【第一章】E04 精讲版 | 举止优雅的母亲

英汉对照 

Permanently. The word echoed in Joe’s mind for the rest of the morning. He knew he should be happy. He’d barely been scraping by on his part-time salary. This job would change all that.

“成为固定职工”。那天上午剩下的时间里，这句话一直在乔的脑海中回响。他知道自己应该高兴。靠兼职工资只能勉强度日。这份工作会改变一切。

But his position at M.S. 74 was only supposed to be temporary, just something to keep him afloat until he got his big break. The only thing Joe wanted was to play great music—and not just for a bunch of half-awake middle schoolers.

但他在 M.S.74 的职位本来纯属临时性质，目的只是维持基本生活，直到大展身手的机会降临。乔唯一想做的就是演奏美妙的音乐，而且不仅仅是为一群半睡半醒的中学生演奏。

When class let out that day, Joe still felt uncertain. He decided to go see his mother. Maybe she would have some words of advice. Not to mention that he had laundry to do.

那天放学的时候，乔仍然拿不准主意。他决定去看他的母亲。也许她会提些建议。除此之外，他还有衣服要洗。

Libba Gardner owned a small tailoring shop in Queens, New York. She was a tall, elegant woman in her sixties with cropped white hair and a no-nonsense attitude. As Joe folded his laundry, he filled her in on the job offer.

利芭·加德纳在纽约皇后区有一家小裁缝店。她六十多岁了，是个举止优雅的高个子女人，一头白发剪得很短，说话做事都不拖泥带水。乔一边将要洗的衣服叠好，一边将工作的事讲给她听。

“After all these years, my prayers have been answered! A full-time job!” she said, clasping her hands together.

“这么多年过去，我的祈祷终于如愿以偿了！全职工作啊！”她紧扣着双手说道。

“Yeah,” Joe said heavily.

“是啊。”乔沉重地说道。

His mother fixed him with a stern look. “You’re going to tell them yes, right?”

母亲用严厉的眼神看着他：“你会答应他们的，对吧？” 

“Don’t worry, Mom,” Joe said. “I’ve got a plan.” 

“不用担心，妈妈，”乔说道，“我有个计划。”

Libba’s lips pursed like she’d sucked on a lemon. “You’ve always got a plan. Maybe you need to have a backup plan, too, for when your plan falls through.”

利芭噘起了嘴唇，就像是在吸吮柠檬。“你总是有计划。也许你也需要一个后备计划，以防你的计划落空。”

Joe didn’t know why he felt so stunned. She’d never supported his career choices. Why had he thought this time would be any different?

乔不知自己为何感到如此震惊。她从来没有支持过他的职业选择。为何他就以为这次会有所不同？

Libba sighed. “Joey,” she said in a softer voice, “we didn’t struggle giving you an education just so you could be a middle-aged man washing your underwear in my shop.”

利芭叹了口气。“小乔，”她柔声说道，“我们努力送你接受教育，不是为了让你变成一个在我店里洗内衣的中年人。”

“Yeah. But, Mom—” Joe began.

“是的。但是，妈妈—”乔开口道。

Libba cut him off. “With this job, you’ll finally be able to put that dead-end gigging behind you.”

利芭打断了他：“有了这份工作，你就终于能把那没有前途的演出抛到脑后了。”

“Yeah, but ...”

“ 是 的 ， 但 是 ……” 

“And just think,” Libba went on, “playing music will finally be your real career. So you’re going to tell them yes, right ?”

“想一想，”利芭继续道，“演奏音乐终于要成为你真正的职业。所以你会答应他们的，对吧？”

随堂笔记

echo  v.〔声音〕回响，发出回声  

scrape by  勉强维持生活，勉强糊口

be supposed to be XX  本应[本该]是...

keep (sb/sth) afloat 经济上周转得开的；不欠债的；维持基本生活的

break n.〔意想不到的〕机会，机遇

the only thing sb want(s) is to do...   某人唯一想做的就是...  

The only thing I want is to have some peace.  我只是想安静一下。 

a bunch of XX = a group of XX  一群

half-awake adj. 半睡半醒的

let out  放学；散场

What time does the movie let out?  电影什么时候散场？

go see=go and see，去看看

Let's go see the dance. 我们去看舞会吧。 

a word of advice / some words of advice 建议

not to mention XX  更不用说XX了 

The weather here is gorgeous, not to mention the wonderful food. 这里的天气很棒，更不用说美味的食物了。

do the laundry 洗衣服 

elegant adj. 高雅的，优美的

in one's sixties 六十多岁（指的是 60-69岁之间）

sixties也可以换成twenties/thirties，表示：在二十多岁/三十多岁... 等等。

cropped white hair 一头白发剪得很短

no-nonsense /ˌnəʊˈnɒns əns◂/ adj. 爽快的、麻利的、直截了当的

fill sb in on sth 向…提供最新消息/情况，告诉个人一些事情（内幕、消息等），让对方可以对一些事情的情况有些了解。 

I think you'd better fill me in on what's been happening. 我想你最好还是告诉我发生了什么。

one's prayers are/were answered 祷告应验了/祈祷如愿以偿了

heavily adv. 缓慢而忧郁地；悲伤地

fix sb with a XX stare/glare/look 用XX的眼神盯着某人

He fixed me with an icy stare/look. 他冷冷地盯着我。 

sb look(s) as if XX just sucked on a lemon  ... 看起来就好像刚吸了一口柠檬（表达一个人生气愤怒）

a backup plan 备用计划，后备方案；

fall through 〔协议、计划等〕失败，告吹落空；失败；成为泡影；

stunned adj.〔因惊讶、震惊而〕说不出话来的；惊呆了。

He looked completely stunned. 他看上去完全惊呆了。

give/provide an education 提供教育

a middle-aged man 中年人

cut sb off  打断某人

dead-end gigging 没有前途的演出

put sth behind sb  抛诸脑后