《怦然心动》｜单词注释｜Chapter 10
The Visit
1
Sunday mornings are peaceful in our house.
2
My father lets himself sleep in.
3
My mother lets herself not fix breakfast.
4
And if my brothers have been out late playing with their band, you won't even know they're around until noon.
5
Usually I
tiptoe
out to collect eggs while everyone else is asleep, then
spirit
a bowl of
Cheerios
back to my room to have breakfast in bed and read.
tiptoe /'tɪpto/ vi. 用脚尖走
spirit /'spɪrɪt/ v. 偷偷带走
cheerio /ˌtʃɪrɪ'o/ 麦片
6
But that Sunday—after
spending
most of the night feeling upset or uneasy—I woke up wanting to do something
physical
.
spend /spɛnd/ vt. 度过
physical /ˈfɪzɪkl/ adj. 肢体活动的
7
To shake off the confused way I was still feeling.
8
What I really needed was a good climb in my sycamore tree, but I
settled for
watering the lawn while I tried to think of other things.
settle for 无奈接受
9
I
cranked
open the
spigot
and admired how rich and black the dirt looked as I
sprinkled
back and forth
across the
soil
.
crank /kræŋk/ v. 转动
spigot /'spɪɡət/ n. 龙头
sprinkle /ˈsprɪŋkl/ v. 撒
back and forth 反复地
soil /sɔɪl/ n. 土壤
10
And I was busy talking to my
buried
seedlings,
coaxing
them to
spring up
and
greet
the rising sun, when my father came outside.
buried /'berid/ adj.[地]埋藏的
coax /koʊks/ vt. 用好话劝说
spring up 萌芽
greet /ɡriːt/ vt. 迎接
11
His hair was damp from a shower, and he had a grocery
sack
rolled closed in his hand.
sack /sæk/ n. 麻袋
12
“Dad! I'm sorry if I woke you.”
13
“You didn't, sweetheart. I've
been up
for a while.”
be up 起床
14
“You're not going to work, are you?”
15
“No, I …” He studied me for a moment, then said, “I'm going to visit David.”
16
“Uncle David?”
17
He walked toward his truck, saying, “That's right. I …I should be back around noon.”
18
“But Dad, why today? It's Sunday.”
19
“I know, sweetheart, but it's a special Sunday.”
20
I turned off the spigot. “Why's that?”
21
“It's his fortieth birthday. I want to see him and deliver a gift,” he said as he held up the
paper bag
.
paper bag 纸袋子
22
“Don't worry. I'll
rustle us up
some pancakes for lunch, all right?”
rustle up 搞到
23
“I'm coming with you,” I said, and tossed the
hose
aside.
hose /hoʊz/ n. 水龙带
24
I wasn't even really dressed—I'd just pulled on some
sweats
and sneakers, no socks—but in my mind there was no doubt.
sweats /swets/ n. 运动裤（sweats）
25
I was going.
26
“Why don't you stay home and enjoy the morning with your mother? I'm sure she would—”
27
I went over to the
passenger
side of his truck and said, “I'm coming,” then climbed inside and slammed the door back
in place
.
passenger /ˈpæsɪndʒər/ n. 乘客
in place 在适当的位置
28
“But—” he said through the driver's door.
29
“I'm coming, Dad.”
30
He studied me a moment, then said, “Okay,” and put the bag on the
bench seat
. “Let me leave a note for your mother.”
bench seat 后座
31
While he was inside, I
strapped
on the
lap belt
and told myself that this was good.
strap /stræp/ v. (用带子)束住
lap belt 安全腰带
32
This was something I should've done years ago.
33
Uncle David was part of the family, part of my father, part of me.
34
It was about time I got to know him.
35
I studied the paper sack sitting next to me. 37 What was my father bringing his brother for his fortieth birthday?
36
I picked it up.
38
It wasn't a painting—it was much too
light
for that.
light /laɪt/ adj. 轻的
39
Plus, it made a strange,
muted
rattling
noise when I shook it.
muted /ˈmjuːtɪd/ adj. 柔和的
rattling /'rætlɪŋ/ adj. 咔嗒咔嗒的
40
I was just
unrolling
the top to
peek
inside when my father came back through the front door.
unroll /ʌn'rol/ vt. & vi. 展开
peek /piːk/ vi. 偷看
41
I dropped the sack and
straightened up
, and when he slid behind the
wheel
, I said, “It's okay with you, isn't it?”
wheel /wil/ n. 方向盘
straighten up 清理
42
He just looked at me, his hand on the key in the
ignition
.
ignition /ɪɡ'nɪʃən/ n. (汽油引擎的)发火装置
43
“I … I'm not
ruining
your day with him or anything, am I?”
ruin /ˈruːɪn/ vt. 毁掉
44
He cranked the motor and said, “No, sweetheart. I'm glad you're coming.”
