PART 1 Expressions

1. I begin to conscript my family and whoever happens to be visiting.

conscript: (v.) 征募/征召（入伍）; (n.)应征入伍者

He was conscripted into the army in 1939.

young army conscripts

本文中应该是一个比喻性的用法，指使唤家人或者说烦着家人（给作者带书等）。

2. We are sitting outside on the patio.

patio: [ˈpætiəʊ] （房屋外面或后面的）露台；平台

Let's have lunch out on the patio.

patio

3. There is something about a ceilingless world, and the sound of birds that staves off the taste of fear.

stave sth off: to prevent sth bad from affecting you for a period of time, to delay sth

She brought some fruit on the journey to stave off hunger.

4. A brutal world demands capitulation to what seems impossible - separation.

capitulate: [kəˈpɪtʃuleɪt] SNY give in, formal, to accept or agree to something that you have been opposing for a long time

She finally capitulated and let her son have a car.

capitulation: (n.)

5. A famous healer dies after using his own ulcerated leg as a litmus test for his faith.

ulcerate: (v.) [ˈʌlsəreɪt] （使）形成溃疡；溃烂

ulcer: [ˈʌlsə(r)] 溃疡；溃烂物

6. She moves through the pleasantries with enough warmth to suggest that, at least on social occasions, she considers herself to be a nice person.

pleasantry: 客套话；寒暄

After exchanging the usual pleasantries, they got down to serious discussion.

7. Do people find themselves emboldened, shielded from the trials of daily life by the promise that they are more than conquerors?

embolden: (vt. ) formal, to make sb feel braver or more confident

embolden sb, embolden sb to do sth

Emboldened by the wine, he went over to introduce himself to her.

With such a majority, the administration was emboldened to introduce radical new policies.

embolden 还可以指将文本变成粗体(bold print)

8. I stop taking the medication that minimizes the numb feeling in my hands and feet, because I want to feel every shred of what is happening to me.

shred:1. (撕或切的)细条；碎片 eg. shreds of paper

2. shred of sth: a very small amount of sth

There is not a shred of evidence to support.

in shreds: very badly damaged

The county's economy is in shreds.

shred: (v.) 切碎；撕碎

Serve the fish on a bed of shredded lettuce(生菜).

PART 2 Thoughts

今天读完了这本书的一半。这一篇幅较长的章节的题为“Surrender”，意即向命运妥协，或者说，尽人事，听天命。其实最近这两天我内心有时会处在一种焦虑与不安中，因为看不清未来的路在哪里，也因为年岁渐长却尚无所成。很快就是毕业季了，学校里有红毯仪式我却不知道该找谁做为同伴，也不知道下一阶段的人生历程里会几多风雨几多彩虹。然而，有一句话叫"我心安处便是晴天"。我们总以为只有自己处在阴霾之中，然而事实上对于大多数人而已，都是很难看清出未来的路，有时一个意外能让你的人生跌入谷底，又有时一个机遇能让你步入上康庄大道。其实与其辗转纠结，不如就把自己的人生交付给命运吧。享受命运给我们的惊喜，也坦然接受命运给我们的结果。