-
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
33.
Cloudy, blustery day. I jumped into the venerable old Land Rover, the ancient Army ambulance
that Grandpa had repurposed. Pa was behind the wheel, Willy was in the back. I got into the
passenger seat and wondered if I should tell them both what I was intending.
I decided1 against it. Pa already knew, I assumed, and Willy had already warned me not to do
it.
It’s too fast, he’d told me. Too soon.
In fact, he’d actually been pretty discouraging about my even dating Meg. One day, sitting
together in his garden, he’d predicted a host of difficulties I could expect if I hooked up with an
“American actress,” a phrase he always managed to make sound like “convicted felon2.”
Are you sure about her, Harold?
I am, Willy.
But do you know how difficult it’s going to be?
What do you want me to do? Fall out of love with her?
The three of us were wearing flat caps, green jackets, plus fours, as if we played for the same
sports team. (In a way, I suppose, we did.) Pa, driving us out into the fields, asked about Meg. Not
with great interest, just casually3. Still, he didn’t always ask, so I was pleased.
She’s good, thanks.
Does she want to carry on working?
Say again?
Does she want to keep on acting4?
Oh. I mean, I don’t know, I wouldn’t think so. I expect she’ll want to be with me, doing the job,
you know, which would rule out Suits…since they film in…Toronto.
Hmm. I see. Well, darling boy, you know there’s not enough money to go around.
I stared. What was he banging on about?
He explained. Or tried to. I can’t pay for anyone else. I’m already having to pay for your
brother and Catherine.
I flinched5. Something about his use of the name Catherine. I remembered the time he and
Camilla wanted Kate to change the spelling of her name, because there were already two royal
cyphers with a C and a crown above: Charles and Camilla. It would be too confusing to have
another. Make it Katherine with a K, they suggested.
I wondered now what came of that suggestion.
I turned to Willy, gave him a look that said: You listening to this?
His face was blank.
Pa didn’t financially support Willy and me, and our families, out of any largesse6. That was his
job. That was the whole deal. We agreed to serve the monarch7, go wherever we were sent, do
whatever we were told, surrender our autonomy, keep our hands and feet inside the gilded8 cage at
all times, and in exchange the keepers of the cage agreed to feed and clothe us. Was Pa, with all
his millions from the hugely lucrative9 Duchy of Cornwall, trying to say that our captivity10 was
starting to cost him a bit too much?
Besides which—how much could it possibly cost to house and feed Meg? I wanted to say, She
doesn’t eat much, you know! And I’ll ask her to make her own clothes, if you like.
It was suddenly clear to me that this wasn’t about money. Pa might have dreaded11 the rising
cost of maintaining us, but what he really couldn’t stomach was someone new dominating the
monarchy12, grabbing the limelight, someone shiny and new coming in and overshadowing him.
And Camilla. He’d lived through that before, and had no interest in living through it again.
I couldn’t deal with any of that right now. I had no time for petty jealousies13 and Palace
intrigue14. I was still trying to work out exactly what to say to Granny, and the time had come.
The Land Rover stopped. We piled out and lined up along the hedge being placed by Pa. We
waited for the birds to appear. The wind was blowing, and my mind was all over the place, but as
the first drive began I found that I was shooting well. I got into the zone. Maybe it was a relief to
think about something else. Maybe I preferred focusing on the next shot, rather than the Big Shot I
was planning to take. I just kept swinging that barrel, squeezing that trigger, hitting every target.
We broke for lunch. I tried, repeatedly, but wasn’t able to get Granny by herself. Everyone
was surrounding her, talking her ear off. So I tucked into the meal, biding15 my time.
A classic royal shooting luncheon16. Cold feet warming by the fires, toasty potatoes, juicy meat,
creamy soups, staff overseeing every detail. Then perfect puds. Then a little tea, a drink or two.
Then back to the birds.
During the day’s final two drives I was constantly sneaking17 peeks18 in Granny’s direction, to see
how she was doing. She seemed good. And very locked in.
Did she really have no idea what was coming?
After the final drive the party scattered19. Everyone finished picking up their birds and returned
to the Land Rovers. I saw Granny jump into her smaller Range Rover and drive out to the middle
of the stubble field. She began looking for dead birds, while her dogs hunted.
There was no security around her, so this looked to be my chance.
I walked out to the middle of the stubble field, fell in alongside her, began helping20. While we
scanned the ground for dead birds, I tried to engage her in some light chat, to loosen her up, and to
loosen up my vocal21 cords. The wind was stronger, and Granny’s cheeks looked cold, despite the
scarf wrapped tightly around her head.
Not helping matters: my subconscious22. It was popping. The full seriousness of all this was
finally starting to sink in. If Granny said no…would I have to say goodbye to Meg? I couldn’t
imagine being without her…but I also couldn’t imagine being openly disobedient to Granny. My
Queen, my Commander in Chief. If she withheld23 her permission, my heart would break, and of
course I’d look for another occasion to ask again, but the odds24 would be against me. Granny
wasn’t exactly known for changing her mind. So this moment was either the start of my life, or the
end. It would all come down to the words I chose, how I delivered them, and how Granny heard
them.
If all that wasn’t enough to make me tongue-tied, I’d seen plenty of press reports, sourced to
“the Palace,” that some in my family didn’t quite, shall we say, approve of Meg. Didn’t fancy her
directness. Didn’t feel altogether comfortable with her strong work ethic25. Didn’t even enjoy her
occasional questions. What was healthy and natural inquisitiveness26 they deemed to be
impertinence.
