The Road to Tender Hearts - Chapter 9 & 10 & 11 & 12

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1. 导读

为了追寻自己的昔日旧爱，凭着为Luna找寻亲生父亲的借口，年迈的PJ踏上了一段非凡的旅程。这不仅是为了兑现对新家庭成员的承诺，更是为了追寻自己生命中未曾有过的“大冒险”。这段旅程充满了未知与挑战，同时也带来了治愈和希望的可能。

2. 生词列表

No. Word PoS Pronunciation 中文含义 文中例句
1 eyesore N /ˈaɪˌsɔːr/ 碍眼的事物 The cops had left it up, and no one dared remove the yellow tape in the month since, even if it was getting to be an eyesore.
2 roost V /ruːst/ 栖息 The three vultures that were usually circling the house were roosted in the branches of the tree in the yard for the night, and the birds watched the boy go in, and each rocked their weight from foot to foot.
3 musty Adj /ˈmʌsti/ 霉味的；陈腐的 I can’t stay here,” she said, looking around their old house, which seemed so different than it had. Musty. Haunted.
4 craned V /krænd/ 伸（颈） The vultures in the maple tree outside the house craned their long, ugly necks and watched the Meeklin children leave the house on Deerfield Lane, the girl carrying the orange cat.
5 buzzards N /ˈbʌzərdz/ 秃鹫（尤指美洲秃鹫） we’re safe, the buzzards agreed, stretching their wings and bobbing their naked heads.
6 rasped V /ræspd/ 刺耳地说；磨擦 they rasped. Vultures don’t screech or call like other birds; they only hiss and make clicking sounds.
7 ranch N /ræntʃ/ 大牧场；大农场 Back at the ranch, after teeth were brushed and the kids were tucked in and everything had calmed down, PJ sat in a chair next to the beds.
8 gingerly Adv /ˈdʒɪndʒərli/ 小心翼翼地 PJ took it from her gingerly, trying to keep his fingers only at the edge so he didn’t leave greasy fingerprints on the photograph.
9 suitor N /ˈsuːtər/ 求婚者；追求者 Michelle Cobb might not wait much longer for him. She was sure to have other suitors.
10 tuck V /tʌk/ 塞进；把…藏入 after teeth were brushed and the kids were tucked in and everything had calmed down, PJ sat in a chair next to the beds.
11 tamp V /tæmp/ 压实；抑制 There was sadness mixed in with the wonderful, and he needed something to tamp down the sadness.
12 cadaver N /kəˈdævər/ 尸体 Everyone kept looking for Kate for three days, the whole town had looked, but they only found her after they brought in the cadaver dogs.
13 abducted V /æbˈdʌktɪd/ 绑架；劫持 At just that moment, the bench was flooded with bright and unnatural light, like PJ was being abducted by aliens.
14 hobbled V /ˈhɒbəld/ 阻碍；使跛行 She thought it had hobbled him, enabled him to stay drunk for the rest of his life.
15 deadbeat Adj /ˈdɛdˌbiːt/ 赖账不还的；游手好闲的 Sophie didn’t see why her dad should be the one to talk some sense into this deadbeat guy, but Sophie didn’t really know how foster care worked.
16 bereaved Adj /bɪˈriːvd/ 丧亲的；失去亲人的 Her parents hadn’t come, Sophie had gone by herself on the plane with a group of other kids. Some organization had put together a five-day Disney trip focused on bereaved siblings.
17 counselor N /ˈkaʊnsələr/ 顾问；辅导员 Sophie remembered the kindness of one of the counselors on the Disney trip who had promised her she wouldn’t be so sad forever.
18 spook V /spuːk/ 惊吓；恐吓 Oh, she doesn’t know I’m coming. Don’t want to spook her. Her husband only recently died.
19 piña coladas N /ˈpiːnjə kəˈlɑːdəz/ 椰林飘香（一种鸡尾酒） An out-of-office email bounced back, with the complete lyrics to that song asking if you like piña coladas.

3. 生词精解

eyesore /ˈaɪˌsɔːr/

Noun. 指非常丑陋或令人不快的事物，以至于让人觉得它伤害了眼睛。通常用于形容视觉上的不和谐或不美观。

文中例句: "The cops had left it up, and no one dared remove the yellow tape in the month since, even if it was getting to be an eyesore."

补充例句: "That abandoned building is a real eyesore in the middle of our vibrant downtown area."

快速记忆法: 想象眼睛（eye）感到疼痛（sore）因为它看到了一些非常丑陋的东西。

roost /ruːst/

Verb. 指鸟类栖息或停留的地方，尤指在夜间休息。作动词时，表示鸟类在某处栖息。

文中例句: "The three vultures that were usually circling the house were roosted in the branches of the tree in the yard for the night, and the birds watched the boy go in, and each rocked their weight from foot to foot."

补充例句: "The chickens return to the coop to roost every evening."

快速记忆法: 与“房间”（room）有点像，想象鸟儿回到它们的“房间”休息。

musty /ˈmʌsti/

Adj. 形容有霉味或潮湿腐旧的气味，通常指因为长时间封闭、潮湿而产生的气味。也可引申为陈旧、过时的。

文中例句: "I can’t stay here,” she said, looking around their old house, which seemed so different than it had. Musty. Haunted."

