1、Section AThe TrashmanSaturday, April 7Para 1 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 t
2、he rest of me said, “Go, trashman, go.“Para 2 I could not have imaged there would be joy in this. Dump. Lift. Walk. Lift. Walk. The hours flew by.Para 3 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 to
3、day. Many people were outdoors working in their gardens or greenhouses. Most looked approachable enough. There wasnt time for lengthy talks but enough to exchange greetings that go with civilized ways.Para 4 I was shocked to find that wasnt the case.Para 5 I said hello in quite a few yards before th
4、e message registered that this wasnt normally done. Occasionally, I got a direct reply from someone who looked me in the eye, smiled, and asked “How are you?“ or “Isnt 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 spoke
5、n.Para 6 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 st
6、ared at me. I thought she was deaf and spoke louder. She seemed frightened as she turned coldly away.Para 7 Steve raged spontaneously about these things on the long ride to the dump.Para 8 “The way most people look at you, youd think a trashman was a monster. Say hello and they stare at you in surpr
7、ise. They dont realize were human.“Para 9 “One lady put ashes in her trashcan. I said we couldnt take them. She said, Who are you to say what goes? Youre nothing but a trashman. I told her, Listen, lady, Ive got an I.Q. of 137, and I graduated near the top of my high school class. I do this for the
8、money, not because its the only work I can do.“Para 10 “I want to tell them, Look, I am as clean as you are, but it wouldnt help. I dont tell anyone Im a garbageman. I say Im a truck driver. My family knows, but my wifes folks dont. If someone comes right out and asks, Do you drive for a garbage com
9、pany? I say yes. I believe were doing a service people need, like being a police officer or a fire fighter. Im not ashamed of it, but I dont go around boasting about it either.“Para 11 “A friend of my wife yelled at her kids one day when they ran out to meet a trash truck. Stay away from those trash
10、men. Theyre dirty. I was angry with her. Theyre 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.“Para 12 I had originally planned to stay at this employment for only two days but now Im going to continue. The exercise is great
11、; the lifting gets easier with every load, even if my shoulder muscle is sore. I become faster and neater each day. Im outdoors in clean air. And, contrary to what people think, I dont get dirty on the job.Para 13 I have decided, too, to keep saying hello in peoples yards. It doesnt do any harm, and
12、 it still feels right. Frankly, Im proud. Im doing an essential task. I left this country a little cleaner than I found it this morning. Not many people can say that tonight.Para 14 John Gardner wrote that a society which praises its philosophers and looks down on its plumbers is in for trouble. “Ne
13、ither 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, theyll both leave garbage behind.Words: 702 NEW WORDStrashn. (AmE) waste matter; rubbish 垃圾 trashmann. a person who deals with ru
14、bbish 垃圾工 trashcann. (AmE) a can for waste matter 垃圾桶 haulvt. pull with effort 拉，拖continuousa. unbroken; without a stop 不停的continuouslyad. without a stop 不停地wickeda. 1. very severe; serious 严重的2. morally wrong or bad; evil 坏的wickedlyad. badly; seriously 厉害地barreln. a round wooden holding box with fl
15、at bottom 大木桶tremblevi. shake uncontrollably 颤抖headv. 1. move 移动，走2. lead 带领imagevt. 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dumpvt. drop carelessly 倒，倾n. a place for dumping waste 垃圾场routen. a way from one place to
16、 another 路greenhousen. a glass building for growing plants 温室lengthya. 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registervt. 1. make known; show; record 显示，表明2. write in a list or record 登记responsen. 1. a
17、 reply 回答，答复2. (to) an action done in answer 反应，响应retreatvi. 1. move back, especially when forced 后退2. escape 逃离indoorad. (-s) inside a building 在室内，在户内a. which is inside a building（在）室内的，（在）户内的deafa. 1. unable to hear at all or hear well 聋的2. unwilling to hear or listen 不愿听的，装聋的ragevi. talk with se
18、vere anger 愤然地说n. (sudden feeling of) radical anger 狂怒spontaneousa. happening in a natural way 自发的spontaneouslyad. that happens in a natural way 自发地monstern. a strange, usually large and frightening animal 怪物ashn. matter left when something has been burned 烟灰graduatev. complete ones studies and rece
19、ive a certificate or diploma 毕业garbagen. (AmE) waste matter; rubbish 垃圾 garbagemann. a man who collects garbage 垃圾工 folkn. ones 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boastvi. speak too proudly of 吹嘘，吹牛n. a statement speaking to
20、o well about oneself; stating more than actual 吹嘘，吹牛yellvi. shout 叫喊originala. 1. first, earliest 原先的，起初的2. new and different 新颖的，有独创性的originallyad. in the beginning 最初employmentn. 1. paid work 工作，就业2. the act of employing 雇用；招聘musclen. pieces of spring-like material in the body 肌肉sorea. painful esp
21、ecially from a wound or hard use 痛的contrarya. opposite 相反的harmn. damage; wrong or hurt 伤害 vt. hurt; cause damage to 伤害franka. honest 诚实的，坦白的franklyad. honestly;to be honest 诚实地，坦白说philosophern. a person who studies the nature of existing, what is real, morals, etc. 哲学家plumbern. a person who fits and
22、 repairs water pipes 管道工 theoryn. general laws and methods rather than practice 理论economyn. the economic network of a country 经济economistn. a person who studies economics 经济学家PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONSmake the rounds(also do/go the rounds)visit a number of people or places, usually in a customary order
23、 串门拜访，四处走动go withmatch 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 fromkeep away from; do not get close to 别靠近stay atremain behind at 保留；待在contrary tocompletely different from 与相
24、反look down on/uponhave a poor opinion of (sb.), especially as being below ones social level; not approve of (sb. or sth.) 蔑视；不赞成be in forbe unable to escape; be sure to get or have 免不了遭受hold waterbe able to be proved true or brought to actual 可证为真实；站得住脚call fordemand (sth. or sb.) 要求PROPER NAMESJohn Gardner约翰加德纳（人名）
