美国国家公共电台 NPR In 'Mobituaries,' Mo Rocca Gives People The Second Send-Offs They Deserved

 

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

The humorist Mo Rocca loves obituaries¹. He loves how one last time the public gets to dig into people's lives, however consequential² those people may have been. He has coined the term Mobituary. It's a second remembrance for someone who didn't get a fair treatment the first go around. His new book, "Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving," memorializes those who have passed and not just people, also places, like Prussia - date of death - February 25, 1947. Prussia's life, Mo Rocca writes, is the story of the transformation⁴ of an insignificant⁵ medieval territory into a major European power. And may you rest in peace, the station wagon⁶. Mo Rocca is with us from New York. Good morning.

MO ROCCA: Good morning, David. Good to be with you.

GREENE: Well, it's good to have you. So you wrote that the station wagon died a tragic⁷ death in 2011, the death of a leviathan, you said, so make your case.

ROCCA: Well, the station wagon, for people of a certain age, was, of course, a beloved family vehicle.

GREENE: My age, including me. My mom and I drove all over Pittsburgh in an old station wagon.

ROCCA: And I hope you, like I, loved riding in the way back. There was no other place to be.

GREENE: Of course.

ROCCA: I loved whenever my father or mother would make a wide turn and I'd get thrown against the side. I just loved, you know, pin-balling all around, especially after a pizza party with friends. And it was a wonderful experience to have that, even though it was a death chamber⁸ in the way back. We all know that.

GREENE: Right.

ROCCA: But it did die in 2011, but it had begun its demise⁹ long before in 1983 when the minivan was introduced. If you can remember, the minivan was actually seen as something hot and sexy back then. So it was out with the station wagon. But it's remarkable¹⁰ to think the Ford¹¹ Country Squire¹² at one point was 19 feet long. I mean, you couldn't...

GREENE: That's a large vehicle.

ROCCA: There weren't even parking spaces big enough for them.

GREENE: No. Parallel parking was impossible. Don't learn how to drive in one of those things. What got you interested in death?

ROCCA: Life got me interested in death because a good obituary³ is really about the life of something - someone and not the death. And my father got me interested in obituaries. He would always say the obits was his favorite section of the newspaper. And I think he loved them because he had a real sense of the romance of life. And I'm not being cute there. A good obit does feel like a movie trailer for an Oscar-winning biopic, sort of the highs, the lows, the triumphs and the tragedies. There's a kind of sweep and a drama about them. But not everyone has gotten the send-off they deserve or really any send-off. And, of course, there are rarely obituaries for things, for ideas, for places.

GREENE: You do focus on some people, though, and some people don't get the send-off they deserve because they had the misfortune of dying on the same day as someone else, which you write about. There was Margaret Thatcher¹³, April 8, 2013. But she died on the same day as Annette Funicello, who I'm assuming didn't get maybe what you thought she deserved. Can you start by reminding us who she was?

ROCCA: Annette Funicello was beloved on "The Mickey Mouse Club" and then she was - she made the transition into movies as a grown-up in "Beach Blanket Bingo." And then she suffered from multiple sclerosis and in a third act became a great advocate for people suffering from that. And I like to think of her and Margaret Thatcher - I don't know - maybe palling¹⁴ around in the afterlife or thinking of maybe a "Freaky Friday" reboot where they switch places. But the randomness¹⁵ of who ends up dying on the same day is fun to write about.

GREENE: I bet. Well, another part of the book I loved was you write about people who have New Jersey¹⁶ Turnpike rest stops named for them. And I've driven the interstate many times, and all these names sound so familiar. But one of them, Joyce Kilmer, remembered for writing a poem called "Trees." As your Mobituary, you wrote a follow-up poem to Joyce Kilmer's poem. And could you read that for me?

ROCCA: Yes. "Trees Part Two" - (reading) Joyce Kilmer's famous poem "Trees" always leaves me ill at ease. You know the verse I'm speaking of, the one where Joyce professes¹⁷ love for every tree that's ever been, deciduous¹⁸ or evergreen¹⁹. The couplets jangle every time with singsong meter, obvious rhyme. The sentiment, it seems, well, false, a bit too thick with Grandma's schmaltz. So as you'll gather, I'm no fan, and by the way, he was a man.

GREENE: (Laughter) OK. I do want to get back to your father who you mentioned because, you know, your book does not have a quick, simple dedication²⁰ at the front. It has an entire chapter dedicated²¹ to Marcel "Jack²²" Rocca, who died in 2004, your dad. Can you tell me about him?

ROCCA: My father started playing the trumpet²³ at the age of 50, which is the age I am now, which is an act of such extraordinary optimism. I still remember in the cellar of our house on the wall there were a series of Xeroxed sheets teaching you how to perfect your embouchure, a word I learned to spell early on, which is how a trumpeter forms his lips around the mouthpiece of a trumpet. It's really hard to do. And my father didn't think that he would end up playing at the Blue Note. He knew that he was starting late. But, boy, every morning for a half an hour, he would work on those scales, on those exercises. And then for an hour every night without fail, he would be in the cellar, and it might as well have been the Blue Note.

GREENE: And he played clubs and everything, right? I mean, he was all over the place.

