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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
In the town where commentator1 Carol Wasserman lives, there is someone who is trying to redefine his status. He is new to the area, but he'd still like to have the title of "old friend".
John and I like to sit on the floor together, in the meeting room of a library, opening boxes. Once a month, there is a used-book sale. A bunch of us with nothing better to do comes in early and sorts through the donations. Before John started volunteering, we all behaved like purposeful adults. Because of him we turned into a bunch of out-of-control 8th graders who make too much noise, and keep yelling "underpants" for no good reason.
John says that what we are doing is building community. He has many lofty unprovable opinions about Jesus and liberation and justice for the poor. He is also crazy even for a college professor which is why I like him. He's just moved into the first house he's ever owned, alone for the first time since leaving the priesthood, but it takes a while to feel secure around all of us who have known each other since day care. He worries about this a lot.
One day while we were sorting through a carton of trade paperbacks2, he said, what I want is to be able to show up at someone's house unannounced at 11 o'clock at night for cocoa in my bunny slippers3. I told him it takes 2 years to make old friends. Two years, that's it. Way less than 10 year(s). He started keeping track of the time he'd logged in around town, how long he'd known the guys at the post office, how long he had been working a spaghetti suppers at the Beach Association. How many successive weeks he'd lost his lunch money playing high-stakes pinochle with the people next door... Waiting, impatient to run out the clock: two years.
In the interim4, I found myself in need of a favor, a squirmy, embarrassing big old favor. I needed someone to drive me 40 hard miles into Boston for an unpleasant screening test that becomes routine at 50. I needed someone to get me there then wait around for a couple of hours and schlep me home, in the middle of the day when decent normal people are busy at work. So just before the last book sale while John and I were on the floor separating fact from fiction, I screwed my courage to the sticking point and said "John, I'm having a colonoscopy. Would you drive me or is that just too creepy and weird5?" "It would be my pleasure to escort you." He said, which must have been the truth judging from the number of people in town who knew almost immediately that would be busy on Thursday and why.
When it was over, I wobbled out to the waiting room. There was John, grinning like a fool .I started to cry at the sight of him, such a lovely man. Through a blur6 of gratitude7 and Demerol, I said that 2-year rule does not apply to anyone who drives the person to their colonoscopy.
"I know; I know." He said, hugging me, "Look what I got you?" and he handed me an out-of-season Easter Bunny wrapped in pink foil. There was John, one of my oldest friends, who had bought us a chocolate Bunny for the long ride home.
Carol Wasserman lives in Wareham, Massachusetts.
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purposeful
having a clear aim or purpose
synonym determineda purposeful and consistent foreign policya purposeful movement
day care
when babies or young children, or sick or old people are looked after during the day, especially while their family members are at work
day care centre/services/facilities subsidized day care facilities
day care for
Local authorities may provide day care for under fives.a day care centre for the elderly
pinochle
an American card game
squirm v.
to feel very embarrassed or ashamed
squirm with
He made me squirm with embarrassment8.
schlep
to carry or pull something heavy
schlep something down/out/along etc
I schlepped his bag all the way to the airport and he didn't even thank me.
schlep around (something) phrasal verb
to spend your time lazily doing nothing useful
I spent the afternoon schlepping around the house.
screw up the/enough courage to do something
also screw up your courage
to be brave enough to do something you are very nervous about
I finally screwed up enough courage to talk to her.
colonoscopy
[医]结肠镜检查
creepy
making you feel nervous and slightly frightened
There's something creepy about the way he looks at me. The whole place feels creepy.
Demerol
A trademark9 used for a medicinal preparation of meperidine.
德美罗用于镇痛药哌替啶的一种商标
be in/out of season
vegetables and fruit that are in season are cheap and easily available because it is the time of year when they are ready to eat. If they are out of season, they are expensive or not available
Vine tomatoes are in season from April to October.
