温馨夜读II PART1 15.Mary Lou

 

[00:00.87]15.Mary Lou

[00:04.35]It was my first day as a newcomer to the school. 

[00:09.47]Past “newcomer” experiences had been difficult, so I was very anxious to fit in. 

[00:16.22]Being introduced to the class, I bravely put on a smile and took my seat, expecting to be shunned¹.

[00:23.74]Lunchtime was a pleasant surprise when the girls all crowded around my table. 

[00:29.18]Their chatter² was friendly, so I began to relax. 

[00:33.65]It wasn’t long before the class nerd was pointed³ out to me: Mary Lou. 

[00:38.55]Actually she called herself Mary Louise, a prim⁴, prissy young girl with dark eyes, brown skin,a stern visage and old-fashioned clothing. 

[00:51.50]The girls’ whispers and giggles⁵ got louder and louder. 

[00:54.88]Mary Lou directly strode past our table, chin held high with iron determination. She ate alone.

[01:02.71]After school, the girls invited me to join them in front of the school. 

[01:07.40]For what, I didn’t yet know. 

[01:10.20]Oh, how I wish I had gone home, but I had a lesson to learn.

[01:15.10]Then, Mary Lou came down the school steps. The taunting⁶ began. 

[01:21.09]I paused, then joined right in. 

[01:24.47]My momentum⁷ began to pick up as I approached her. 

[01:27.74]Nasty, mean remarks fell unabated from my lips. 

[01:32.20]No one could tell I’d never done this before. 

[01:35.47]The other girls stepped back and became my cheerleaders. 

[01:39.28]Emboldened, I yanked the strap⁸ of her backpack and then pushed her. 

[01:44.29]The strap broke, Mary Lou fell and I backed off. 

[01:50.06]Everyone was laughing and patting me.

[01:53.54]I was not proud. Something inside me hurt. 

[01:59.20]If you’ve ever picked a wing off a butterfly, you know how I felt.

[02:04.65]Mary Lou got up, gathered her books and – without a tear shed or retort given – off she went. 

[02:14.34]She held her head high as a small trickle⁹ of blood ran down from her bruised¹⁰ knee. 

[02:20.54]I watched her limp away down the street.

[02:23.71]I noticed a man standing¹¹ beside his car. 

[02:28.02]His brown skin, dark hair and handsome features told me this was her father. 

[02:33.36]Respectful of Mary Lou’s proud spirit, he remained still and watched the lonely girl walk toward him. 

[02:40.55]Only his eyes — shining with both grief and pride — followed. 

[02:46.43]As I passed, he looked at me in silence with burning tears that spoke¹² to my shame and scalded my heart. 

[02:55.59]He didn’t speak a word.

[02:58.11]No scolding from a teacher or preaching from a parent could linger 

[03:03.03]as much as that hurt in my heart from the day a father’s eyes taught me kindness and strength and dignity. 

[03:11.23]I never again hurt someone for my own gain.

1 shunned   

v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was shunned by her family when she remarried. 她再婚后家里人都躲着她。
• He was a shy man who shunned all publicity. 他是个怕羞的人，总是避开一切引人注目的活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 chatter   

vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战

参考例句：

• Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
• I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。

3 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

4 prim   

adj.拘泥形式的，一本正经的；n.循规蹈矩，整洁；adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地

参考例句：

• She's too prim to enjoy rude jokes!她太古板，不喜欢听粗野的笑话！
• He is prim and precise in manner.他的态度一本正经而严谨

5 giggles   

n.咯咯的笑( giggle的名词复数 )；傻笑；玩笑；the giggles 止不住的格格笑v.咯咯地笑( giggle的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Her nervous giggles annoyed me. 她神经质的傻笑把我惹火了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I had to rush to the loo to avoid an attack of hysterical giggles. 我不得不冲向卫生间，以免遭到别人的疯狂嘲笑。 来自辞典例句

6 taunting   

嘲讽( taunt的现在分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落

参考例句：

• She wagged a finger under his nose in a taunting gesture. 她当着他的面嘲弄地摇晃着手指。
• His taunting inclination subdued for a moment by the old man's grief and wildness. 老人的悲伤和狂乱使他那嘲弄的意图暂时收敛起来。

7 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

8 strap   

n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎

参考例句：

• She held onto a strap to steady herself.她抓住拉手吊带以便站稳。
• The nurse will strap up your wound.护士会绑扎你的伤口。

9 trickle   

vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散

参考例句：

• The stream has thinned down to a mere trickle.这条小河变成细流了。
• The flood of cars has now slowed to a trickle.汹涌的车流现在已经变得稀稀拉拉。

10 bruised   

[医]青肿的，瘀紫的

参考例句：

• his bruised and bloodied nose 他沾满血的青肿的鼻子
• She had slipped and badly bruised her face. 她滑了一跤，摔得鼻青脸肿。

11 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

12 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。