45
We didn't say much to each other on the drive over to Greenhaven.
46
He seemed to want to look at the scenery and I, well, I had a lot of questions, but none I wanted to ask.
47
It was nice,
though
, riding with my father.
48
It was like the silence
connected
us
in a way
that
explanations
never could.
connect /kəˈnekt/ v. (使)连接
in a way 在某种程度上
explanation /ˌekspləˈneɪʃn/ n. 解释
49
When we arrived at Greenhaven, my father parked the truck, but we didn't get out right away.
50
“It takes some getting used to, Julianna, but it does
grow on
you. They grow on you. They're all good people.”
grow on 越来越被...喜爱
51
I nodded, but felt oddly afraid.
52
“Come on, then,” he said, taking the sack from the seat. “Let's go inside.”
53
Greenhaven didn't look like any kind of hospital to me, but it didn't look quite like a house, either.
54
It was too long and
rectangular
for that.
rectangular /rɛk'tæŋgjəlɚ/ adj. 长方形的
55
The walkway had a
faded green
awning
that covered it,
faded green 湖滨绿
awning /'ɔnɪŋ/ n. [建]遮阳篷
56
and
flower beds
alongside with
freshly
planted
pansies
that looked
muddied
and slightly
askew
.
flower bed 花坛
freshly /ˈfrɛʃlɪ/ adv. 新近
pansy /ˈpænzi/ n. 三色紫罗兰
muddy /ˈmʌdi/ adj. 泥泞的
askew /əˈskjuː/ adj. 歪斜的
57
The grass was
patchy
, with three deep holes dug near the building.
patchy /'pætʃi/ adj. 斑驳的
58
“The
residents
tend
the grounds,” my father said.
resident /ˈrezɪdənt/ n. 居民
tend /tend/ vt. 照料
59
“It's part of their
occupational
training
program
, and it's
therapeutic
. Those holes are the
future
homes of Peach,
Plum
, and
Pear
.”
occupational /ˌɑːkjuˈpeɪʃənl/ adj. 职业的
program /'proɡræm/ n. 计划
therapeutic /ˌθerəˈpjuːtɪk/ adj. 对身心健康有意的
future /'fjʊtʃɚ/ adj. 将来的
plum /plʌm/ n. 李子
pear /per/ n. 梨子
60
“Fruit trees?”
61
“Yes. The vote caused quite a
commotion
.”
commotion /kə'moʃən/ n. 骚动
62
“Among the … residents?”
63
“That's right.” He
swung open
one of the glass double doors and said, “Come on in.”
swing open 打开
64
It was cool inside.
65
And it smelled of
pine
cleaner
and
bleach
, with something
vaguely
pungent
underneath.
pine /paɪn/ n. 松树
cleaner /'klinɚ/ n. 清洁器
bleach /bliːtʃ/ n. 漂白剂
vaguely /'veigli/ adv. 略微地
pungent /ˈpʌndʒənt/ adj. (味道或气味)有刺激味的
66
There wasn't a
reception desk
or
waiting area
, just a large
intersection
with white walls and narrow wooden benches.
reception desk 接待处
waiting area 候诊区
intersection /ˌɪntərˈsekʃn/ n. 十字路口
67
To the left was a big room with a television and several rows of
plastic
chairs, to the right were open office doors, and beside us were two pine
armoires
.
plastic /ˈplæstɪk/ adj. 塑料的
armoire /ɑrmˈwɑr/ n. （法）大型衣橱
68
One was open, with half a dozen gray sweaters hung
neatly
in a row.
sweater /'swɛtɚ/ n. 毛衣
neatly /ˈnitlɪ/ adv. 整洁地
69
“Good morning, Robert!” a woman called through one of the office doors.
70
“Good morning, Josie,” my father replied.
71
She came out to meet us, saying, “David's
up and about
. Has been since around six. Mabel tells me it's his birthday today.”
up and about (病人病情好转)起床走动
72
“Mabel is right again.” He turned to me and smiled.
73
“Josie, it's my pleasure to introduce my daughter, Julianna. Julianna, meet Josie Gruenmakker.”
