Words & Expressions
1.edge
[v] to move slowly with gradual movements or in gradual stages, or to make someone or something move in this way (使)徐徐移动;(使)缓慢发展
My mom would edge the car slowly through the crowds and around blockades made of flaming tires.
2.smack
[v]to hit something hard against something else 撞;使劲摔
I smacked hard on the pavement.
[adv] exactly in a place or a situation 不偏不倚地,正好
There were times I could talk smack to my mom—this was not one of them.
She lives smack in the middle of Shanghai.她就住在伦敦市中心。
3.hole up (somewhere)
【informal】to stay in a safe place, often as a way of avoiding something or hiding from someone 躲藏,隐藏
Whenever the riots broke out, all our neighbors would wisely hole up behind closed doors.
4. promiscuous
(of a person) having a lot of different sexual partners or sexual relationships, or (of sexual habits) involving a lot of different partners(人)滥交的,淫乱的
Zulu women were well-behaved and dutiful. Xhosa women were promiscuous and unfaithful.
中文感悟
第一章 RUN-奔跑,讲述了在一个星期天做完礼拜回家路上, 小巴士的凶恶的司机与母亲因种族歧视起冲突,心生歹意,生死关头,母亲果敢的将Trevor推出飞驰的小巴士,自己护住另一个孩子跳出巴士,逃跑求生的故事。
第一章让我看到了妈妈的虔诚信仰和坚强。 My mother is as stubborn as she is religious.
每周日去教堂做礼拜并不是愉悦的郊游,去教堂路途遥远, Trevor家的汽车还经常掉链子, 换成公共交通之后更是折磨加倍,每次回家时,Trevor 的状态是 “ I'd collapse into bed“- 彻底累瘫了。
所以,开头那句“ “we never missed church.” 读完第一章之后,再来看这个 never,心底是无比震撼的。除了疲惫,还有一路上可能遇到的各种危险,要克服所有种种,达到 never,非一般的意志力和坚强能做到,这就是母亲信仰的力量。
说到Trevor,熊孩子太逗了,书里写的他的那些感受,让你觉得很真实,他就是让你笑里有泪。说到做礼拜,他是这么总结的:“Christian karaoke, badass action stories, and violent faith healers—man, I loved church.” 第一个教堂就是集体唱K,第二教堂就是看武侠故事,第三个就是现场版暴力驱魔。
另外形容和妈妈之间的关系,是 Tom and Jerry.
一些小细节也能看出Trevor也是个非常聪明的孩子:
There were Bible games and quizzes every week at white church, and I kicked everyone’s ass.
I was a master at Street Fighter. I could go forever on a single play.
另外,Trevor 会很巧妙自然的在一段话中加入一两句,好像是轻描淡写顺口一提,但是内容却不是日常小事。 比如写到家里汽车启动不了,写到了二手车,然后写出下面这段 “A secondhand car was also the reason my mom got married...who tortured us for years and put a bullet in the back of my mother’s head—I’ll take the new car with the warranty every time.” 跳出童年的Trevor,插入成年Trevor的口吻来叙述。 让你暂时跳出故事停一停, 埋下一个种子,接着再继续。