The Road to Tender Hearts - Chapter 7 & 8

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1. 导读

当PJ的生活因一通意外来电而彻底改变时，他发现自己被卷入了一个充满家族秘密和新责任的旋涡。一个离奇的遗嘱，一对失去双亲的孩子，以及一段四十年的家族恩怨……这一切将如何重塑PJ的人生，他能否接住这份意料之外的挑战？

2. 生词列表

No. Word PoS Pronunciation 中文含义 文中例句
1 unflappable adj. /ʌnˈflæpəbl/ 沉着的，不易慌张的 “I see,” Belinda Bell said. It was her job to be unflappable.
2 hoop n. /huːp/ 圈套，障碍 There’s far fewer hoops to jump through with next of kin, and so we will always favor this sort of placement.
3 moron n. /ˈmɔːrɒn/ or /ˈmɔːrɑːn/ 笨蛋，傻瓜 He had raised two children; he wasn’t a moron.
4 brunette n. /bruːˈnet/ 深褐色头发的女子 They didn’t look too much alike, PJ thought, a big redhead and a small brunette.
5 harness n. /ˈhɑːrnɪs/ 挽具，马具（此处指宠物背带） And today, he would go to IKEA to get bunk beds, and to the PetSmart for some cat food and a leash and a harness.
6 slushy n. /ˈslʌʃi/ 冰沙 Belinda had stopped for Big Gulp slushies at a gas station on the way.
7 tattle v. /ˈtætl/ 告密，说闲话 Ollie had seen her do it, but her brother never tattled, except recently, to the school nurse.
8 shingle n. /ˈʃɪŋɡl/ 木瓦，木板 The house on Clear Pond Road was a small cape, with green shutters and natural wood shingles.
9 glee n. /ɡliː/ 欢乐，高兴 Luna thought with glee.
10 trampoline n. /ˈtræmpəliːn/ 蹦床 There had been a Walmart next to the IKEA and PJ hadn’t been able to stop himself from adding the eight-foot trampoline to the credit card.
11 hoarding n. /ˈhɔːrdɪŋ/ 囤积，贮藏 He understood it, the hoarding impulse, of course he did, making ordinary things sacred.
12 jot v. /dʒɒt/ or /dʒɑːt/ 匆匆记下 This social worker wanted to hear what she wanted to hear and jot it down on her form.
13 mahogany n. /məˈhɒɡəni/ or /məˈhɑːɡəni/ 桃花心木 It was a long narrow room on the side of the house, with a mahogany dining table on one end, and a loveseat and a white grand piano at the other.
14 serenade n. /ˌserəˈneɪd/ 小夜曲 “Debussy. ‘Serenade for the Doll,’ ” PJ said.
15 projectile adj. /prəˈdʒektaɪl/ 喷射的，投射的 instead, she vomited, projectile, a brilliant blue, all over the piano, with half-chewed lumps of frogs and gummy worms hitting the keys.
16 goo n. /ɡuː/ 黏性物质 There was blue goo in the beige carpet, too, pieces of gummy candy everywhere.
17 gag v. /ɡæɡ/ 作呕 He had been shaken up on the trampoline just like Luna had, and he always gagged whenever Luna vomited.
18 windowsill n. /ˈwɪndoʊsɪl/ 窗台 The cat watched her climb out the window, watched her balance on the windowsill in her pink Converses for a second, hesitating, before she jumped into the bushes below.
19 reek v. /riːk/ 散发恶臭 Pancakes knew they were going back to that house, which had reeked of death, but the purple bedspread with the butterfly print had smelled sweetly, from the sweat of a child at rest.
20 puke v. /pjuːk/ 呕吐 “The puke didn’t stain,” he said.
21 sulk v. /sʌlk/ 生闷气 So, everyone went back to the dining room, including Ollie, leaving Luna alone in the locked bathroom to sulk.
22 coax v. /koʊks/ 哄劝，劝诱 PJ would have stayed longer to try to coax the girl out, but Belinda Bell was the professional.
23 loophole n. /ˈluːphoʊl/ 漏洞 PJ scratched his head. PJ was glad to hear about this possible loophole.

3. 生词精解

unflappable /ʌnˈflæpəbl/

Adjective. 指人在压力或困难面前能够保持镇定、不慌乱的特质。通常用来形容一个人冷静、有自信、不易受外界影响。

文中例句: "“I see,” Belinda Bell said. It was her job to be unflappable."

