Slack Action

时间：2013-10-29 03:29:30

（单词翻译:单击）

Slack Action
Jeffery Donaldson
 
It goes through my mind like a train at night, 
 the train my father rode in the night, his mind 
 a train of thought far from where he rode. 
 
When I pull into the seniors' home I like to feel 
 the car drift in abeyance1（悬而未决） round the last corner, 
 another touch to come nearer, the braking slide 
 
into parking easements and an end. Forty-two 
 years he leapt among the tracks, nights, to cobble（修） 
 things together, shuffling2 boxcars and flat cars, 
 
dealing3 their lengths part way into sidings -- join 
 and hinge（铰链，枢纽）, muster4 and release -- climbing the ladders 
 free of his uncouplings. It took some sorting out. 
 
He listened hard for the word come down 
 from the Dispatcher. Too heavy now for the staff, 
 he has to wait for the machine that will hoist5 him, 
 
strapped6, over to his chair or back to bed again. 
 A sandbag, his sullen7 mass slumps8 into the lift 
 and rises sloppy9 and unresisting. He goes with it 
 
staring in disbelief. I am borne here. For us, 
 mother and wife are let go, the love-ties 
 grappled loose in unbroken entanglements, 
 
our new solitudes10 gathering11 and fanning out. 
 When the sliding door whispers open for me 
 -- in hand his double-double and an apple fritter, 
 
unlooked-forward-to, like a pill that you take --
 I enter with purpose but am halfway12 off again. 
 Our family is convergence and divergence13（收敛与发散） both. 
 
I have a photograph of him in mind, a man 
 in his prime leaning out from the boxcar's ladder, 
 signalling ahead the slow recessions, the gaps 
 
and clearances14, the thrown switches and coupler 
 knuckles ... ten feet and closing, five feet, good. 
 His grief looks poor on him. Plan was he'd be 
 
the first to go -- with drinks and smokes, half by 
 his own wishing -- and Mum's years would ease 
 ahead of him by whole decades. But after 
 
Alzheimer's and a kidney ache, her body still shining 
 with something fifty about it went off and left him 
 cajoling his clogged15 arteries16 past eighty and beyond. 
 
We never spoke17 of this, but I always imagined 
 those seemingly endless trains he assembled 
 in the night, a hundred cars and counting, 
 
how, when the engine pulls up a little 
 and the cars buckle18 forward in succession 
 but have not yet stopped before the hogger19 guns it, 
 
it must be that all the fastenings along 
 let up in turn and spread fresh gaps throughout. 
 Cars and clusters of cars at once go 
 
clutching and unclutching down their length. 
 And I try to picture how, the jolting21 instress 
 unravelling, their reciprocal momentums 
 
would meet and intermingle, the forward push 
 backing into slows, and the slows pulling off 
 pulling forward ahead of their kickbacks22 and jostles, 
 
and you would hear the whole thing down the line 
 at once parting and gathering, the entire train 
 getting on, undecided. But how too, if you really 
 
listened for it, there would be single cars hidden 
 in the midst, scudding23 alone, neither pushed 
 nor pulled, left gentled into hiatus（裂缝）, coasting free 
 
an instant in the long line's accordion24 folds' 
 uneasy breathing. A hovering25 out of waiting, 
 the glide26 getting on in the inertia27（惯性，惰性）, itself still moving. 
 
He comes to with a jolt20. I take in my stride 
 his pantomimed 'Look who it is!' and we embrace, 
 our private journeys sallying up behind us 
 
in opposite directions, gently coupling. Not 
 a greeting or farewell, but a staying that is 
 neither between us. He keeps me close, and not 
 
to come undone28, I tell him what I've been 
 thinking about the train. 'Slack action, it's called,' 
 he says, and lets his arms fall open around me.