John and I like to sit on the floor together, in the meeting room of a library, opening boxes. Once a month, there is a used-book sale. A bunch of us with nothing better to do comes in early and sorts through the donations. Before John started volunteering, we all behaved like purposeful adults. Because of him we turned into a bunch of out-of-control 8th graders who make too much noise, and keep yelling "underpants" for no good reason.
John says that what we are doing is building community. He has many lofty unprovable opinions about Jesus and liberation and justice for the poor. He is also crazy even for a college professor which is why I like him. He's just moved into the first house he's ever owned, alone for the first time since leaving the priesthood, but it takes a while to feel secure around all of us who have known each other since day care. He worries about this a lot.
One day while we were sorting through a carton of trade paperbacks2, he said, what I want is to be able to show up at someone's house unannounced at 11 o'clock at night for cocoa in my bunny slippers3. I told him it takes 2 years to make old friends. Two years, that's it. Way less than 10 year(s). He started keeping track of the time he'd logged in around town, how long he'd known the guys at the post office, how long he had been working a spaghetti suppers at the Beach Association. How many successive weeks he'd lost his lunch money playing high-stakes pinochle with the people next door... Waiting, impatient to run out the clock: two years.
In the interim4, I found myself in need of a favor, a squirmy, embarrassing big old favor. I needed someone to drive me 40 hard miles into Boston for an unpleasant screening test that becomes routine at 50. I needed someone to get me there then wait around for a couple of hours and schlep me home, in the middle of the day when decent normal people are busy at work. So just before the last book sale while John and I were on the floor separating fact from fiction, I screwed my courage to the sticking point and said "John, I'm having a colonoscopy. Would you drive me or is that just too creepy and weird5?" "It would be my pleasure to escort you." He said, which must have been the truth judging from the number of people in town who knew almost immediately that would be busy on Thursday and why.
When it was over, I wobbled out to the waiting room. There was John, grinning like a fool .I started to cry at the sight of him, such a lovely man. Through a blur6 of gratitude7 and Demerol, I said that 2-year rule does not apply to anyone who drives the person to their colonoscopy.
"I know; I know." He said, hugging me, "Look what I got you?" and he handed me an out-of-season Easter Bunny wrapped in pink foil. There was John, one of my oldest friends, who had bought us a chocolate Bunny for the long ride home.
Carol Wasserman lives in Wareham, Massachusetts.
--------------------------
purposeful
having a clear aim or purpose
synonym determineda purposeful and consistent foreign policya purposeful movement
day care
when babies or young children, or sick or old people are looked after during the day, especially while their family members are at work
day care centre/services/facilities subsidized day care facilities
day care for
Local authorities may provide day care for under fives.a day care centre for the elderly
pinochle
an American card game
squirm v.
to feel very embarrassed or ashamed
squirm with
He made me squirm with embarrassment8.
schlep
to carry or pull something heavy
schlep something down/out/along etc
I schlepped his bag all the way to the airport and he didn't even thank me.
schlep around (something) phrasal verb
to spend your time lazily doing nothing useful
I spent the afternoon schlepping around the house.
screw up the/enough courage to do something
also screw up your courage
to be brave enough to do something you are very nervous about
I finally screwed up enough courage to talk to her.
colonoscopy
[医]结肠镜检查
creepy
making you feel nervous and slightly frightened
There's something creepy about the way he looks at me. The whole place feels creepy.
Demerol
A trademark9 used for a medicinal preparation of meperidine.
德美罗用于镇痛药哌替啶的一种商标
be in/out of season
vegetables and fruit that are in season are cheap and easily available because it is the time of year when they are ready to eat. If they are out of season, they are expensive or not available
Vine tomatoes are in season from April to October.
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1
commentator
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| n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员 | |
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2
paperbacks
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| n.平装本，平装书( paperback的名词复数 ) | |
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3
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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4
interim
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| adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间 | |
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5
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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6
blur
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| n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚 | |
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7
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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8
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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trademark
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| n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标 | |
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