74
“Well now, isn't this nice,” Josie said,
clasping
my hand.
clasp /klæsp/ vt. 扣紧
75
“I recognize you from David's photo
album
. You're gettin' ready to graduate into high school, isn't that right?”
album /ˈælbəm/ n. 相簿
76
I blinked at her, then looked at my dad.
77
I'd never really thought of it that way, but I could see that he had. “Yes, I …I suppose I am.”
78
“Josie's the
site administrator
.”
site administrator [管理]现场管理人员
79
“And,” Josie added with a laugh, “I'm not graduatin' to nowhere! Been here seventeen years, and I'm
staying put
.”
stay put 留在原处不动
80
The phone rang and she hurried off, saying, “Gotta
get that
. I'll meet up with you
in a bit
. Check the
rec room
, then his room. You'll find him.”
get that 明白了
in a bit 一会儿
rec room 娱乐室
81
My dad led me around a corner, and as we
proceeded
down a
hallway
, the
underlying
pungent part of the smell got stronger.
proceed /proʊˈsiːd/ vi. 行进
hallway /'hɔlwe/ n. 走廊
underlying /ˌʌndərˈlaɪɪŋ/ adj. 潜在的
82
Like the place had had years of Mystery Pissers, with no one quite
neutralizing
what had been tagged.
neutralize /ˈnuːtrəlaɪz/ vt. 使失效
83
Down the hall was a small person
hunched
in a
wheel-chair
.
hunch /hʌntʃ/ vt. 弯腰驼背
wheel-chair n. 轮椅
84
At first I thought it was a child, but as we approached, I could see it was a woman.
85
She had almost no hair, and as she gave my dad a
toothless
smile, she grabbed his hand and spoke.
toothless /'tuθləs/ adj. 无齿的
86
My heart
bottomed out
.
bottom out 降到最低点
87
The sounds she made were
choked
and lost on her tongue.
choke /tʃoʊk/ vt. & vi. (使)窒息
88
Nothing she said was
intelligible
, yet she looked at my father with such
intensity
—like of course he understood what she was saying.
intelligible /ɪnˈtelɪdʒəbl/ adj. 可理解的
intensity /ɪnˈtensəti/ n. 强烈
89
To my complete surprise, he said, “You're absolutely right, Mabel. It is today. Which is why I'm here.”
90
He held up the grocery sack and whispered, “I've brought him a little gift.”
91
“Gwa-aaal,” she said. “How'd you know?”
92
She
gurgled
at him until he patted her hand and said, “I'm much too
predictable
, I'm afraid. But he enjoys them, and…”
gurgle /'ɡɝɡl/ vi. 作咯咯声
predictable /prɪˈdɪktəbl/ adj. 可预料的
93
He noticed her
gaze
shift in my direction.
gaze /ɡeɪz/ n. 凝视
94
“Hoo haa,” she said.
95
“This is my daughter, Julianna. Julianna, I'd like you to meet the
extraordinary
Miss Mabel. She can remember everyone's birthday, and she has a real
passion
for
strawberry
milkshakes
.”
extraordinary /ɪkˈstrɔːrdəneri/ adj. 非凡的
passion /ˈpæʃn/ n. 酷爱
strawberry /'strɔbɛri/ n. 草莓
milkshake /'mɪlkʃek/ n. 奶昔
96
I managed a smile and whispered, “Nice to meet you,” but all I got in return was a suspicious scowl.
97
“Well, we're off to David's,” my father said, then shook the bag. “Don't
spill the beans
if he
happens by
.”
spill the beans 〈俚〉泄露秘密
happen by 刚好出现
98
I followed him to a bedroom
doorway
, where he stopped and called, “David? David, it's Robert.”
doorway /ˈdɔːrweɪ/ n. 门口
99
A man appeared at the door.
100
A man I would never have
picked out
as my father's brother.
pick out 辨认出
101
He was
stocky
, with thick brown glasses, and his face looked
puffy
and pale.
stocky /ˈstɑːki/ adj. 健壮结实的
puffy /'pʌfi/ adj. 肿胀的
102
But he threw his arms around my father's chest and cried, “Wobbad! Yaw heew!”
103
“Yes, I am, little brother.”