补充例句: "The old books in the attic had a musty smell."

快速记忆法: 联想“霉味（moldy）”和“灰尘（dusty）”，结合起来就是“musty”。

craned /krænd/

Verb. 动词“crane”的过去式，意为“伸长（脖子）”，通常是为了看得更清楚或听得更清楚。

文中例句: "The vultures in the maple tree outside the house craned their long, ugly necks and watched the Meeklin children leave the house on Deerfield Lane, the girl carrying the orange cat."

补充例句: "He craned his neck to get a better view of the stage."

快速记忆法: 联想“起重机”（crane），它的长臂就像伸长的脖子。

buzzards /ˈbʌzərdz/

Noun. 指秃鹫，尤指美洲秃鹫或某种鹰科猛禽。在口语中，它也可以指贪婪、残忍的人。在文中，它与“vultures”互换使用。

文中例句: "we’re safe, the buzzards agreed, stretching their wings and bobbing their naked heads."

补充例句: "The buzzards circled slowly in the hot desert sky."

快速记忆法: 联想“嗡嗡”（buzz）的声音，想象秃鹫在空中盘旋时翅膀发出的声音。

rasped /ræspd/

Verb. 动词“rasp”的过去式，意为“刺耳地说话；发出沙哑的声音”，通常形容声音粗糙、刺耳。也可指用锉刀磨擦。

文中例句: "they rasped. Vultures don’t screech or call like other birds; they only hiss and make clicking sounds."

补充例句: "His throat was so sore that he could only rasp out a few words."

快速记忆法: 与“沙沙声”（rustle）联想，都是形容不悦耳的声音。

ranch /ræntʃ/

Noun. 指（尤指北美、澳大利亚的）大牧场或大农场，通常用于饲养牲畜。在文中，它指的是PJ所处的Fred和Ivy的房子，可能是具有农场风格的住宅。

文中例句: "Back at the ranch, after teeth were brushed and the kids were tucked in and everything had calmed down, PJ sat in a chair next to the beds."

补充例句: "They spent their summer vacation working on a cattle ranch in Texas."

快速记忆法: 与“分支”（branch）发音相似，想象牧场有很多分支的道路。

gingerly /ˈdʒɪndʒərli/

Adv. 指小心翼翼地、谨慎地，通常是为了避免损坏、疼痛或引起注意。

文中例句: "PJ took it from her gingerly, trying to keep his fingers only at the edge so he didn’t leave greasy fingerprints on the photograph."

补充例句: "She gingerly picked up the broken glass."

快速记忆法: 联想“姜”（ginger）的辛辣，让你在处理时要“小心翼翼”。

suitor /ˈsuːtər/

Noun. 指追求者，尤指追求女性的求婚者或情人。

文中例句: "Michelle Cobb might not wait much longer for him. She was sure to have other suitors."

补充例句: "In many historical novels, heroines often have multiple suitors vying for their affection."

快速记忆法: 和“西装”（suit）发音相似，想象穿着西装打扮得很帅的追求者。

tuck /tʌk/

Verb. 指（把…）塞进；把…藏入；把…掖好。在文中指把孩子安顿好睡觉。

文中例句: "after teeth were brushed and the kids were tucked in and everything had calmed down, PJ sat in a chair next to the beds."

补充例句: "She tucked her shirt into her jeans."

快速记忆法: 联想“打钩”（tick），把东西整理好就像打个钩。

tamp /tæmp/

Verb. 指压实；填塞。在文中引申为“抑制”或“减弱”某种情感（如悲伤）。

文中例句: "There was sadness mixed in with the wonderful, and he needed something to tamp down the sadness."

补充例句: "He tamped down the soil around the newly planted sapling."

快速记忆法: 与“踩”（stamp）相似，想象用脚踩或压实东西。

cadaver /kəˈdævər/

Noun. 指（尤指用于医学或科学研究的）尸体。这个词语通常带有医学或解剖学上的正式意味。

文中例句: "Everyone kept looking for Kate for three days, the whole town had looked, but they only found her after they brought in the cadaver dogs."

补充例句: "Medical students study human anatomy by dissecting cadavers."

快速记忆法: 与“尸体”（corpse）发音有点像，都以“ca”开头。

abducted /æbˈdʌktɪd/

Verb. 动词“abduct”的过去式，意为“绑架；劫持”。在文中以比喻的用法，形容光线突然出现，仿佛被外星人劫持。

文中例句: "At just that moment, the bench was flooded with bright and unnatural light, like PJ was being abducted by aliens."

补充例句: "The child was abducted from the playground last night."

快速记忆法: 联想“不在”（absent）和“带走”（duct），被绑架就是被不在场的人带走。

hobbled /ˈhɒbəld/

Verb. 动词“hobble”的过去式，意为“使跛行；阻碍；束缚”。在文中引申为使某人无法正常生活或发展，这里指中大奖的钱反而束缚了PJ，让他持续酗酒。

文中例句: "She thought it had hobbled him, enabled him to stay drunk for the rest of his life."

