NPR 10-08:pening Doors and Hearts at the Plaza Hotel 用心去开

Ed Trinka shares 45 years of memories as a doorman to stars and others at New York's Plaza¹ Hotel

It's Friday morning, which means² it's time again for StoryCorps, the project that records Americans talking about their lives and talking with each other about their lives. Today, we have a story made possible by a New York City landmark³, the Plaza Hotel. It's near Central Park. It first opened its doors 100 years ago this week. For 45 of those years Ed Trinka has greeted hotel guests and passers-by which is how Debra Goodman met him. They struck up a friendship as she walked to work each day and she brought Ed to StoryCorps to talk about his work.

How did you get the job as doorman at the Plaza Hotel?

Oh, my father was a garage manager at the Plaza for 30 years and he was friends with all the doormen. And when I graduated from high school, he said there is a nice job for you over there, just go over and talk to somebody. One of the doormen was sick and they put the hat and coat on me which fit very well. And they put me on the door right away and I got outside and started working. That was my first job and then it was great.

What was the best tip you ever got?

I always tell a story about Jackie Gleason. For Christmastime, he says to me, What was the biggest tip you ever got? And I say, Well, $100. And he says, Here is $150 and Merry Christmas. He says, By the way, who was the one that gave you the hundred? I said, that was you last year.

Now, I got to know you because I walk to work every morning and I cut by the Plaza and I see you and you made my day because you say Good morning young lady, beautiful day.

Eh, that's what it's all about, being in front there and smiling and just making everybody happy and that's the whole thing of it. You know, anybody that comes in there is a VIP and when they tell me you treat them like a VIP, I say, I already do. I had a guest that come in one morning, 6:30 in the morning, and he had to go to a very important meeting and he asked me where he could get his shoe shined. And I says, it don't open until 8 o'clock our barbershop⁴, so I says I tell you what, give me the shoes and you come back in half an hour or so I'll have 'em done. I ran down to my locker⁵ got my shoeshine kit⁶ which I have in my locker to shine my shoes, shined 'em up for him, come back up, he come by , put his shoes on, got to the meeting and he is one of my best friends. Matter of fact, he's come back to the Plaza all the time. You know, my father told me years ago, he said be such a man and live such a life that if everybody lived a life like yours, this would be God's paradise⁷. And I go by that.

Ed Trinka with Debra Goodman at StoryCorps in New York City. This and all StoryCorps interviews are archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress⁸ and you can subscribe⁹ to the StoryCorps podcast simply by going to npr.org.

1 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

2 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

3 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

4 barbershop   

n.理发店；无伴奏合唱的

参考例句：

• For nearly two hours,I waited my turn at the barbershop.我在理发店(排队)等了差不多两个小时。
• I have run into him in the barbershop there.我在理发馆那儿遇到了他。

5 locker   

n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人

参考例句：

• At the swimming pool I put my clothes in a locker.在游泳池我把衣服锁在小柜里。
• He moved into the locker room and began to slip out of his scrub suit.他走进更衣室把手术服脱下来。

6 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

7 paradise   

n.伊甸乐园，天堂

参考例句：

• My house had a small backyard,the paradise of children.我那幢房子有一个小后院，那是孩子们玩耍的乐园。
• On a hot day a dip in the sea is sheer paradise.热天洗个海水澡是十分令人惬意的事。

8 Congress   

n.(代表)大会；(C-:美国等国的)国会，议会

参考例句：

• There were some days to wait before the Congress.大会的召开还有几天时间。
• After 18 years in Congress,he intented to return to private life.在国会供职18年后，他打算告老还乡。

9 subscribe   

vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助

参考例句：

• I heartily subscribe to that sentiment.我十分赞同那个观点。
• The magazine is trying to get more readers to subscribe.该杂志正大力发展新订户。