104
I followed them into the room and saw that the walls were covered in a
collage
of puzzles.
collage /kəˈlɑːʒ/ n. 拼贴画
105
They'd been
glued
directly to the walls and even up on the ceiling!
glue /ɡluː/ vt. 粘合
106
It was
cozy
and comfortable, and interesting.
cozy /ˈkoʊzi/ adj. （温暖)舒适的
107
I felt as though I'd entered a
quilted
cave.
quilted /'kwɪltɪd/ adj. （家具）盖有带衬垫织物的
108
My father
held his brother at arm's length
and said, “And look who I've brought along!”
hold sb at arm's length 与某人保持距离
109
For
a split second
David looked almost
frightened
, but then my father said, “It's my daughter, Julianna.”
a split second 一瞬间
frightened /'fraitnd/ adj. 害怕的
110
David's face broke into a smile. “Ju-weee-an-na!” he cried, then
practically
tackled
me with a hug.
practically /ˈpræktɪkli/ adv. 几乎
tackle /ˈtækl/ vt. & vi. 擒抱
111
I thought I was going to
suffocate
.
suffocate /ˈsʌfəkeɪt/ vi. 窒息
112
My face was buried as he squeezed the air out of me and
rocked
from side to side.
rock /rɑːk/ vt. & vi. (使)来回摆动
113
Then with a giggle he let go and
flopped into
a chair. “Is mooy bwuf-day!”
flop into 蓦地坐下
114
“I know, Uncle David. Happy birthday!”
115
He giggled again. “Fwank eoow!”
116
“We brought you a present,” my dad said as he opened the paper sack.
117
Before he had it out, before I saw the actual size, I remembered the sound it had made when I'd shaken it in the truck.
118
Of course! I thought. A puzzle.
119
Uncle David guessed it, too. “A puwwwle?”
120
“Not just a puzzle,” my dad said as he pulled it out of the sack. “A puzzle and a
pinwheel
.”
pinwheel /'pɪnwil/ n. 纸风车
121
Dad had
wrapped
the puzzle box up in pretty blue paper and had taped the red-and-yellow pinwheel on as a
bow
.
wrap /ræp/ v. 包装
bow /baʊ/ n. 蝴蝶结
122
Uncle David
snatched
the pinwheel right off and blew.
snatch /snætʃ/ vt. 夺得
123
First gently, then
fiercely
, in great
spitty
bursts.
fiercely /ˈfɪrslɪ/ adv. 猛烈地
spit /spɪt/ n. 口水
124
“Ownge!” he cried between blows. “Ownge!”
125
Very gently Dad took it from him and smiled. “Red and yellow do make orange, don't they?”
126
David tried to grab it back, but my father said, “We'll take it outside later. The wind will blow it for you,” and
pressed
the puzzle back in his hands.
press /pres/ v. 将......塞进
127
As the
wrapping paper
fell in
shreds
on the floor, I leaned in to see what sort of puzzle my father had bought him and gasped.
wrapping paper n. 包装纸
shred /ʃred/ n. 碎片
128
Three thousand pieces!
129
And the image was simply white clouds and blue sky.
130
No shading, no trees—nothing but the clouds and the sky.
shading /'ʃedɪŋ/ n. (绘画或物体的)阴影部分
131
My father pointed to a spot in the center of the ceiling. “I thought it would fit just right over there.”
132
Uncle David looked up and nodded, then
lunged
for his pinwheel and said, “Owsiiide?”
lunge /lʌndʒ/ vi. 扑
133
“Sure. Let's go out for a walk. Feel like going down to McElliot's for a birthday ice cream?”
134
Uncle David's head
bobbed
up and down. “Yaaah!”
bob /bɑːb/ v. 点头（表示尊敬、问候或赞同）
135
We checked out through Josie, then
headed
down the street.
check /tʃek/ vt. 核对
head /hed/ vi. 朝…行进
136
David can't walk very fast because his body seems to want to move
inward
instead of forward.
inward /ˈɪnwərd/ adv. 向内
137
His feet
pigeon-toe
and his shoulders
hunch
in, and he seemed to lean on my father pretty heavily as we moved along.
pigeon-toe 内八字
138
But he kept that pinwheel in front of him, watching it spin, crying every now and then, “Owwwange, owwwange!”