补充例句: "The severe injury hobbled his career as a professional athlete."

快速记忆法: 想象“和（he）笨（bobble）”的行动，即走路不稳，被“阻碍”了。

deadbeat /ˈdɛdˌbiːt/

Adj. / N (名词) 作形容词时，指“赖账不还的；游手好闲的”。作名词时，指“游手好闲者；赖账者”。在文中，Sophie用它来形容Luna可能从未谋面的生父，认为他不负责任。

文中例句: "Sophie didn’t see why her dad should be the one to talk some sense into this deadbeat guy, but Sophie didn’t really know how foster care worked."

补充例句: "He was criticized for being a deadbeat dad who never supported his children."

快速记忆法: 联想“死了”（dead）的“心跳”（beat），形容一个人无所事事，没有活力，或者不履行责任。

bereaved /bɪˈriːvd/

Adj. / N (名词) 作形容词时，指“丧失亲人的；承受丧亲之痛的”。作名词时，指“丧亲者”。

文中例句: "Some organization had put together a five-day Disney trip focused on bereaved siblings."

补充例句: "The bereaved family received condolences from friends and relatives."

快速记忆法: 与“相信”（believe）发音相似，但失去了亲人，让人难以“相信”现实。

counselor /ˈkaʊnsələr/

Noun. 指顾问；辅导员；咨询师。通常指提供指导和支持的人，尤其是在心理健康或职业发展方面。

文中例句: "Sophie remembered the kindness of one of the counselors on the Disney trip who had promised her she wouldn’t be so sad forever."

补充例句: "She decided to see a career counselor to help her choose a new path."

快速记忆法: 联想“建议”（council/counsel）+“-or”（表示人），给出建议的人。

spook /spuːk/

Verb. 指惊吓；恐吓；使（人或动物）受惊。在文中指PJ不想突然出现吓到Michelle Cobb。

文中例句: "Oh, she doesn’t know I’m coming. Don’t want to spook her. Her husband only recently died."

补充例句: "The loud noise spooked the horses, and they bolted."

快速记忆法: 与“幽灵”（ghost）或“吓人”（scare）联想，都与惊吓有关。

piña coladas /ˈpiːnjə kəˈlɑːdəz/

Noun. 指椰林飘香，一种由朗姆酒、椰奶（或椰浆）和菠萝汁混合而成的甜味鸡尾酒。

文中例句: "An out-of-office email bounced back, with the complete lyrics to that song asking if you like piña coladas."

补充例句: "We ordered piña coladas by the pool on our tropical vacation."

快速记忆法: 分解为“piña”（菠萝，源自西班牙语）和“colada”（过滤的，源自西班牙语），联想菠萝和椰子混合的饮料。

4. 语法精解

  1. 文中原句：It was a scary and confusing place, where it had always felt like anything could happen at any time, and you didn’t know when you woke up if it would be a good day or a bad one.
    • 结构分析：
      • 主句：It was a scary and confusing place。这是一个简单的主谓宾结构，描述了地方的特点。
      • 从句1（定语从句）：where it had always felt like anything could happen at any time，由关系副词where引导，修饰place。在这个从句内部，it had always felt like... 是一个感官动词短语，anything could happen at any time 是like引导的从句，作felt的宾语，描述了那种地方带来的感觉。
      • 从句2（并列句）：and you didn’t know when you woke up if it would be a good day or a bad one。and连接一个并列句，与前面的主句形成并列关系。
        • 在从句2中，when you woke up 是一个时间状语从句，修饰动词didn't know。
        • if it would be a good day or a bad one 是know的宾语从句，表示一种不确定性，即“是否会是一个好日子还是坏日子”。
    • 讲解：这个句子通过使用并列句和多重嵌套从句，展现了复杂的情境和心理状态。where引导的定语从句生动地描绘了“不确定和危险”的环境特征，而后续的and连接的并列从句则通过when引导的时间状语从句和if引导的宾语从句，深入表达了在这种环境下个人所感受到的无助与无法预测的日常。这种结构能够让读者更深刻地体会到主人公对旧居所产生的复杂感受——那里不仅可怕和混乱，而且每一天都充满了未知。

5. 读后感

Chapter 9 to 12 present a captivating narrative that delves into themes of grief, family, and the pursuit of adventure. PJ, a man grappling with past tragedies and a newfound sobriety, unexpectedly becomes the guardian of his deceased brother’s orphaned grandchildren, Luna and Ollie. This sudden responsibility propels him into a grand road trip, not just to reunite Luna with her potential biological father, but also for PJ to finally experience life beyond his small town and personal demons.

The story beautifully contrasts PJ’s journey with the children’s own struggles with loss and their adjustment to a new life. Sophie, PJ’s daughter, initially skeptical, eventually joins the journey, highlighting the complex family dynamics and the healing power of shared experiences. The vivid descriptions of characters’ internal thoughts, PJ’s memories of Kate, and Luna’s unspoken pain create a rich emotional landscape. The narrative effectively sets the stage for a poignant tale of healing, self-discovery, and the unconventional bonds that can form in the wake of tragedy.