ROCCA: He and his buddies²⁴, they formed a band called the Metrotones. Every Monday night, they had a jam session. Without fail, he would attend that jam session. I mean, it was an act of such love and such faith. They played a lot of retirement²⁵ homes, assisted living, but every gig was important to him. And that made a big impact on me. I mean, my father was also an extraordinarily²⁶ sensitive person and treated people with dignity. I know I'm sounding - it's my father and I'm idealizing him, but when I was writing this book, so many of these topics I feel a connection with him on them.

(SOUNDBITE OF BRIAN CARRICK AND GREGG STAFFORD'S "ALL OF ME")

GREENE: Mo Rocca, wonderful book, and it's great to hear about your dad.

ROCCA: Well, thank you, David.

(SOUNDBITE OF BRIAN CARRICK AND GREGG STAFFORD'S "ALL OF ME")

GREENE: Can I ask you the real burning question?

ROCCA: Yes.

GREENE: What was Prussia?

ROCCA: It was a duchy. It was an empire. Prussia was anything you wanted it to be. Most importantly, it was the entity²⁷ that brought us the Pickelhaube, which was the helmet with the spike²⁸, the vertical²⁹ spike. And I would not want to meet that on a battlefield.

(SOUNDBITE OF BRIAN CARRICK AND GREGG STAFFORD'S "ALL OF ME")

1 obituaries   

讣告，讣闻( obituary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Next time I read about him, I want it in the obituaries. 希望下次读到他的消息的时候，是在仆告里。
• People's obituaries are written while they're still alive? 人们在世的时候就有人给他们写讣告？

2 consequential   

adj.作为结果的，间接的；重要的

参考例句：

• She was injured and suffered a consequential loss of earnings.她受了伤因而收入受损。
• This new transformation is at least as consequential as that one was.这一新的转变至少和那次一样重要。

3 obituary   

n.讣告，死亡公告；adj.死亡的

参考例句：

• The obituary records the whole life of the deceased.讣文记述了这位死者的生平。
• Five days after the letter came,he found Andersen s obituary in the morning paper.收到那封信五天后，他在早报上发现了安德森的讣告。

4 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

5 insignificant   

adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的

参考例句：

• In winter the effect was found to be insignificant.在冬季，这种作用是不明显的。
• This problem was insignificant compared to others she faced.这一问题与她面临的其他问题比较起来算不得什么。

6 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

7 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

8 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

9 demise   

n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让

参考例句：

• He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
• The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。

10 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

11 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

12 squire   

n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅

参考例句：

• I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
• The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

13 thatcher   

n.茅屋匠

参考例句：

• Tom Sawyer was in the skiff that bore Judge Thatcher. 汤姆 - 索亚和撒切尔法官同乘一条小艇。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• Mrs. Thatcher was almost crazed; and Aunt Polly, also. 撒切尔夫人几乎神经失常，还有波莉姨妈也是。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

14 palling   

v.（因过多或过久而）生厌，感到乏味，厌烦( pall的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• It's good to see the two boys palling up so well. 看见这两个男孩这么要好真是惬意。 来自互联网

15 randomness   

n.随意，无安排；随机性

参考例句：

• The randomness is attributed to the porous medium. 随机性起因于多孔介质。 来自辞典例句
• Einstein declared that randomness rather than lawfulness is the characteristic of natural events. 爱因斯坦宣称自然现象的特征为不可测性而不是规律化。 来自辞典例句

16 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

17 professes   

声称( profess的第三人称单数 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉

参考例句：

• She still professes her innocence. 她仍然声称自己无辜。
• He professes himself to be sad but doesn't look it. 他自称感到悲伤，但外表却看不出来。

18 deciduous   

adj.非永久的；短暂的；脱落的；落叶的

参考例句：

• Overgrown deciduous shrubs can be cut back at this time of year.过于繁茂的落叶灌木可以在每年的这个时候修剪。
• Deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn.落叶树木在秋天落叶。

19 evergreen   

n.常青树；adj.四季常青的

参考例句：

• Some trees are evergreen;they are called evergreen.有的树是常青的，被叫做常青树。
• There is a small evergreen shrub on the hillside.山腰上有一小块常绿灌木丛。

20 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。

21 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

22 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

23 trumpet   

n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘

参考例句：

• He plays the violin, but I play the trumpet.他拉提琴，我吹喇叭。
• The trumpet sounded for battle.战斗的号角吹响了。

24 buddies   

n.密友( buddy的名词复数 )；同伴；弟兄；（用于称呼男子，常带怒气）家伙v.（如密友、战友、伙伴、弟兄般）交往( buddy的第三人称单数 )；做朋友；亲近（…）；伴护艾滋病人

参考例句：

• We became great buddies. 我们成了非常好的朋友。 来自辞典例句
• The two of them have become great buddies. 他们俩成了要好的朋友。 来自辞典例句

25 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

26 extraordinarily   

adv.格外地；极端地

参考例句：

• She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
• The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。

27 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

28 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

29 vertical   

adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置

参考例句：

• The northern side of the mountain is almost vertical.这座山的北坡几乎是垂直的。
• Vertical air motions are not measured by this system.垂直气流的运动不用这种系统来测量。