139
McElliot's turned out to be a drugstore with an ice cream
parlor
inside.
parlor /'pɑrlɚ/ n. [美] (通常用来构成合成词)店
140
There was a red-and-white-striped awning over the ice cream
counter
, and there were little white tables and chairs set in an area with red-and-white-striped
wallpaper
.
counter /ˈkaʊntər/ n. 柜台
wallpaper /'wɔlpepɚ/ n. 壁纸
141
It was very
festive
-looking, especially for being inside a drugstore.
festive /ˈfestɪv/ adj. 适合于节日的
142
Dad got us all
cones
, and once we were sitting down, Dad and David did talk to each other some, but mostly David wanted to eat his chocolate
fudge
swirl.
cone /koʊn/ n. 蛋筒冰淇淋
fudge /fʌdʒ/ n. 乳脂(巧克力)软糖
143
My father smiled at me from time to time, and I smiled back, but I felt
disconnected
.
disconnected /ˌdɪskə'nɛktɪd/ adj. 分离的
144
How many times had the two of them come here for ice cream?
145
How many birthdays had my father celebrated with his brother like this?
146
How long had he known Mabel and Josie and the rest of the people at Greenhaven?
147
How could it be that in all these years, I'd never spent any time with my uncle?
148
It was like my father had a secret life away from me.
149
A complete family away from me.
150
I didn't like it. Didn't understand it.
151
And I was getting myself pretty
worked up
about it when David's cone crushed in his grip, causing his ice cream to flop onto the table.
worked up 生气的
152
Before my dad could stop him, David picked up the ice cream and tried to
cram
it back onto the cone.
cram /kræm/ vt. 塞入
153
But the cone was
shattered
and the ice cream fell over again, only this time it landed on the floor.
shatter /ˈʃætər/ vi. 粉碎
154
My dad said, “Leave it, David. I'll get you a new one,” but David didn't listen.
155
His chair shot back and he dove after it.
156
“No, David! Let me get you a new one.” My dad pulled him by the arm, but David wouldn't
budge
.
budge /bʌdʒ/ v. (使)稍微移动
157
He grabbed the ice cream and crammed it back onto what was left of his cone, and when the bottom part of his cone
crumbled completely away
, he started screaming.
crumble away 化为乌有
crumble /ˈkrʌmbl/ vt. & vi.(使)碎成细屑
158
It was awful.
159
He was like a two-hundred-pound
infant
, throwing a
tantrum
on the floor.
infant /ˈɪnfənt/ n. 婴儿
tantrum /ˈtæntrəm/ n. 发脾气
160
He was yelling words I couldn't understand, and after a minute of trying to calm him down, my father said, “Julianna, can you get him another cone?”
161
The man behind the counter
scooped
as fast as he could, but in that short time David knocked over a table and two chairs with his
flailing
and managed to
smear
chocolate everywhere.
scoop /skup/ v. 用勺舀
flail /fleɪl/ vt.&vi. （尤指手臂和双腿）乱动
smear /smɪr/ vt. 涂上
162
The
checkers
and customers
at the registers
seemed frozen with
terror
—like David was some sort of monster out to destroy the world.
checker /'tʃɛkɚ/ n. 收银员
at the register 在结账台
terror /ˈterər/ n. 恐怖
163
I gave the new cone to my father, who handed it to David, right there on the floor.
164
And while David sat there eating it, my father and I worked around him, putting everything back
in order
and wiping up the mess.
in order adj. 整齐
165
On the walk back to Greenhaven, David acted like nothing had happened.
166
He
spurted
into his pinwheel and cried, “Owwwange!” from time to time, but when my dad held open the front door, I could tell that David was tired.
spurt /spɜːrt/ vi. 喷出
167
Down in his room David placed the pinwheel on his bed and picked up the puzzle box.
168
“Why don't you take a rest before you get started on it?” my dad asked.
169
David shook his head. “Naaow.”
170
“Okay, then. Let me help you set it up.” My father pulled a
card table
from beneath the bed, then
swung
the legs out and
snapped them into place
.
card table 牌桌（打牌用的轻便小桌）
swing /swɪŋ/ v. (使)摆动
snap into place 卡入到位
171
After he had it shoved up against the wall near the bed, he moved a chair close to it and said, “There you are. All set up.”
172
David had the box open and was already
sifting
through the pieces. “Aaaas a gou wwwone, Wobbad.”
sift /sɪft/ vi. 细究
173
“I'm glad you like it. You think you might have it done by Wednesday? I can come back and glue it on the ceiling for you then if you'd like.”
174
David nodded, but he was already
intent on
the puzzle, carefully laying pieces on the table.
intent on 专心于
175
My father put his hand on his shoulder and said, “I'll see you Wednesday then, okay?”
176
He nodded.
