2007年NPR美国国家公共电台二月-A Late Love That Burns Brightly

Time again for StoryCorps. This traveling oral history project records America's talking to each other about their lives. Today the story of Jo Ann and Bob Chew¹. They married late in life both for the second time. He is 70 years old, she is 82. And now has early stage Alzheimers. Despite the illness their relationship endures². Here Jo Ann recalls³ when she first knew she wanted to be a wife.

My father said if he sent me to college , then I could choose one of two things. He said, you can choose homemade, because I know you will be somebody’s wife for you are too cute not to be somebody's wife. Or No. 2, I can take up a secretarial course, coz you know, at that time there weren't a lot of things that women did. So I decided⁴ the homemade was a way to go. I wanna be somebody's wife.

Are you still cooking today?

Not today, I have been up to this point, but I have Alzheimer's beginning ever. And so I hear, and my doctor told me he did not want me to cook. And that was music to my ears.

Wow, who's doing all the cooking?

This spell across for me, he's turned out to be quite a professional⁵ too.

So, how did we meet?

Somehow, we got together not I even remember how it was. I'm trying to think. Ever you remember.

Yeah, I remember. I’m shocked that you don't remember.

Oh, I do. I wonder, I do…..

remember the Christmas parties?

Oh, yeah. And that's where we really got to know one another, wasn’t it? My heart began to beat a little faster after quite a few months, and I think you did it, too. Then, we decided we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. And We got married.

Had you just thought about remarry?

No, no, …..

Why not?

I just thought I was too old.

Well, how old were you?

Oh, I gotta think of it, how old was I, how old was I, (70) 70. And I kept trying to dissuade⁶ you from marrying me. Because I was older than you were. And I knew that there would come a time when I would be a little old lady and you would still have all the marks of a 10-year younger man. So, here we are, still together. And I still 10 years older.

This has bother you today?

No, it bothers me that I'm as I am, cause I don't wanna be a burden⁷.

You think you are a burden?

Not really, cause you need someone to take care of, don't you?

That's what I tell you.

I know.

The diagnosis⁸?

It's not pretty, no.

Do you feel sorry for yourself today?

A little bit, a little bit, big bit.

A big bit?

Upset.

What's, what are the things that are making you sad?

Just not having controls of everything, my thoughts and my actions and, I don't think it's fair to you, either.

You know I want to take care of you, don't you?

I do know that, that you can have some cute little chick that you could be running around with 10 years younger and I did tell you.

I know, I have my princess right now.

Oh you are wonderful.

How would you say the diagnosis of your Alzheimer's has affected⁹ us and our life?

Outside of all the feelings I have stored up. We still do the same things as we did before. And we still can go to dances. And we can do things. But I don't wanna be an ugly lady this nod her head.

You will never be an ugly lady, sweety.

I just somehow didn't think that this was goona be my way out. And I still hope that it's not goona be.

You know I still love you, right, more than ever?

I know.

Jo Ann Chew and her husband Bob in Little Rock Arkansas. Their conversation and all StoryCorps recordings¹⁰ are archived at the Library of Congress¹¹. Learn how you can record an interview at NPR. org.

1 chew   

vt.咀嚼，嚼碎；vi.咀嚼，细想；n.咀嚼，咀嚼物

参考例句：

• This candy is so hard that no one can chew it.这种糖太硬，没人嚼得动。
• You should chew over this thing.你应当好好思量这件事。

2 endures   

n.最终用户

参考例句：

• Love is a sweet tyranny,because the lover endures his torment willingly. 爱情是甜蜜的暴政，情人甘心忍受它的折磨。
• Somehow the language endures and continues to survive. 那种语言以某种方式保存下来，并继续存在下去。

3 recalls   

回忆起( recall的第三人称单数 )； 使想起； 使想到； 勾起

参考例句：

• The sight recalls the days of childhood to me. 那情景使我想起了童年。
• Moreover, extensive use of voluntary recalls can undercut agency accountability. 此外，大量利用自愿撤回会削弱行政机关的责任心。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 professional   

adj.专业的；职业的；n.专业人员；职业运动员

参考例句：

• He is a professional tennis player.他是一名职业网球运动员。
• I need a professional to sort out my finances.我需要专业人士为我管理财务。

6 dissuade   

v.劝阻，阻止

参考例句：

• You'd better dissuade him from doing that.你最好劝阻他别那样干。
• I tried to dissuade her from investing her money in stocks and shares.我曾设法劝她不要投资于股票交易。

7 burden   

n.负担，重载，担子，责任；vt.装货于，麻烦，使负担

参考例句：

• The burden fell on the eldest son.担子落在了长子身上。
• Too much praise is a burden.太多的赞扬是一种负担。

8 diagnosis   

n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断

参考例句：

• His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

11 Congress   

n.(代表)大会；(C-:美国等国的)国会，议会

参考例句：

• There were some days to wait before the Congress.大会的召开还有几天时间。
• After 18 years in Congress,he intented to return to private life.在国会供职18年后，他打算告老还乡。