【时间旅行者的妻子】57

“You will. When you and I meet in my present that will happen fairly frequently.” More often than I’d like, Clare. 　“So who did you like in 1975?” 　“Nobody, really. At twelve I had other stuff to think about. But when I was thirteen I had this huge crush on Patty Hearst.” 　Clare looks annoyed. “A girl you knew at school?” 　I laugh. “No. She was a rich Californian college girl who got kidnapped by these awful left-wing political terrorists, and they made her rob banks. She was on the news every night for months.” 　“What happened to her? Why did you like her?” 　“They eventually let her go, and she got married and had kids and now she’s a rich lady in California. Why did I like her? Ah, I don’t know. It’s irrational¹, you know? I guess I kind of knew how she felt, being taken away and forced to do stuff she didn’t want to do, and then it seemed like she was kind of enjoying it.” 　“Do you do things you don’t want to do?” 　“Yeah. All the time.” My leg has fallen asleep and I stand up and shake it until it tingles². “I don’t always end up safe and sound with you, Clare. A lot of times I go places where I have to get clothes and food by stealing.” 　“Oh.” Her face clouds, and then she sees her move, and makes it, and looks up at me triumphantly³. “Checkmate!” 　“Hey! Bravo!” I salaam⁴ her. “You are the chess queen dujour.” 　“Yes, I am,” Clare says, pink with pride. She starts to set the pieces back in their starting positions. “Again?” 　I pretend to consult my nonexistent watch. “Sure.” I sit down again. “You hungry?” We’ve been out here for hours and supplies have run low; all we have left is the dregs of a bag of Doritos. 　“Mmhmm.” Clare holds the pawns⁶ behind her back; I tap her right elbow and she shows me the white pawn⁵. I make my standard opening move, Queen’s Pawn to Q4. She makes her standard response to my standard opening move, Queen’s Pawn to Q4. We play out the next ten moves fairly rapidly, with only moderate bloodshed, and then Clare sits for a while, pondering the board.

1 irrational   

adj.无理性的，失去理性的

参考例句：

• After taking the drug she became completely irrational.她在吸毒后变得完全失去了理性。
• There are also signs of irrational exuberance among some investors.在某些投资者中是存在非理性繁荣的征象的。

2 tingles   

n.刺痛感( tingle的名词复数 )v.有刺痛感( tingle的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Something has been pressing on my leg and it tingles. 腿压麻了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His cheek tingles from the slap she has given to him. 他的面颊因挨了她一记耳光而感到刺痛。 来自互联网

3 triumphantly   

ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地

参考例句：

• The lion was roaring triumphantly. 狮子正在发出胜利的吼叫。
• Robert was looking at me triumphantly. 罗伯特正得意扬扬地看着我。

4 salaam   

n.额手之礼，问安，敬礼；v.行额手礼

参考例句：

• And the people were so very friendly:full of huge beaming smiles,calling out "hello" and "salaam".这里的人民都很友好，灿然微笑着和我打招呼，说“哈罗”和“萨拉姆”。
• Salaam is a Muslim form of salutation.额手礼是穆斯林的问候方式。

5 pawn   

n.典当，抵押，小人物，走卒；v.典当，抵押

参考例句：

• He is contemplating pawning his watch.他正在考虑抵押他的手表。
• It looks as though he is being used as a political pawn by the President.看起来他似乎被总统当作了政治卒子。

6 pawns   

n.（国际象棋中的）兵( pawn的名词复数 )；卒；被人利用的人；小卒v.典当，抵押( pawn的第三人称单数 )；以（某事物）担保

参考例句：

• The hostages are being used as political pawns. 人质正被用作政治卒子。
• The allies would fear that they were pawns in a superpower condominium. 这个联盟担心他们会成为超级大国共管的牺牲品。 来自《简明英汉词典》