177
“Will you say good-bye to Julianna?”
178
“Baaawye,” he said, but he didn't look up from his box of pieces.
179
“See you later, Uncle David.” I tried to sound cheerful, but I didn't
feel that way
.
feel that way 有那样的感觉
180
When we got back into the truck, my dad clicked on his seat belt and said, “So.”
181
I just looked at him and tried to smile.
182
“Are you as exhausted as I am?” he said.
183
I nodded. “Everything was fine—except for the ice cream.”
184
Dad chuckled. “Except for the ice cream.”
185
Then he turned serious.
186
“The trouble is, you never know what ‘the ice cream’ is going to be. Sometimes it's a fly in the room. Sometimes it's the feel of his socks. It's hard to
predict
everything.
predict /prɪˈdɪkt/ vt. 预知
187
Usually getting ice cream is safe.”
188
He shook his head and closed his eyes, thinking things I couldn't imagine.
189
Finally he turned the ignition and said,
190
“David lived with your mother and me for a while. Before you kids were born. We thought it would be better for him to live with us than to be in a
home
, but we were wrong.”
home /hom/ n. 收容所
191
“But
overall
, everything went okay today….” He
ground
the
gearshift
into
reverse
.
overall /ˌoʊvərˈɔːl/ adv. 总的来说
grind /ɡraɪnd/ v. (机器或车辆伴有噪音地)缓慢运转
gearshift /'gɪr,ʃɪft/ n. 变速排档
reverse /rɪˈvɜːrs/ n. 倒车档
192
“David has many, many special needs, both emotional and physical. Your mom and I couldn't handle them all.
193
Fortunately he's happy here. They have
programs
to teach him how to care for himself— how to dress and bathe and brush his teeth, how to act around others and communicate.
program /'progræm/ n. [美] 课程
194
They go on outings, and he has a job doing
mailings
for a doctor's office….”
mail /meɪl/ vi. 邮寄
195
“He does?”
196
“He goes there every morning during the week to fold
mailings
and fill envelopes. Greenhaven's been so good for him. He gets an
incredible
amount of
individualized
attention
.
mailing /'melɪŋ/ n. 〈美〉邮件
incredible /ɪnˈkredəbl/ adj. 极好的
individualized /ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒuəlaɪzd/ adj.个性化的
attention /ə'tɛnʃən/ n. 照料
197
He has his own room, his own friends, his own life.”
198
After a minute I said, “But he's part of the family, Dad. And it just doesn't seem right that he's never been over for a visit. Not even on Christmas or
Thanksgiving
!”
thanksgiving /ˌθæŋksˈɡɪvɪŋ/ n. 感恩节
199
“He doesn't want to, sweetheart.
200
One year your mother and I insisted he spend Thanksgiving with us, and it was the biggest disaster you can imagine. He broke a window out of the car, he was
that
upset.”
that /ðæt/ adv. (非正式)很，非常
201
“But … why haven't we been visiting him? I know you have, but the rest of us. Why not?”
202
“Well, it's
draining
. Your mother finds it incredibly
depressing
, and I understand that. We both agreed that it was no place to take small children.”
draining /'dreiniŋ/ adj. 使精疲力尽的
depressing /dɪ'prɛsɪŋ/ adj. 压抑的
203
He
accelerated
onto the highway, silent behind the wheel.
accelerate /əkˈseləreɪt/ vt. & vi.(使)增速
204
Finally he said, “The
years
just seem to
slip away
, Julianna. One day you have a baby in your arms, and the next you realize she's very
nearly
a woman.”
years 岁月
slip away 悄悄溜走
nearly /'nɪrli/ adv. 差不多
205
He smiled at me sadly.
206
“I love David, but he is a
burden
, and I guess I wanted to protect you from that. But I realize now that all of this has affected you and the family.”
burden /ˈbɜːrdn/ n. 负担
207
“But Dad, it's not—”
208
“Julianna, what I'm trying to tell you is I'm sorry. There was so much I wanted to give you. All of you. I guess I didn't
see
until recently how little I've actually provided.”
see /si/ v. 认识到
209
“That's not true!”
210
“Well, I think you know my heart's been in the right place, but if you
line it up
objectively
, a man like, say, Mr. Loski
adds up
to a much better husband and father than a man like me does.
line up 排列
objectively /əbˈd ʒ ɛktɪvlɪ/ adv. 客观地
add up 加起来
211
He's around more, he provides more, and he's probably a lot more fun.”