补充例句: "Despite the unexpected technical issues, the presenter remained unflappable and continued his speech seamlessly."

快速记忆法: 想象一个“不（un-）会拍打（flapping）翅膀”的鸟，它非常平静，所以“不慌乱”。

hoop /huːp/

Noun. 在口语中，常用来指需要克服的障碍或需要遵守的繁琐程序，尤其是短语“jump through hoops”。

文中例句: "There’s far fewer hoops to jump through with next of kin, and so we will always favor this sort of placement."

补充例句: "To get this loan, we had to jump through so many financial hoops."

快速记忆法: 想象通过体操的“环（hoop）”，象征着要跨越的“障碍”。

moron /ˈmɔːrɒn/ or /ˈmɔːrɑːn/

Noun. 一个贬义词，指非常愚蠢或迟钝的人。

文中例句: "He had raised two children; he wasn’t a moron."

补充例句: "Don't be such a moron, read the instructions carefully before you start."

快速记忆法: 联想“more on”——脑袋里“更多”的（on）是空缺，所以是“笨蛋”。

brunette /bruːˈnet/

Noun. 指有深褐色或黑色头发的女性。

文中例句: "They didn’t look too much alike, PJ thought, a big redhead and a small brunette."

补充例句: "The tall brunette walked confidently into the room, drawing everyone's attention."

快速记忆法: “brun”与“brown”发音相似，表示“棕色”或“深色”，所以指深色头发的人。

harness /ˈhɑːrnɪs/

Noun. 原指马具，此处引申为给宠物（如猫狗）佩戴的挽具或背带，用于牵引。

文中例句: "And today, he would go to IKEA to get bunk beds, and to the PetSmart for some cat food and a leash and a harness."

补充例句: "Make sure your dog's harness fits snugly so they can't slip out."

快速记忆法: 联想“hard”和“nest”，想象一个“坚硬的巢”绑在宠物身上，以便控制。

slushy /ˈslʌʃi/

Noun. 一种由碎冰和甜味液体混合而成的饮料，常有果味。

文中例句: "Belinda had stopped for Big Gulp slushies at a gas station on the way."

补充例句: "On a hot summer day, nothing beats a cold cherry slushy."

快速记忆法: 联想“slush”（泥浆，雪泥）的形状，像冰沙一样黏糊糊的。

tattle /ˈtætl/

Verb. 向权威人士（如父母、老师）告发某人的不当行为，常带贬义。

文中例句: "Ollie had seen her do it, but her brother never tattled, except recently, to the school nurse."

补充例句: "The little boy was afraid his sister would tattle on him for breaking the vase."

快速记忆法: 谐音“太多了”，话太多就容易“告密”。

shingle /ˈʃɪŋɡl/

Noun. 一种用于屋顶或墙壁的木瓦片，通常呈扁平状，相互重叠。

文中例句: "The house on Clear Pond Road was a small cape, with green shutters and natural wood shingles."

补充例句: "Many traditional houses in this area have cedar shingles on their roofs."

快速记忆法: 联想“single”木板，一片一片地覆盖屋顶。

glee /ɡliː/

Noun. 极大的喜悦或快乐，常带有几分得意或恶作剧的意味。

文中例句: "Luna thought with glee."

补充例句: "The children clapped their hands with glee when they saw the ice cream truck."

快速记忆法: 听起来像“高兴”，直接联想其意义。

trampoline /ˈtræmpəliːn/

Noun. 蹦床，一种带有弹性表面的跳跃运动器材。

文中例句: "There had been a Walmart next to the IKEA and PJ hadn’t been able to stop himself from adding the eight-foot trampoline to the credit card."

补充例句: "My kids love to spend hours jumping on the trampoline in the backyard."

快速记忆法: 拆分成“tram” (有轨电车) + “pole” (杆子) + “line” (线)，想象有轨电车在绳索和杆子组成的网上跳跃。

hoarding /ˈhɔːrdɪŋ/

Noun. 指过度收集和储存物品的行为，通常达到杂乱无章、影响正常生活的程度。

文中例句: "He understood it, the hoarding impulse, of course he did, making ordinary things sacred."

补充例句: "The family sought professional help for their grandmother's hoarding problem."

