2-72

 

72.

My mate, Guy, was getting married.

I wasn’t exactly in the mood for a wedding. But it was Guy. All-round good bloke. Longtimemate of Willy and me. I loved him. And owed him. He’d been dragged through the muck by thepress, more than once, in my name.

The wedding was in America, in the Deep South.

My arrival there set off a torrent¹ of talk about…what else?

Vegas.

I thought: After all this time? Really? Is my bare arse that memorable²?

So be it, I told myself. Let them bang on about Vegas, I’m going to focus on Guy’s Big Day.

On the way to Guy’s stag party a group of us stopped off in Miami. We ate a fabulous³ meal,visited a few clubs, danced until well past midnight. Toasted Guy. Next day we all flew toTennessee. I remember, despite the crowded wedding schedule, finding time to tour Graceland,erstwhile home of Elvis Presley. (Actually, he originally bought it for his mother.)Everyone kept saying: Well, well, so this is where the King lived.

Who?

The King. Elvis Presley.

Oh. The King. Right.

People variously called the house a castle, a mansion⁴, a palace, but it reminded me of thebadger sett. Dark, claustrophobic. I walked around saying: The King lived here, you say? Really?

I stood in one tiny room with loud furniture and shag carpet and thought: The King’s interiordesigner must’ve been on acid.

In honor of Elvis, every member of the bridal party wore blue suede⁵ shoes. At the receptionthere was much kicking up of those shoes, young British men and women dancing drunkenly andsinging gleefully without pitch or rhythm. It was riotous⁶, ridiculous, and Guy looked happier thanI’d ever seen him.

He’d always been cast as our sidekick, but not now. He and his bride were the stars of thisshow, the center of attention, and my old mate was rightly savoring⁷ it. It made me so happy to seehim so happy, though now and then, as couples paired off, as lovers drifted into corners or swayedto songs by Beyoncé and Adele, I’d wander over to the bar and think: When’s it going to be myturn? The one person who might want it most, to be married, to have a family, and it’s never goingto happen. More than a little petulantly⁸, I thought: It’s just not fair of the universe.

 

1 torrent   

n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发

参考例句：

• The torrent scoured a channel down the hillside. 急流沿着山坡冲出了一条沟。
• Her pent-up anger was released in a torrent of words.她压抑的愤怒以滔滔不绝的话爆发了出来。

2 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

3 fabulous   

adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的

参考例句：

• We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
• This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。

4 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

5 suede   

n.表面粗糙的软皮革

参考例句：

• I'm looking for a suede jacket.我想买一件皮制茄克。
• Her newly bought suede shoes look very fashionable.她新买的翻毛皮鞋看上去非常时尚。

6 riotous   

adj.骚乱的；狂欢的

参考例句：

• Summer is in riotous profusion.盛夏的大地热闹纷繁。
• We spent a riotous night at Christmas.我们度过了一个狂欢之夜。

7 savoring   

v.意味，带有…的性质( savor的现在分词 )；给…加调味品；使有风味；品尝

参考例句：

• Cooking was fine but it was the savoring that he enjoyed most. 烹饪当然很好，但他最享受的是闻到的各种味道。 来自互联网
• She sat there for a moment, savoring the smell of the food. 她在那儿坐了一会儿，品尝这些食物的香味。 来自互联网

8 petulantly   

参考例句：

• \"No; nor will she miss now,\" cries The Vengeance, petulantly. “不会的，现在也不会错过，”复仇女神气冲冲地说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记