Everything Happens for a Reason by Kate Bowler

PART 1 Expressions

1. Our words feel garbled, burning hot with love.

garble: a garbled statement or repost is very unclear and confusing

The papers had some garbled version of the story.

a garbled phone message

2. I am oscillating between hysteria and an executioner's humor.

oscillate:                                                                                                [ˈɒsɪleɪt] formal, to keep changing between two extreme amounts or limits or two feelings 波动；摇摆

His income oscillated between $1,500 and $2,000 a month.

Her moods oscillated between depression and elation

executioner: 侩子手

3. I double over crying.

double over/ up; double sb over/ up: (使)弯腰；弓身 （可以想象为把人折成了两半）

Jo doubled up with laughter.

I was doubled over with pain.

4. My arms had a limited battery life, able to hold things or write a letter one minute and then peter out the next.

peter out: to gradually become smaller, quieter etc and then end

The campaign petered out for lack of support.

5. I was ministered to.

minister to sb/sth: (v.) formal, to give help to sb who needs it, especially sb who is old pr sick

She spent much time ministering to the sick

minister to the needs of other people

6. My mon or dad sat across from me pretending that each thought was riveting.

rivet:                                                                                                [ˈrɪvɪt]（n.）柳钉；(v.) 用柳钉固定

be riveted to the spot/ ground: to be so shocked or frightened that you can't move 呆若木鸡

riveting:(a.) 吸引人的 SYN fascinating

a riveting performance

7. I simmered with resentment.

simmer: (v.) 1. 用文火炖

Simmer the sauce gently for 10 minutes.

2. simmer with sth: to be filled with a strong feeling, especially anger, which you have difficulty controlling

She was still simmering with resentment.

Anger simmered inside him.

3. 即将爆发；酝酿

This argument has been simmering for months.

8. Sometimes I saw this idea under the banner of family values.

banner: 横幅；也可以引申为一种信念/信仰

Protests carried a banner reading 'Save our Wildlife'.

under the banner of sth: under the belief or principle of sth

They marched under the banner of equal educational opportunity.

美国的星条旗的英文表达之一就是 Star-Spangled Banner (spangle 用闪光片布满)。另一种说法是 stars and stripes

9. She was plump and pink with the lightly hooded eyes of a perfect child.

plump: 1. 丰腴的；微胖的 having a soft, round body, slightly fat

a short, plump woman

2. 松软的；饱满的 looking soft, full and attractive to use or eat

plump cushions  松软的垫子

plump tomatoes

hood: (n.) 风帽；兜帽; 面罩

(v.) 以头巾覆盖；罩上

a hood

10. She set in stone for me what it means to feel loved and understood.

carve/ etch/ set in stone (of a plan, decision, etc): unable to change

People should remember that our proposals aren't set in stone.

补充:

1. leave no stone unturned: 千方百计；想尽办法

2. a stone's throw 很近的距离

The hotel is within a stone's throw of the beach.

We live just a stone's throw from there.

11. But that confidence began to crumble in our hands as our twenties wore on.

wear on: if time wears on, it passes very slowly, especially when you are waiting for something to happen (时间)慢慢流逝

I was feeling more tired as the night wore on.

12. We were high on possibility. We dithered and fussed around the house, unable to fully concentrate on anything except when we were allowed to tell our parents.

dither: (v.) 犹豫不决；踟蹰 SYN hesitate

Stop dithering and get on with it.

dither 也可以做名词

I'm in a dither about who to invite.

fuss/ fuss around: 瞎忙活；过分关心（细节小事）

Stop fussing around and find something useful to do!

fuss with/ over sth

Don't fuss with your hair.

PART 2 Thoughts

在这一章里作者讲述了28岁时的一次病痛经历。作者在长时间连续的论文之后出现手臂麻木的症状，多方求医无果，最后在手术前意外得知怀孕，然而经历了梦幻般的三小时后孩子流产了。这一章比较令我印象深刻的是作者写求医的一段经历时有这样一段描述，"He saw an insignificant young woman with floppy arms unable to write, and I saw a doctor who refused to put his shoulder to this problem and help me." 作者在与医生的会面前对他有很高的期待，以为他会是自己的救星，然而事实上，他凌乱的桌面、桀骜的语气和冷漠的态度，让作者大失所望，气呼呼地离开了医院。

我一直觉得医生和律师是所以在西方国家享有极高的声誉是不仅是因为专业本身的难度，而是他们要每天直接面对这个世间的疾病、痛楚、邪恶甚至肮脏。真正好的医生，不仅应具有专业的知识，而且得把患者当成一个平等的并且急需帮助的人，而不是一个研究的对象或者一个无关紧要的如同工业流程中的产品般的存在。同样，一个好的律师，也不仅是一个有着法律知识、口若悬河的讼棍，而且能真正站在委托人的角度去急人所急、忧人所忧的人。然而现实中的大多数医生或者律师也好，对于他们而言，别人的痛苦与伤痕只是一个研究分析的对象，是茶余饭后的谈资，比起如何解决别人的痛苦，他们更关注自己的薪酬和自身的利益。

想起一句话“欲戴皇冠，必承其重”。网上查了半天也查不出真正的出处是哪里，唯一觉得比较靠谱的说法是出自莎士比亚的《亨利四世》--“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” 人们总是习惯于对别人的痛苦麻木，然而却忘记了这也是自己所应承受的重量。如果承担不起别人的痛苦，然么也不配带着头上的皇冠。