PART 1 Expressions

1. There is plenty of denial, and plenty of the deals people attempt to broker with God.

broker：比较熟悉的是它的名词含义，”经纪人“, eg, an insurance broker

在这里是做动词，意为 to arrange the details of a deal etc so that everyone can agree to it, 安排/协商细节

a ceasefire agreement brokered by the UN

2. "Oh, I've prayed that a hundred time." he says a little wistfully.

wistful: 伤感的 thinking sadly about sth that you would like to have, especially sth in the past that you can no longer have

a wistful smile

She sighed wistfully.

3. The sanctuary is swimming with children.

be swimming with/ in sth: （注：通常都是 be swimming的形式）充溢着，但是一般是充满着某种液体

The main course was swimming in oil. 主菜油汪汪的。

Her eyes were swimming with tears.

swim做动词，还可以指旋转、晃动（尤指生病或醉酒时的感觉）；或者指眩晕

The pages swam before her eyes.

His head swam and he swayed dizzily.

4. Someone else writes that my faith is holding me hostage to an inscrutable God.

be (a) hostage to sth: to be influenced and controlled by sth, so that you are not free to do what you want

Our country must not be held hostage to our past.

a hostage to fortune: idiom, sth that you have, or have promised to do, that could cause trouble or worry in the future 造成后患的事物

inscrutable: [ɪnˈskru:təbl] 难以捉摸的；神秘莫测的

an scrutable look on his face

5. I receive so many stories like this, the laments of bereaved parents who are asked to keep a smile on their faces.

bereaved: (a.) [bɪˈri:vd] if sb is bereaved, a relative or close friend has just died

The ceremony was an ordeal for those who had been recently bereaved.

6. Thousands of people were interviewed about their brushes with death in every kind of situation -- being in a car accident, giving birth, attempting suicide, et cetera -- and many described the same odd thing: love.

brush 这里的意思是 a time when you only just avoid an unpleasant situation or argument 与...的擦肩而过

A brush with death can make you appreciate life more.

His first brush with the law came when he was 16. (轻微的触犯法律)

She had a nasty brush with her boss this morning. 小别扭

与这个意思有些相关的一个含义是掠过、轻擦

the brush of his lips on her cheek

7. Even in lucid moments, I found my feelings so difficult to explain.

lucid: [ˈlu:sɪd]1. clearly expressed, easily to understand 表达清楚的

a lucid style/ explanation

2. (尤指生病期间或病愈后，糊涂状态中或过后)头脑清醒的

In a rare lucid moment, she looked at me and smiled.

lucidity: [lu:'sɪdətɪ] (n.)

8. When the feelings recede like the tides, they said, they will leave an imprint.

imprint: (n.) 1. 印记；痕迹

the imprint of a foot in the sand

2. 出版商名称（通常印在第一页的书名下面）

(v.) 1. 压印 clothes imprinted with the logos of sports

2. to have a great effect on sth so that it cannot be forgotten, changed, etc

The terrible scenes were indelibly(不可磨灭地) imprinted on his mind.

PART 2 Thoughts

韩语中有一俗语叫“翻过了一座山又是一座山(산 멈멈어 또 산이다.)” 十八岁的时候以为熬过来高考人生就会波澜不惊、按部就班的继续下去，然而却没想到大学的这几年里我经历了许多的风波、挫折和困境，比我18岁之前所经历的一切困难的总数都远远之多。每一次以为熬过眼下的困境就好，却总是会有新的烦恼和考验出现。开始读这本书是企图去为自己的人生寻找一个答案，那些苦难的经历的意义是什么，又或者说，一切是偶然还是注定，然而目前读了将近四分之三依然没有得到任何线索。作者只是平铺直叙了自己从找工作、生小孩得患病期间的各种经历，并没有对其背后的意义做深入的探讨和阐释。然而想来，其实这个世界上哪有什么真正的答案，每个人都有自己独特的人生故事，都有自己对生命和这个世界的解读。有些人相信一切事物的背后都有来自神灵或自然的旨意，有些人相信生命只是是无数个偶然相加的结果。无所谓对错或高低。有的时候我会想，如果当初做了别的选择，如果当初不经历那些遭遇，是否现在会过得很好。然而心里的另一个声音会告诉自己，并没有完美的人生或者一种完美的状态。灾难也好，失败也好，都是我们生命力的一部分，虽然不知道那一切是否都是注定发生，然而既然已经发生了，它们也就塑造了现在的我们，与我们不可分割。“Thousands of people were interviewed about their brushes with death in every kind of situation -- being in a car accident, giving birth, attempting suicide, et cetera -- and many described the same odd thing: love.” 我相信这是真的，当你真正站在生与死的边界的时候，你并不会去怨恨或者遗憾，而是会对自己的生命充满爱与感恩。