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67.

I could build a scale replica¹ of that sitting room. Two big windows, small red sofa, chandeliershining softly on an oil painting of a horse. I’d been there for meetings before. But when I walkedin that day, I felt that this would be the setting for one of the more crucial meetings of my life, andevery detail of the scene impressed itself on me.

I tried to stay calm as I pointed² Sir Keith to a chair and asked how he took his tea.

After a few minutes of chitchat, I made my pitch.

Sir Keith listened respectfully, raptor-eyed, but when I’d finished he ummed and aahed.

All sounded very wonderful, he said, but he was semi-retired. Trying to cut back on projects,you know. He wanted to streamline³ his life, focus on his passions, chiefly sailing. America’s Cup,and so forth⁴.

In fact he was scheduled to begin a holiday the very next day.

How to talk to a man who’s just hours away from starting a holiday into rolling up his sleevesand taking on an impossible project?

There’s no way, I thought.

But the whole point of these games was: Never give up.

So I kept on. I went at him, and at him, and told him about the soldiers I’d met, their stories,and also a bit of mine. One of the first and fullest accounts I’d ever given anyone of my time atwar.

Slowly I could see that my passion, my enthusiasm, were making dents⁵ in Sir Keith’s defenses.

Brow furrowed⁶, he said: Well…Who have you got so far on this project?

I looked at Elf. Elf looked at me.

That’s the beauty of it, Sir Keith. You see…you’re the first.

He chuckled⁷. Clever.

No, no, really. You can get the band back together, if you wish. Hire anyone you want.

Despite the overt⁸ and obvious salesmanship, there was a great deal of truth in what I wassaying. We hadn’t yet managed to trick anyone else into joining us, so he’d have carte blanche. Hecould organize a staff however he wished, bring on every single person who’d helped him pull offsuch a successful Olympics.

He nodded. When are you thinking of doing this?

September.

What?

September.

You mean ten months from now?

Yes.

No way.

Has to be.

I wanted the games to coincide with the centenary commemorations of the First World War. Ifelt that connection was vital.

He sighed, promised to consider it.

I knew what that meant.

 

1 replica   

n.复制品

参考例句：

• The original conservatory has been rebuilt in replica.温室已按原样重建。
• The young artist made a replica of the famous painting.这位年轻的画家临摹了这幅著名的作品。

2 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。

3 streamline   

vt.使成流线型；使简化；使现代化

参考例句：

• We must streamline our methods.我们必须简化方法。
• Any liquid or gas passing it will have streamline flow.任何通过它的液体或气体将呈流线型的流动。

4 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

5 dents   

n.花边边饰；凹痕( dent的名词复数 )；凹部；减少；削弱v.使产生凹痕( dent的第三人称单数 )；损害；伤害；挫伤（信心、名誉等）

参考例句：

• He hammered out the dents in the metal sheet. 他把金属板上的一些凹痕敲掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Tin dents more easily than steel. 锡比钢容易变瘪。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 furrowed   

v.犁田，开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Overhead hung a summer sky furrowed with the rash of rockets. 头顶上的夏日夜空纵横着急疾而过的焰火。 来自辞典例句
• The car furrowed the loose sand as it crossed the desert. 车子横过沙漠，在松软的沙土上犁出了一道车辙。 来自辞典例句

7 chuckled   

轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
• She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。

8 overt   

adj.公开的，明显的，公然的

参考例句：

• His opponent's intention is quite overt.他的对手的意图很明显。
• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。