快速记忆法: 联想“大吼（roar）着说‘ding’”，把东西堆得像一座山一样。

jot /dʒɒt/ or /dʒɑːt/

Verb. 匆匆地、快速地写下或记下（通常是简短的笔记或想法）。

文中例句: "This social worker wanted to hear what she wanted to hear and jot it down on her form."

补充例句: "Can you jot down my phone number before you forget it?"

快速记忆法: “jot”发音像“扎特”，想象用笔快速“扎”一下纸张，记下信息。

mahogany /məˈhɒɡəni/ or /məˈhɑːɡəni/

Noun. 桃花心木，一种坚硬的、红褐色的木材，常用于制作高档家具。

文中例句: "It was a long narrow room on the side of the house, with a mahogany dining table on one end, and a loveseat and a white grand piano at the other."

补充例句: "The antique desk was made of solid mahogany and looked very grand."

快速记忆法: 想象“马（ma）猴（hog）你（any）”在桃花心木的家具上跳跃。

serenade /ˌserəˈneɪd/

Noun., Verb. (尤指在晚上) 在爱人窗下唱的) 小夜曲；唱(奏)小夜曲。

文中例句: "“Debussy. ‘Serenade for the Doll,’ ” PJ said."

补充例句: "He stood under her balcony and sang a serenade."

快速记忆法: 联想“赛（ser）人（re）那（nade）的音乐”，是“小夜曲”。

projectile /prəˈdʒektaɪl/

Adjective. 投射的；发射的；抛射的。指能够被抛出或发射出去的物体，或指以高速喷射出来的状态。

文中例句: "instead, she vomited, projectile, a brilliant blue, all over the piano, with half-chewed lumps of frogs and gummy worms hitting the keys."

补充例句: "The volcano erupted, sending projectile rocks high into the air."

快速记忆法: “pro”向前，“ject”投掷，“ile”表示…的，所以是“向前投掷的”。

goo /ɡuː/

Noun. (非正式) 黏性物质；黏稠物。常指黏糊糊的、不怎么讨人喜欢的液体或半液体物质。

文中例句: "There was blue goo in the beige carpet, too, pieces of gummy candy everywhere."

补充例句: "The melted chocolate turned into a sticky goo on the counter."

快速记忆法: 想象“姑姑”做的黏糊糊的糖果。

gag /ɡæɡ/

Verb. 作呕；恶心。指感到恶心想吐，或者因为被噎住而发出的声音。

文中例句: "He had been shaken up on the trampoline just like Luna had, and he always gagged whenever Luna vomited."

补充例句: "The smell of rotten eggs made me gag."

快速记忆法: 想象被堵住嘴巴（gag），所以想吐。

windowsill /ˈwɪndoʊsɪl/

Noun. 窗台；窗槛。窗户底部伸出的平台。

文中例句: "The cat watched her climb out the window, watched her balance on the windowsill in her pink Converses for a second, hesitating, before she jumped into the bushes below."

补充例句: "She placed a potted plant on the windowsill to get more sunlight."

快速记忆法: “window”（窗户）+“sill”（门槛），窗户的门槛就是窗台。

reek /riːk/

Verb. 散发恶臭；发出难闻的气味。也可引申为充满（某种不良事物）。

文中例句: "Pancakes knew they were going back to that house, which had reeked of death, but the purple bedspread with the butterfly print had smelled sweetly, from the sweat of a child at rest."

补充例句: "The old socks in his gym bag reeked of sweat."

快速记忆法: 谐音“reek”像“臭气”，联想“臭气”弥漫。

puke /pjuːk/

Verb., Noun. (非正式) 呕吐。 (非正式) 呕吐物。

文中例句: "“The puke didn’t stain,” he said."

补充例句: "He felt so sick that he thought he was going to puke."

快速记忆法: 联想“呸（pyook）”一声，吐出来。

sulk /sʌlk/

Verb. 生闷气；绷着脸不说话。指因为生气或不高兴而表现出沉默、不情愿或闷闷不乐的样子。

文中例句: "So, everyone went back to the dining room, including Ollie, leaving Luna alone in the locked bathroom to sulk."

补充例句: "After the argument, he went to his room to sulk for an hour."

快速记忆法: 想象一个人“缩（sulk）”在角落里生闷气。

coax /koʊks/

Verb. 哄劝；劝诱；耐心说服。指通过温柔、坚持的方式说服某人做某事。

文中例句: "PJ would have stayed longer to try to coax the girl out, but Belinda Bell was the professional."

