2006年NPR美国国家公共电台八月-The Two-Year Rule for Golden Friends
时间：2019-01-08 作者：英语课 分类：2006年NPR美国国家公共电台
英语课
In the town where commentator 1 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 paperbacks 2, 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 slippers 3. 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 interim 4, 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 weird 5?" "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 blur 6 of gratitude 7 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 embarrassment 8.
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 trademark 9 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 paperbacks 2, 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 slippers 3. 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 interim 4, 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 weird 5?" "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 blur 6 of gratitude 7 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 embarrassment 8.
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 trademark 9 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.
n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员
- He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
- The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。
n.平装本，平装书( paperback的名词复数 )
- This shop only sells paperbacks. 这家书店只出售平装本的书。 来自辞典例句
- Other paperbacks were selling for ten or 15 cents each. 其它的平装书每本才卖十或十五美分。 来自互联网
n. 拖鞋
- a pair of slippers 一双拖鞋
- He kicked his slippers off and dropped on to the bed. 他踢掉了拖鞋，倒在床上。
adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间
- The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
- It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。
adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的
- From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
- His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。
n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚
- The houses appeared as a blur in the mist.房子在薄雾中隐隐约约看不清。
- If you move your eyes and your head,the picture will blur.如果你的眼睛或头动了，图像就会变得模糊不清。
adj.感激，感谢
- I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
- She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。
n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫
- She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
- Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。