2-33

 

33.

Over several months Nige the Ninja managed to show me how to fly a helicopter while doingother things, countless¹ other things, and, what was more, to do so with something approachingself-love. These were flying lessons, but I think back on them as life lessons, and gradually therewere more good ones than bad.

Good or bad, however, every ninety-minute session in Nige’s Squirrel Dojo left me hooped².

Upon landing I’d think: I need a nap.

But first: the debrief³.

This was where Nige the Ninja really put me through it, because he sugarcoated nothing. Hespoke bluntly and wounded blithely⁴. There were things I needed to hear, and he didn’t care abouthis tone when he told me.

I got defensive⁵.

He pressed on.

I shot him hate-you-forever stares.

He pressed on.

I said, Yeah, yeah, I get it.

He pressed on.

I stopped listening.

Poor Nige…He pressed on.

He was, I realize now, one of the most truthful⁶ people I’ve ever known, and he knew a secretabout truth that many people are unwilling⁷ to accept: it’s usually painful. He wanted me to believein myself, but that belief could never be based on false promises or fake compliments. The royalroad to mastery was paved with facts.

Not that he was categorically opposed to compliments. One day, almost in passing, he said thatI appeared to lack any…fear. You’re not terribly concerned, if I may say, Lieutenant⁸ Wales, withdying.

That’s true.

I explained that I hadn’t been afraid of death since the age of twelve.

He nodded once. He got it. We moved on.

 

1 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

2 hooped   

adj.以环作装饰的；带横纹的；带有环的

参考例句：

• Will the joint area with dense hooped reinforcement enhance the bearing capacity of the frame column? 节点区箍筋加密是否有利于框架柱承载能力的提高？ 来自互联网

3 debrief   

v.向…询问情况，听取汇报

参考例句：

• The men have been debriefed by British and Saudi officials.英国和沙特阿拉伯的官员听取了他们的情况汇报。
• He went to Rio after the CIA had debriefed him.他向中央情报局汇报完任务执行情况后就去了里约热内卢。

4 blithely   

adv.欢乐地，快活地，无挂虑地

参考例句：

• They blithely carried on chatting, ignoring the customers who were waiting to be served. 他们继续开心地聊天，将等着购物的顾客们置于一边。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He blithely ignored her protests and went on talking as if all were agreed between them. 对她的抗议他毫不在意地拋诸脑后，只管继续往下说，仿彿他们之间什么都谈妥了似的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

6 truthful   

adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的

参考例句：

• You can count on him for a truthful report of the accident.你放心，他会对事故作出如实的报告的。
• I don't think you are being entirely truthful.我认为你并没全讲真话。

7 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

8 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。