补充例句: "She tried to coax the shy child into speaking."

快速记忆法: 谐音“抠丝”，像剥丝抽茧一样耐心地“哄劝”。

loophole /ˈluːphoʊl/

Noun. (法律、规则等的) 漏洞，空子。指可以被利用以规避规则或要求的模糊之处。

文中例句: "PJ scratched his head. PJ was glad to hear about this possible loophole."

补充例句: "The lawyer found a legal loophole that allowed his client to avoid paying the fine."

快速记忆法: “loop”环，表示循环、绕圈；“hole”洞。指规则中可以“绕圈子”钻的“洞”。

4. 语法精解

  1. 文中原句: As the cat drank the milk, and Belinda Bell told him more about these poor children, PJ thought of Pancakes in the animal shelter, waiting for a home, waiting to be euthanized.

    • 结构分析:
      • 这是一个包含并列时间状语从句的主从复合句。
      • 主句是 “PJ thought of Pancakes in the animal shelter“。
      • 两个并列的时间状语从句由 “As… and…” 连接：
        • “As the cat drank the milk“
        • “and Belinda Bell told him more about these poor children“
      • 主句后面跟了两个并列的现在分词短语作伴随状语/后置定语，修饰 “Pancakes”：
        • “waiting for a home“
        • “waiting to be euthanized“
    • 讲解: 这个句子通过两个并列的“as”引导的时间状语从句，描绘了PJ思考时的外部环境（猫在喝奶，社工在讲述孩子的情况），同时刻画了PJ内心深处的联想——他想到动物收容所里的猫Pancakes，等待被收养或安乐死。句末的两个“waiting”分词短语进一步强调了Pancakes（以及PJ内心深处对孩子的担忧）的被动和无助状态。整个句子结构紧凑，通过多层信息叠加，丰富了场景和人物心理。

  2. 文中原句: Maybe that happens to everyone who loses a child, that you hold on to things because you know better than anyone else there’s nothing in the world anyone can actually hold on to.

    • 结构分析:
      • 这是一个复杂的复合句，主语是 “that”，指代前面的整个情况。
      • 主句的核心是 “Maybe that happens to everyone who loses a child”。
        • 其中 “who loses a child” 是定语从句，修饰 “everyone”。
      • 紧接着是一个同位语从句 “that you hold on to things”，解释说明前面的 “that happens”。
      • 同位语从句内部又包含一个原因状语从句 “because you know better than anyone else there’s nothing in the world anyone can actually hold on to”。
        • 原因状语从句中又包含一个宾语从句 “there’s nothing in the world anyone can actually hold on to”，作 “know” 的宾语。
        • 宾语从句中又包含一个定语从句 “anyone can actually hold on to”，修饰 “nothing”。
    • 讲解: 这个句子深刻地表达了失去孩子的父母的复杂心理。句子的主干是“也许这种情况发生在每个失去孩子的人身上”，而后面的“that you hold on to things”是对“这种情况”的具体解释，即“你会抓住不放一些东西”。原因状语从句“because you know better than anyone else there’s nothing in the world anyone can actually hold on to”则进一步阐释了这种行为背后的悲痛逻辑——因为你比任何人都更清楚，世上没有任何东西是真正可以永远抓住不放的。这种多层从句的嵌套，使得句意层层递进，表达了深沉的哲思和情感。

5. 读后感

Chapter 7 & 8 offer a poignant glimpse into the life of PJ Halliday, a seemingly reluctant guardian unexpectedly thrust into an unforeseen role. Initially portrayed as a somewhat cynical character grappling with past regrets and long-standing family estrangement, PJ’s surprising acceptance of his great-niece Luna and great-nephew Ollie signals a potential journey of redemption. The narrative skilfully introduces the Meeklin children, each bearing the heavy scars of extreme trauma, evident in Luna’s selective mutism and Ollie’s pragmatic yet vulnerable demeanour. These challenges immediately highlight the profound need for a stable, loving home.

The contrast between PJ’s initial reluctance and his subsequent efforts – from battling bunk beds to installing a trampoline – humanises him, suggesting a deeper capacity for care than he himself might have realised. The underlying themes of family, loss, and second chances are subtly woven throughout, promising an emotional and transformative arc for all characters involved. The story effectively sets the stage for a new, unpredictable chapter in PJ’s life, one where his ‘tender heart’ might finally emerge, offering hope not only for the children but also for his own fractured past.