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36.

Ordinarily, I’d have gone to Meg’s father first, asked for his blessing¹. But Thomas Markle was a

complicated man.

He and Meg’s mother split when she was two, and thereafter she divided her time between

them. Monday to Friday with Mum, weekends with Dad. Then, for part of high school, she’d

moved in with her father full-time². They were that close.

After college she’d traveled the world, but always stayed in constant contact with Daddy. She

still, even in her thirties, called him Daddy. She loved him, worried about him—his health, his

habits—and often relied upon him. Throughout her run on Suits she’d consulted him every week

about the lighting³. (He’d been a lighting director in Hollywood, won two Emmys.) In recent years,

however, he hadn’t been working regularly, and he’d sort of disappeared. He’d rented a small

house in a Mexican border town and wasn’t doing well overall.

In every way, Meg felt, her father would never be able to withstand the psychological

pressures that come with being stalked by the press, and that was now happening to him. It had

long been open season on everyone in Meg’s circle, every current friend and ex-boyfriend, every

cousin, including those she’d never known, every former employer or former co-worker, but after

I proposed there was a frenzy⁴ around…the Father. He was considered the prize catch. When the

Daily Mirror published his location, paps descended⁵ on his house, taunting⁶ him, trying to tempt⁷ or

lure⁸ him outside. No fox hunt, no bear baiting was ever more depraved. Strange men and women

dangled⁹ offers of money, gifts, friendship. When none of that worked, they rented the house next

door and shot him day and night through his windows. The press reported that, as a result, Meg’s

father had nailed plywood over his windows.

But this wasn’t true. He’d often had plywood nailed over his windows, even when living in

Los Angeles, well before Meg started dating me.

Complicated man.

They’d then begun following him into town, tailing him on his errands, walking behind him as

he went up and down the aisles¹⁰ of local shops. They’d run photos of him with the headline: GOT

HIM!

Meg would often phone her father, urge him to remain calm. Don’t speak to them, Daddy.

Ignore them, they’ll go away eventually, as long as you don’t react. That’s what the Palace says to

do.

1 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

2 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

3 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

4 frenzy   

n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动

参考例句：

• He was able to work the young students up into a frenzy.他能激起青年学生的狂热。
• They were singing in a frenzy of joy.他们欣喜若狂地高声歌唱。

5 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

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 tempt   

vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣

参考例句：

• Nothing could tempt him to such a course of action.什么都不能诱使他去那样做。
• The fact that she had become wealthy did not tempt her to alter her frugal way of life.她有钱了，可这丝毫没能让她改变节俭的生活习惯。

8 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

9 dangled   

悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口

参考例句：

• Gold charms dangled from her bracelet. 她的手镯上挂着许多金饰物。
• It's the biggest financial incentive ever dangled before British footballers. 这是历来对英国足球运动员的最大经济诱惑。

10 aisles   

n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊

参考例句：

• Aisles were added to the original Saxon building in the Norman period. 在诺曼时期，原来的萨克森风格的建筑物都增添了走廊。
• They walked about the Abbey aisles, and presently sat down. 他们走到大教堂的走廊附近，并且很快就坐了下来。