其事地
233
What she didn’t need was for Richard to come home and have one of the neighbor men say,
234
“Hey, Dick, havin’ some work done at the place? Saw a green pickup there last week. Knew Frannie was home so I did’n
bother to
check on
it.”
bother to 费心做某事
check on 核实
235
Up
broken
cement
steps to the back
porch
door.
broken /'brokən/ adj. 凹凸不平的
cement /sɪˈment/ n. 水泥
porch /pɔːrtʃ/ n. <美>游廊
236
He held the door for her, carrying his camera
knapsacks
.
knapsack /'næpsæk/ n. 背包
237
“Awful hot to leave the equipment in the truck,” he had said when he pulled them out.
238
A little cooler in the kitchen, but still hot.
239
The
collie
snuffled
around Kincaid’s boots, then went out on the back porch and
flopped
down
collie /ˈkɑli/ n. 柯利牧羊狗（原产苏格兰）
snuffle /'snʌfl/ vi. (吸气时)发出响声
flop /flɑp/ v. （尤指疲劳时）扑通坐下
240
while Francesca removed ice from metal
trays
and poured
sun tea
from a half-
gallon
glass jug
.
tray /treɪ/ n. 托盘
sun tea 太阳茶
gallon /ˈɡælən/ n. 加仑（液量单位，美制合 3.79 升）
glass jug 有柄玻璃罐
241
She knew he was watching her as he sat at the kitchen table, long legs stretched in front of him, brushing his hair with both hands.
242
“Lemon?”
243
“Yes, please.”
244
“Sugar?”
245
“No, thanks.”
246
The lemon juice
dribbled
slowly down the side of a glass, and he saw that, too. Robert Kincaid
missed
little
.
dribble /'drɪbl/ vt. & vi. (使液体)滴下或作细流
miss /mɪs/ vt. & vi. 未看见
little /ˈlɪtl/ adv. 极少
247
Francesca set the glass before him. Put her own on the other side of the
Formica
-
topped
table and her
bouquet
in water,
formica /fɔ:'maikə/ n. 胶木
top /tɑp/ n. 上层表明
bouquet /buˈkeɪ/ n. 花束
248
in an old
jelly
glass with
renderings
of
Donald Duck
on it.
jelly /ˈdʒeli/ n. 果冻
rendering /ˈrendərɪŋ/ n. 粉刷
Donald Duck 唐老鸭
249
Leaning against the
counter
, she balanced on one leg,
bent over
, and took off a boot.
counter /ˈkaʊntər/ n. 柜台
bent over 俯身
250
Stood on her bare foot and
reversed
the process for the other boot.
reverse /rɪˈvɜːrs/ vt. & vi. (使)颠倒
251
He took a small drink of tea and watched her. She was about
five feet six
,
fortyish
or a little older, pretty face, and a fine,
warm
body.
five feet six 五英寸六英寸(167.6cm）
fortyish /'fɔrtɪʃ/ adj. 四十几岁的
warm /wɔrm/ adj. 热情的
252
But there were pretty women everywhere he
traveled
.
travel /'trævl/ v. (尤指长途)旅行
253
Such physical matters were nice, yet, to him,
intelligence
and passion born of living, the ability to
move
and be moved by
subtleties
of the mind and spirit, were what really
counted
.
intelligence /ɪnˈtelɪdʒəns/ n. 理解力
move /muv/ v. 感动
subtlety /'sʌtlti/ n. 细微
count /kaʊnt/ v. 重要
254
That’s why he found most young women unattractive,
regardless of
their
exterior
beauty. They had not lived long enough or hard enough to
possess
those
qualities
that interested him.
regardless of 不管
exterior /ɪkˈstɪriər/ adj. 外表的
possess /pəˈzes/ vt. 具有
quality /ˈkwɑːləti/ n. 特质
255
But there was something in Francesca Johnson that did interest him.
256
There was intelligence; he could sense that. And there was passion, though he couldn’t
quite
grasp what that passion was
directed
toward or if it was directed
at all
.
quite /kwaɪt/ adv. 完全地
direct /dɪ'rekt/ v. 引导
at all 究竟
257
Later, he would tell her that in ways
undefinable
, watching her take off her boots that day was one of the most
sensual
moments he could remember.
undefinable /ʌndi'fainəbl/ adj. 无法定义的
sensual /'sɛnʃuəl/ adj. 肉欲的
258
Why was not important. That was not the way he
approached
his life.
approach /əˈproʊtʃ/ v. 处理
259
“Analysis
destroys
wholes. Some things, magic things, are meant to stay whole. If you look at their pieces, they go away.”
destroy /dɪˈstrɔɪ/ vt. 破坏
260
That’s what he had said.
261
She sat at the table, one leg curled under her, and pulled back strands of hair that had fallen over her face,
refastening
them with the
tortoiseshell
comb
.
refasten /ri'fæsən/ vt. 再次固定
tortoiseshell /ˈtɔrtɪsˌʃɛl/ n. 玳瑁壳
comb /koʊm/ n. 梳子
262
Then, remembering, she rose and went to the end cupboard, took down an ashtray, and set it on the table where he could reach it.
263
With that
tacit
permission
, he pulled out a pack of Camels and held it toward her. She took one and noticed it was slightly wet from his heavy
perspiring
.
tacit /ˈtæsɪt/ adj. 默许的
permission /pərˈmɪʃn/ n. 允许
perspire /pərˈspaɪər/ vi. 留言
264
Same routine. He held the gold Zippo, she touched his hand to steady it, felt his skin with her
fingertips
, and sat back. The cigarette tasted wonderful, and she smiled.
fingertip /ˈfɪŋɡɚˌtɪp/ n. 指尖
265
“What is it you do, exactly — I mean with the photography?”
266
He looked at his cigarette and spoke quietly.
267
“I’m a
contract
shooter — uh, photographer — for National Geographic, part of the time.
contract /ˈkɑːntrækt/ n. 合同
268
I get ideas, sell them to the magazine, and do the shoot.
269
Or they have something they want done and contact me.
270
