The Gardener

时间：2015-11-13 03:29:09

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The Gardener
Caitríona O'Reilly
 
 
The menu warned that fish caught locally 
 may contain dangerous levels of cadmium 
 and isotopes1 -- or was it allotropes? --
 I didn't care ... 
 
That night, after the lecture, 
 I sweated through dinner with a clever man 
 who displayed his cleverness decorously, 
 like the secretary bird its quills2. 
 Did he notice the beads3 glistening4 in my philtrum 
 like the shine off the poisoned Pacific? 
 
And I wondered what dangerous dust I had inhaled, 
 to make my breath so difficult, 
 as I lay in the cheap hotel on Kearny Street, 
 counting the notches5 on a plastic thermometer 
 and feverishly6 dialling your number 
 across half the blacked-out globe. 
 
Earlier, I'd looked for pelicans7 on Alcatraz Island 
 and seen none, and tried to imagine 
 the suffering of the celebrity8 hoodlum 
 contemplating the saved in their bliss 
 across the deadly strait, in the eternal city.
 
The phone rang out twice in the empty house 
 as it had rung out so often in that other house, 
 and my panic was almost theatrical 
 until your voice, warm and close, 
 reminded me again of the notes I'd made 
 of the words of the island's only gardener: 
 
I kept no record of my failures, 
 and there were many.... The main thing 
 was to assure some success by trying many things 
 and holding onto those plants which had learned 
 that life is worth holding onto, 
 even at its bitterest.

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1 isotopes 92848c3160703e48dc3b552ac6f54115     
n.同位素；同位素( isotope的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • the many isotopes of carbon 碳的诸多同位素
  • Tritium is one of the mildest radioactive isotopes. 氚是最和缓的放射性同位素之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 quills a65f94ad5cb5e1bc45533b2cf19212e8     
n.（刺猬或豪猪的）刺( quill的名词复数 )；羽毛管；翮；纡管
参考例句：
  • Quills were the chief writing implement from the 6th century AD until the advent of steel pens in the mid 19th century. 从公元6世纪到19世纪中期钢笔出现以前，羽毛笔是主要的书写工具。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Defensive quills dot the backs of these troublesome creatures. 防御性的刺长在这些讨人厌的生物背上。 来自互联网
3 beads 894701f6859a9d5c3c045fd6f355dbf5     
n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链
参考例句：
  • a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
  • Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。
4 glistening glistening     
adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。
  • Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的泪水闪着柔和的光。 来自《用法词典》
5 notches be2894ea0263799fb95b9d050d295b3d     
n.（边缘或表面上的）V型痕迹( notch的名词复数 )；刻痕；水平；等级
参考例句：
  • The Indians cut notches on a stick to keep count of numbers. 印第安人在棒上刻V形凹痕用来计数。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • They cut notches in the handle of their pistol for each man they shot. 他们每杀一个人就在枪托上刻下一个V形记号。 来自辞典例句
6 feverishly 5ac95dc6539beaf41c678cd0fa6f89c7     
adv. 兴奋地
参考例句：
  • Feverishly he collected his data. 他拼命收集资料。
  • The company is having to cast around feverishly for ways to cut its costs. 公司迫切须要想出各种降低成本的办法。
7 pelicans ef9d20ff6ad79548b7e57b02af566ed5     
n.鹈鹕( pelican的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Kurt watched the Pelicans fire their jets and scorch the grass. 库尔特看着鹈鹕运兵船点火，它们的喷焰把草烧焦。 来自互联网
  • The Pelican Feeding Officers present an educational talk while feeding the pelicans. 那个正在喂鹈鹕的工作人员会边喂鹈鹕边给它上一节教育课。 来自互联网
8 celebrity xcRyQ     
n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望
参考例句：
  • Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
  • He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

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