212
My dad wasn't one to
go fishing
for
compliments
or signs of appreciation, but still, I couldn't quite believe he actually thought that.
go fish 找别人去(生活用语)
compliment /ˈkɑːmplɪmənt/ n. 恭维(话)
213
“Dad, I don't care how it looks
on paper
, I think you're the best dad ever! And when I marry somebody someday, I sure don't want him to be like Mr. Loski! I want him to be like you.”
on paper 理论上
214
He looked at me like he couldn't quite believe his ears. “
Is that so
,” he said with a grin.
Is that so 真的是这样么?
215
“Well, I'll remind you of that as your someday
approaches
.”
approach /əˈproʊtʃ/ vt. & vi. 接近
216
That turned the rest of the trip around.
217
We laughed and
joked
and talked about all kinds of things, but as we neared home, there was one thing the
conversation
kept turning back to.
joke /dʒok/ vi. 开玩笑
conversation /ˌkɑnvɚ'seʃən/ n. 谈话
218
Pancakes.
219
My mother, though, had other plans.
220
She'd spent the morning
scrubbing
floors and
nixed
the pancakes.
scrub /skrʌb/ vt. 用力擦洗
nix /nɪks/ vt. [俚]拒绝
221
“I need something with more
staying power
. Like
grilled
ham-and-cheese. With onions,” she said. “Lots of onions!”
staying power 持久力
grill /ɡrɪl/ vt. 烤
222
“Scrubbing floors?” my dad said. “It's Sunday, Trina. Why were you scrubbing floors?”
223
“Nervous energy.” She looked at me. “How'd it go?”
224
“Okay. I'm glad I went.”
225
She glanced at my dad and then at me.
226
“Well, good,” she sighed, then said, “I also felt like scrubbing because I got a call from Patsy.”
227
“Loski?” my dad asked. “Is something wrong?”
228
My mother pushed a few
wisps
of hair back and said, “No…. She called to invite us over for dinner on Friday.”
wisp /wɪsp/ n. 小束
229
We blinked at her a moment; then I asked, “All of us?”
230
“Yes.”
231
I could see what my dad was thinking: Why? All these years of living across the street, and we'd never been invited over. Why now?
232
My mom could see it, too.
233
She sighed and said,
234
“Robert, I don't exactly know why, but she was
insistent
. She was
practically
in tears
, saying how sorry she was that she'd never invited us before and how she'd really like to get to know us better.”
insistent /ɪnˈsɪstənt/ adj. 坚持的
practically /ˈpræktɪkli/ adv. 几乎
in tears 哭
235
“What did you tell her?”
236
“I couldn't very well say no. She was being so nice, and Chet has really done a lot….” She shrugged and said, “I said we'd go. It's set for six o'clock Friday night.”
237
“Really?” I asked.
238
She shrugged again. “I think it might be nice. A little strange, but nice.”
239
“Well, okay then,” my dad said. “I won't
schedule
any
overtime
for Friday. What about the boys?”
schedule /ˈskedʒuːl/ vt. 安排
overtime /ˈoʊvərtaɪm/ n. 加班
240
“There's no
gig
on the calendar, and they're not scheduled to work, but I haven't talked to them about it yet.”
gig /ɡɪɡ/ n. 演出
241
“Are you sure they want us all over there?” my dad asked.
242
My mom nodded. “She insists.”
243
I could tell
the whole idea of dinner at the Loskis' was making my dad pretty uncomfortable, but we could both see that something about this invitation
meant a lot
to my mother.
I could tell 我看得出来
meant a lot 意义重大
244
“All right then,” he said, and got to work slicing cheese and onions.
245
For the rest of the afternoon, I sort of
lazed
around, reading and
daydreaming
.
laze /lez/ vt. 懒散
daydream /'dedrim/ vi. 做白日梦
246
And at school the next day, I couldn't seem to concentrate.
247
My thoughts kept turning back to David.
248
I wondered what my grandparents had been like, and what they'd
gone through
, having a son like him.
go through 经受
249
I daydreamed a lot about the sycamore tree, too, which at first I thought was because I was feeling
melancholy
.
melancholy /'mɛlənkɑli/ adj. 忧郁的
250
But then I remembered how my mother had called the sycamore a testimony to endurance. It had survived being damaged as a
sapling
. It had grown.
sapling /'sæplɪŋ/ n. 幼树
251
Other people thought it was ugly, but I never had. Maybe it was all how you looked at it. Maybe there were things I saw as ugly that other people thought were beautiful.