There were also whispers about a vague and pervasive27 unease regarding her race. “Concern”
had been expressed in certain corners about whether or not Britain was “ready.” Whatever that
meant. Was any of that rubbish reaching Granny’s ears? If so, was this request for permission
merely a hopeless exercise?
Was I doomed28 to be the next Margaret?
Oh. A biro. Wow.
I thought back over the many hinge moments in my life when permission was required.
Requesting permission from Control to fire on the enemy. Requesting permission from the Royal
Foundation to create the Invictus Games. I thought of pilots requesting permission from me to
cross my airspace. My life all at once felt like an endless series of permission requests, all of them
Granny started walking back to her Range Rover. I quick-stepped after her, the dogs circling
my feet. Looking at them, my mind began to race. My mother used to say that being around
Granny and the corgis was like standing30 on a moving carpet, and I used to know most of them,
living and dead, as if they were my cousins, Dookie, Emma, Susan, Linnet, Pickles31, Chipper, they
were all said to descend32 from the corgis that belonged to Queen Victoria, the more things change
the more they stay the same, but these weren’t corgis, these were hunting dogs, and they had a
different purpose, and I had a different purpose, and I realized that I needed to get to it, without
one second more of hesitation33, so as Granny lowered the tailgate, as the dogs leaped up, as I
thought of petting them but then remembered I had a dead bird in each hand, their limp necks
nestled between my fingers, their glazed34 eyes rolled all the way back (I feel you, birds), their
bodies still warm through my gloves, I turned instead to Granny and saw her turn to me and frown
(Did she recognize that I was afraid? Of both the request for permission and of Her Majesty35? Did
she realize that, no matter how much I loved her, I was often nervous in her presence?) and I saw
her waiting for me to speak—and not waiting patiently.
Her face radiated: Out with it.
I coughed. Granny, you know I love Meg very much, and I’ve decided that I would like to ask
her to marry me, and I’ve been told that, er, that I have to ask your permission before I can
propose.
You have to?
Um. Well, yes, that’s what your staff tell me, and my staff as well. That I have to ask your
permission.
I stood completely still, as motionless as the birds in my hands. I stared at her face but it was
unreadable. At last she replied: Well, then, I suppose I have to say yes.
I squinted36. You feel you have to say yes? Does that mean you are saying yes? But that you
want to say no?
I didn’t get it. Was she being sarcastic37? Ironic38? Deliberately39 cryptic40? Was she indulging in a
bit of wordplay? I’d never known Granny to do any wordplay, and this would be a surpassingly
bizarre moment (not to mention wildly inconvenient) for her to start, but maybe she just saw the
chance to play off my unfortunate use of the word “have” and couldn’t resist?
Or else, perhaps there was some hidden meaning beneath the wordplay, some message I
wasn’t comprehending?
I stood there squinting41, smiling, asking myself over and over: What is the Queen of England
saying to me right now?
At long last I realized: She’s saying yes, you muppet! She’s granting permission. Who cares
how she words it, just know when to take yes for an answer.
So I sputtered42: Right. OK, Granny! Well. Fabulous43. Thank you! Thank you so much.
I wanted to hug her.
I longed to hug her.
I didn’t hug her.
I saw her into the Range Rover, then marched back to Pa and Willy.
收听单词发音 |
1
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
felon
|
|
| n.重罪犯；adj.残忍的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
casually
|
|
| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
acting
|
|
| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
flinched
|
|
| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
largesse
|
|
| n.慷慨援助，施舍 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
monarch
|
|
| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
gilded
|
|
| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
lucrative
|
|
| adj.赚钱的，可获利的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
captivity
|
|
| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
dreaded
|
|
| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
monarchy
|
|
| n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
jealousies
|
|
| n.妒忌( jealousy的名词复数 )；妒羡 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
intrigue
|
|
| vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
biding
|
|
| v.等待，停留( bide的现在分词 )；居住；（过去式用bided）等待；面临 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
luncheon
|
|
| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
sneaking
|
|
| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
peeks
|
|
| n.偷看，窥视( peek的名词复数 )v.很快地看( peek的第三人称单数 )；偷看；窥视；微露出 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
scattered
|
|
| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
helping
|
|
| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
vocal
|
|
| adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
subconscious
|
|
| n./adj.潜意识(的)，下意识(的) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
withheld
|
|
| withhold过去式及过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
odds
|
|
| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
ethic
|
|
| n.道德标准，行为准则 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
inquisitiveness
|
|
| 好奇，求知欲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
pervasive
|
|
| adj.普遍的；遍布的，(到处)弥漫的；渗透性的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
doomed
|
|
| 命定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
prelude
|
|
| n.序言，前兆，序曲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
pickles
|
|
| n.腌菜( pickle的名词复数 )；处于困境；遇到麻烦；菜酱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
descend
|
|
| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
hesitation
|
|
| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
glazed
|
|
| adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
majesty
|
|
| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
squinted
|
|
| 斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
sarcastic
|
|
| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
ironic
|
|
| adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
deliberately
|
|
| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
cryptic
|
|
| adj.秘密的，神秘的，含义模糊的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
squinting
|
|
| 斜视( squint的现在分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
sputtered
|
|
| v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的过去式和过去分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
fabulous
|
|
| adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
购买
在百度中搜索