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1 abeyance vI5y6     
n.搁置，缓办，中止，产权未定
参考例句：
  • The question is in abeyance until we know more about it.问题暂时搁置，直到我们了解更多有关情况再行研究。
  • The law was held in abeyance for well over twenty years.这项法律被搁置了二十多年。
2 shuffling 03b785186d0322e5a1a31c105fc534ee     
adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式
参考例句：
  • Don't go shuffling along as if you were dead. 别像个死人似地拖着脚走。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
  • Some one was shuffling by on the sidewalk. 外面的人行道上有人拖着脚走过。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
3 dealing NvjzWP     
n.经商方法，待人态度
参考例句：
  • This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
  • His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
4 muster i6czT     
v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册
参考例句：
  • Go and muster all the men you can find.去集合所有你能找到的人。
  • I had to muster my courage up to ask him that question.我必须鼓起勇气向他问那个问题。
5 hoist rdizD     
n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起
参考例句：
  • By using a hoist the movers were able to sling the piano to the third floor.搬运工人用吊车才把钢琴吊到3楼。
  • Hoist the Chinese flag on the flagpole,please!请在旗杆上升起中国国旗！
6 strapped ec484d13545e19c0939d46e2d1eb24bc     
adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带
参考例句：
  • Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 sullen kHGzl     
adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的
参考例句：
  • He looked up at the sullen sky.他抬头看了一眼阴沉的天空。
  • Susan was sullen in the morning because she hadn't slept well.苏珊今天早上郁闷不乐，因为昨晚没睡好。
8 slumps 1082c8057156c49f6f76483bf4a8f755     
萧条期( slump的名词复数 )； （个人、球队等的）低潮状态； （销售量、价格、价值等的）骤降； 猛跌
参考例句：
  • Deflation could emerge from simultaneous slumps in the world's three major economies. 如果世界经济三大主体同时衰退，通货紧缩就会出现。
  • This is the cycle of economic booms and slumps. 这是经济繁荣和经济萧条的周期变化。
9 sloppy 1E3zO     
adj.邋遢的，不整洁的
参考例句：
  • If you do such sloppy work again,I promise I'll fail you.要是下次作业你再马马虎虎，我话说在头里，可要给你打不及格了。
  • Mother constantly picked at him for being sloppy.母亲不断地批评他懒散。
10 solitudes 64fe2505fdaa2595d05909eb049cf65c     
n.独居( solitude的名词复数 )；孤独；荒僻的地方；人迹罕至的地方
参考例句：
  • Africa is going at last to give up the secret of its vast solitudes. 非洲无边无际的荒野的秘密就要被揭穿了。 来自辞典例句
  • The scientist has spent six months in the solitudes of the Antarctic. 这位科学家已经在人迹罕至的南极待了六个月了。 来自互联网
11 gathering ChmxZ     
n.集会，聚会，聚集
参考例句：
  • He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
  • He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。
12 halfway Xrvzdq     
adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途
参考例句：
  • We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
  • In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。
13 divergence kkazz     
n.分歧，岔开
参考例句：
  • There is no sure cure for this transatlantic divergence.没有什么灵丹妙药可以消除大西洋两岸的分歧。
  • In short,it was an age full of conflicts and divergence of values.总之，这一时期是矛盾与价值观分歧的时期。
14 clearances ec40aa102b878fb9d47b3f1882c46eb4     
清除( clearance的名词复数 )； 许可； （录用或准许接触机密以前的）审查许可； 净空
参考例句：
  • But I can't get to him without clearances. 但是没有证明我就没法见到他。
  • The bridge and the top of the bus was only ten clearances. 桥与公共汽车车顶之间的间隙只有十厘米。
15 clogged 0927b23da82f60cf3d3f2864c1fbc146     
（使）阻碍( clog的过去式和过去分词 )； 淤滞
参考例句：
  • The narrow streets were clogged with traffic. 狭窄的街道上交通堵塞。
  • The intake of gasoline was stopped by a clogged fuel line. 汽油的注入由于管道阻塞而停止了。
16 arteries 821b60db0d5e4edc87fdf5fc263ba3f5     
n.动脉( artery的名词复数 )；干线，要道
参考例句：
  • Even grafting new blood vessels in place of the diseased coronary arteries has been tried. 甚至移植新血管代替不健康的冠状动脉的方法都已经试过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • This is the place where the three main arteries of West London traffic met. 这就是伦敦西部三条主要交通干线的交汇处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
17 spoke XryyC     
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
18 buckle zsRzg     
n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲
参考例句：
  • The two ends buckle at the back.带子两端在背后扣起来。
  • She found it hard to buckle down.她很难专心做一件事情。
19 hogger eed66cdfed3e836bac1a4cc5877268f1     
n.木材切碎机，火车司机；钻工
参考例句：
20 jolt ck1y2     
v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸
参考例句：
  • We were worried that one tiny jolt could worsen her injuries.我们担心稍微颠簸一下就可能会使她的伤势恶化。
  • They were working frantically in the fear that an aftershock would jolt the house again.他们拼命地干着，担心余震可能会使房子再次受到震动。
21 jolting 5p8zvh     
adj.令人震惊的
参考例句：
  • 'she should be all right from the plane's jolting by now. “飞机震荡应该过了。
  • This is perhaps the most jolting comment of all. 这恐怕是最令人震惊的评论。
22 kickbacks cd387b7f155951097a73538b40e21c28     
n.激烈反应( kickback的名词复数 )；佣金，回扣
参考例句：
  • Everyone at City Hall is receiving kickbacks. It's the only way to get anything done there. 市政府里的每个人都收回扣，在那里只有送红包，事情才办得成。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • G raft or kickbacks paid to officials or law enforcem ent authorities. 暗中付给官员或执法人员的回扣。 来自互联网
23 scudding ae56c992b738e4f4a25852d1f96fe4e8     
n.刮面v.（尤指船、舰或云彩）笔直、高速而平稳地移动( scud的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • Clouds were scudding across the sky. 云飞越天空。 来自辞典例句
  • China Advertising Photo Market-Like a Rising Wind and Scudding Clouds. 中国广告图片市场：风起云涌。 来自互联网
24 accordion rf1y7     
n.手风琴；adj.可折叠的
参考例句：
  • The accordion music in the film isn't very beautiful.这部影片中的手风琴音乐不是很好。
  • The accordion music reminds me of my boyhood.这手风琴的乐声让我回忆起了我的少年时代。
25 hovering 99fdb695db3c202536060470c79b067f     
鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫
参考例句：
  • The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
  • I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。
26 glide 2gExT     
n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝
参考例句：
  • We stood in silence watching the snake glide effortlessly.我们噤若寒蝉地站着，眼看那条蛇逍遥自在地游来游去。
  • So graceful was the ballerina that she just seemed to glide.那芭蕾舞女演员翩跹起舞，宛如滑翔。
27 inertia sbGzg     
adj.惰性，惯性，懒惰，迟钝
参考例句：
  • We had a feeling of inertia in the afternoon.下午我们感觉很懒。
  • Inertia carried the plane onto the ground.飞机靠惯性着陆。
28 undone JfJz6l     
a.未做完的，未完成的
参考例句：
  • He left nothing undone that needed attention.所有需要注意的事他都注意到了。

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