252
Like Shelly Stalls. A perfect example!
253
To me there was absolutely nothing to
recommend
her, but the rest of the world seemed to think she was
the cat's meow
.
recommend /ˌrekəˈmend/ vt. 赞许某人[某事物]
the cat's meow 棒极了
254
Me-ow.
255
Anyway, I sort of drifted through the week like that. Until Thursday.
256
Thursday our social studies class went to the library to do research for our famous historical figure report.
257
I'd chosen Susan B. Anthony and her fight for the
right to vote
, and I was in the middle of tracking down some books when Darla Tressler
flagged
me from the end of a
stack
.
right to vote 投票权
flag /flæɡ/ v. 引起对......的注意
stack /stæk/ n. (图书馆的)藏书架
258
Darla was in a few of my
classes
, but we weren't really friends, so I looked behind me to see who else she might be flagging.
class /klæs/ n. (某一科目的)课程
259
“Come here!” she
mouthed
,
frantically
waving me over.
mouth /maʊθ/ v. 用口型默示
frantically /ˈfræntɪklɪ/ adv. 疯狂地
260
So I hurried over.
261
She pointed through the column of books and whispered, “Listen!”
262
It was Garrett's voice. And then Bryce's.
263
And they were talking about … me. About my chickens. And salmonella poisoning.
264
And how Bryce had been throwing away my eggs. And about me fixing up our yard.
265
Bryce was sounding like he felt really bad, but then suddenly my blood ran cold.
266
He was talking about David!
267
And then Garrett laughed and said, “A retard? Well, that explains a lot, doesn't it? You know… about Juli?”
268
For a second, there was silence.
269
And at that moment I was sure they must be able to hear my heart pounding in my chest, but then Bryce laughed and said, “Oh, right.”
270
I positively crumbled onto the floor.
271
And in a flash the voices were gone.
272
Darla checked around the corner, then sat beside me, saying, “Oh, Jules, I'm so, so sorry. I thought he was about to
confess
that he's been
crushing on
you.”
confess /kənˈfes/ vi. 坦白
crush on 暗恋
273
“What? Darla, Bryce does not have a crush on me.”
274
“Where have you been? Haven't you noticed the way he's been looking at you? That boy is lost in Loveland.”
275
“Oh, obviously! You just heard him, Darla!”
276
“Yeah, but yesterday, yesterday I caught him staring at you and he said there was a bee in your hair. A bee, girl. Is that the
lamest
cover-up
you've ever heard or what?”
lame /leɪm/ adj. 站不住脚的
cover-up /ˈkʌvɚˌʌp/ n. 掩饰
277
“Darla, the way things have been going, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a bee in my hair.”
278
“Oh, you think you're that sweet, huh? Just attract bees like honey? Well, honey, the only bee you're attracting around here is B-r-y-c-e.
279
Cute, yeah. But after what I just heard, I'd
stomp
and
grind
, girl. Stomp and grind.”
stomp /stɑmp/ vt. 跺脚
grind /ɡraɪnd/ vi. 磨碎
280
She got up to go but turned and said, “Don't worry. I won't
jabber
.”
jabber /ˈdʒæbər/ vi. 吱吱喳喳地叫
281
I just shook my head and forgot about Darla.
282
How wrong could a person be.
283
It was what Bryce and Garrett had said that I couldn't forget.
284
How could they be so
cruel
? And so stupid? Is this what my father had gone through growing up?
cruel /ˈkruːəl/ adj. 残忍的
285
The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.
286
What right did Bryce have to make fun of my uncle? How dare he!
287
I felt fire burn in my cheeks and a cold, hard
knot
tighten in my heart.
knot /nɑːt/ vi. 打结
288
And in a flash I knew—I
was through with
Bryce Loski.
be through with 结束
289
He could keep his brilliant blue eyes.
290
He could keep his two-faced smile and… and my kiss.
291
That's right!
292
He could keep that, too.
293
I was never, ever going to talk to him again!
294
I stormed back to the section of books on Susan B. Anthony, found two that would work, and then went back to my table.
295
But as I was collecting my things to check out of the library, I remembered.
296
The next day we were going to the Loskis' house for dinner.
297
I
zipped
up my backpack and threw it on my shoulder.
zip /zɪp/ vt. 拉上或拉开拉链
298
Surely after what had happened, I had the right to vote against going!
299
Didn't I?
300
