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Section B
The Trashman
Saturday, April 7
Steve and I hauled trash for four solid hours continuously, except for about five minutes when we stopped to talk. My shoulder hurt wickedly each time I put another full barrel on it, and my legs occasionally trembled as I was heading to the street. But the rest of me said, "Go, trashman, go."
I could not have imaged there would be joy in this. Dump. Lift. Walk. Lift. Walk. The hours flew by.
Saturday meant most adults were at home on the route. So were school-age children. I thought this might mean more exchanges as I made the rounds today. Many people were out-doors working in their gardens or greenhouses. Most looked approachable enough. There wasn't time for lengthy talks but enough to exchange greetings that go with civilized ways.
That is where I got my shock.
I said hello in quite a few yards before the message registered that this wasn't normally done. Occasionally, I got a direct reply from someone who looked me in the eye, smiled, and asked "How are you?" or "Isn't this a nice day?" I felt human then. But most often the response was either nothing at all, or a surprised stare because I had spoken.
One woman in a housecoat was startled as I came around the corner of her house. At the sound of my greeting, she gathered her housecoat tightly about her and retreated quickly indoors. I heard the lock click. Another woman had a huge, peculiar animal in her yard. I asked what it was. She stared at me. I thought she was deaf and spoke louder. She seemed frightened as she turned coldly away.
Steve raged spontaneously about these things on the long ride to the dump.
"The way most people look at you, you'd think a trashman was a monster. Say hello and they stare at you in surprise. They don't realize we're human."
"One lady put ashes in her trashcan. I said we couldn't take them. She said, 'Who are you to say what goes? You're nothing but a trashman.' I told her,‘Listen, lady, I've got an I.Q. of 137, and I graduated near the top of my high school class. I do this for the money, not because it's the only work I can do.’"
"I want to tell them,‘Look, I am as clean as you are,' but it wouldn't help. I don't tell anyone I'm a garbageman. I say I'm a truck driver. My family knows, but my wife's folks don't. If someone comes right out and asks,‘Do you drive for a garbage company?' I say yes. I believe we're doing a service people need, like being a police officer or a fire fighter. I'm not ashamed of it, but I don't go around boasting about it either."
"A friend of my wife yelled at her kids one day when they ran out to meet a trash truck.‘Stay away from those trashmen. They're dirty.' I was angry with her.‘They're as good as we are,' I told her.‘You seem to have a lot of sympathy for them,' she said.‘Yes, I do.' But I never told her why."
I had originally planned to stay at this employment for only two days but now I'm going to continue. The exercise is great; the lifting gets easier with every load, even if my shoulder muscle is sore. I become faster and neater each day. I'm outdoors in clean air. And, contrary to what people think, I don't get dirty on the job.
I have decided, too, to keep saying hello in people's yards. It doesn't do any harm, and it still feels right. Frankly, I'm proud. I'm doing an essential task. I left this country a little cleaner than I found it this morning. Not many people can say that tonight.
John Gardner wrote that a society which praises its philosophers and looks down on its plumbers is in for trouble. "Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water," he warns. He might have gone a step further and called for respect for both our economists and our trashmen; otherwise, they'll both leave garbage behind.
Words: 702
NEW WORDS
trash
n. (AmE) waste matter; rubbish 垃圾
trashman
n. a person who deals with rubbish 垃圾工
trashcan
n. (AmE) a can for waste matter 垃圾桶
▲haul
vt. pull with effort 拉，拖
continuous
a. unbroken; without a stop 不停的
continuously
ad. without a stop 不停地
wicked
a. 1. very severe; serious 严重的
2. morally wrong or bad; evil 坏的
wickedly
ad. badly; seriously 厉害地
barrel
n. a round wooden holding box with flat bottom 大木桶
tremble
vi. shake uncontrollably 颤抖
head
v. 1. move 移动，走
2. lead 带领
image
vt. form a mental picture; see in the mind 想象，设想
n. a copy of object(s)or event(s) ; mental picture of an object or event 图像；印象；想象
dump
vt. drop carelessly 倒，倾
n. a place for dumping waste 垃圾场
route
n. a way from one place to another 路
greenhouse
n. a glass building for growing plants 温室
■lengthy
a. very long 冗长的，过长的
civilize (英civilise)
vt. bring from a lower stage of development to a very developed stage of social organization 使文明，使开化
register
vt. 1. make known; show; record 显示，表明
2. write in a list or record 登记
response
n. 1. a reply 回答，答复
2. (to) an action done in answer 反应，响应
retreat
vi. 1. move back, especially when forced 后退
2. escape 逃离
indoor
ad. (-s) inside a building 在室内，在户内
a. which is inside a building（在）室内的，（在）户内的
deaf
a. 1. unable to hear at all or hear well 聋的
2. unwilling to hear or listen 不愿听的，装聋的
rage
vi. talk with severe anger 愤然地说
n. (sudden feeling of) radical anger 狂怒
spontaneous
a. happening in a natural way 自发的
▲spontaneously
ad. that happens in a natural way 自发地
▲monster
n. a strange, usually large and frightening animal 怪物
ash
n. matter left when something has been burned 烟灰
graduate
v. complete one's studies and receive a certificate or diploma 毕业
garbage
n. (AmE) waste matter; rubbish 垃圾
garbageman
n. a man who collects garbage 垃圾工
folk
n. one's relatives 亲戚
a. of or having to do with the common people, their beliefs, stories, customs, and the like 民间的，民俗的
boast
vi. speak too proudly of 吹嘘，吹牛
n. a statement speaking too well about oneself; stating more than actual 吹嘘，吹牛
▲yell
vi. shout 叫喊
original
a. 1. first, earliest 原先的，起初的
2. new and different 新颖的，有独创性的
originally
ad. in the beginning 最初
employment
n. 1. paid work 工作，就业
2. the act of employing 雇用；招聘
muscle
n. pieces of spring-like material in the body 肌肉
sore
a. painful especially from a wound or hard use 痛的
contrary
a. opposite 相反的
harm
n. damage; wrong or hurt 伤害vt. hurt; cause damage to 伤害
frank
a. honest 诚实的，坦白的
frankly
ad. honestly;to be honest 诚实地，坦白说
philosopher
n. a person who studies the nature of existing, what is real, morals, etc. 哲学家
◆plumber
n. a person who fits and repairs water pipes 管道工
theory
n. general laws and methods rather than practice 理论
economy
n. the economic network of a country 经济
economist
n. a person who studies economics 经济学家
PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONS
make the rounds
(also do/go the rounds)visit a number of people or places, usually in a customary order 串门拜访，四处走动
go with
match or suit (sth.) 与……相配
Who are you to say... ?
What right do you have to say...? How dare you say...? 你有什么权利说……？你竟敢说……？
boast about
(also boast of) speak too proudly of 吹牛，吹嘘
stay away from
keep away from; do not get close to 别靠近
stay at
remain behind at 保留；待在
contrary to
completely different from 与……相反
look down on/upon
have a poor opinion of (sb.), especially as being below one's social level; not approve of (sb. or sth.) 蔑视；不赞成
be in for
be unable to escape; be sure to get or have 免不了遭受
hold water
be able to be proved true or brought to actual 可证为真实；站得住脚
call for
demand (sth. or sb.) 要求
PROPER NAMES
John Gardner
约翰·加德纳（人名）
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