英文短篇故事（纽约）255 She's All Ears

 　　She was sitting in Washington Square Park. She was young and pretty. The huge arch¹ was to her right. The fountain was to her left. It was a warm, sunny Saturday. Two empty beach chairs and a sign were next to her. The sign said, "Willing To Listen." Earl walked over. "I have two questions. One, does this cost anything? Two, what’s the point?" She said, "First, it's free. Second, people like to talk. They like to talk about themselves, their lives, and their problems. That's what I'm here for. I listen to them talk. When they finish, they leave. They feel better after they talk. I feel better after I listen. I never try to solve their problems. I never give advice. I never listen to rants² about religion, politics, or conspiracies³. But I listen to everything else. I've been doing this for eight years, when the weather's nice."

1 arch   

n.拱门，桥洞；v.拱起，成为弓形

参考例句：

• Dip your head under the low arch.在低矮的门拱下要低头。
• The trees arch overhead.树木在头顶上弯成拱形。

2 rants   

n.夸夸其谈( rant的名词复数 )；大叫大嚷地以…说教；气愤地)大叫大嚷；不停地大声抱怨v.夸夸其谈( rant的第三人称单数 )；大叫大嚷地以…说教；气愤地)大叫大嚷；不停地大声抱怨

参考例句：

• This actor rants his lines. 这演员背台词拿腔拿调。 来自辞典例句
• Parents might also profit from eliminating the rants. 改掉大声叫骂的习惯，家长们也会受益。 来自互联网

3 conspiracies   

n.阴谋，密谋( conspiracy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was still alive and hatching his conspiracies. 他还活着，策划着阴谋诡计。 来自辞典例句
• It appeared that they had engaged in fresh conspiracies from the very moment of their release. 看上去他们刚给释放，立刻开始新一轮的阴谋活动。 来自英汉文学