The Stored Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Expressions

1. A.J. rinses her hair, and Maya begins to sing.

rinse sth: 1. to wash sth with clean water only, not using soap (用清水)冲洗；洗刷；漱口

Rinse the cup out before use.

she rinsed the mud from her hands.

I wanted to rinse the taste out of my mouth.

2. to remove the soap from sth with clean water after washing it 冲掉...的皂液

2. After a semester of missed rehearsals, he had been axed from the group.

axe: (v.) 1.to suddenly dismiss sb from their job 解雇

There are plans to axe 2,600 staff.

2. to get rid of a plan, system, or service, especially in order to save money 砍掉（节目、系统等）

TV's longest running show is to be axed.

3. I think it's the influence of that insidious Elmo.

insidious： [ɪnˈsɪdiəs] spreading gradually or without being noticed, but causing serious harm 潜伏的，阴险的

the insidious effects of polluted water 

4. Maya cocks her head.

cock：（v.） 立起；抬起；翘起；

The dog stood listening, its ears cocked.

He cooked an inquisitive eyebrow at her. 投以疑问的眼光

cock an ear/ eye at sth/sb: to look at or listen to sb/ sth carefully and with a lot of attention 侧耳倾听；凝神细看

cock a snook(大拇指按鼻端) at sb/ sth: to say or do sth that clearly shows you do not respect them 蔑视

to cock a snook at authority

5. A.J. graduates him to trade paperbacks by Jo Nesbo and Elmore Leonard.

graduate (from sth to sth): to start doing sth that is bigger, better, or more important SYN progress

As an actress she has graduated from small roles to more substantial parts.

paperback: 平装书

(OPP) hardcover: 精装书

6. So the thing is, at first I kind of hated the book, but then it grew on me, yeah.

grow on sb: if sth grows on you, you gradually like it more and more

I hated his music at first, but it grows on me.

7. At night, A.J. tucks her in bed.

tuck sb in/ up: to make sb feel comfortable in bed by pulling the covers up around them

I tucked the children in and said goodnight.

be tucked up in bed: informal, to be lying or sitting in bed

I ought to be tucked up in bed now.

8. Maya is furrowing her brow, clutching A.J.'s arm.

furrow: [ˈfʌrəʊ] (v.) 1. 犁沟；2. 皱眉；蹙额

furrowed fields

furrow one's brows/ eyebrows

Thoughts

今天在这本书里读到一句话非常喜欢。“Sometimes books don't find us until the right time.” 在这一章里主人公因为照顾出水痘的女儿而在床边就近捡起一本有些眼熟的书来读。这本书曾经有一个书商向他强烈推荐过，但他当时听了个大概就对之嗤之以鼻不屑一读，然而当他真正去读的时候，他被那本书感动得泪流满面。主人公后悔自己没有早点去读这本书，然而我觉得那一刻，当那本书恰巧出现在他女儿的床边，又恰巧他回忆其对那个女书商的无礼而心怀愧意的那一刻，才是读这本书最好的时刻。因为那一刻他有了岁月的历练，他心里的浮躁与丧妻之痛在与女儿的朝夕相处过程中被砺去了。我一直觉得一本书本身再好，但如果你无法从中得到共鸣，无法真正去体悟到其中的喜怒悲欢，那么它对你来说就是无意义的，也不可能真正打动你的内心。

生命里有些人也是如此，不是对方或我们自己不够好，而是当有些人出现的时候，我们自己还没有那份对的心境去欣赏对方的好，所以注定会去辜负一些感情。就像徐志摩所说的，所谓爱情，就是对的时间、对的地点出现一个对的人。