讀故事記單詞第十七篇

　　WORDS

　　purity n.純凈，純潔，純正

　　pursuit n.1.追求，尋求 2.追趕，追逐 3.[常pl.](花時間和精力的)事，嗜好，消遣

　　in hot pursuit 窮追不舍

　　pyramid n.1.金字塔 2.金字塔形結構 3.錐狀物，棱錐狀的一堆東西

　　quaint a.奇特而有趣的，古色古香的

　　qualitative a.(性)質的，質量的，定性的

　　quantify vt.確定……的數(shù)量，量化

　　quantitative a.(數(shù))量的，定量的

　　quart n.夸脫

　　quarterly a.季度的，每季一次的 ad.按季度，一季一次 n.季刊

　　quartz n.石英

　　quay n.碼頭

　　queer a.1.奇怪的，異常的 2.不舒服的，眩暈的

　　quench vt.止(渴)，撲滅(火焰)

　　query n.問題，疑問，詢問 v.1.對……表示疑問 2.問，詢問

　　quest n.尋求，搜索，追求

　　questionnaire n.(作統(tǒng)計或調查用的)問卷，征求意見表

　　quilt n.被子，被單

　　quiver vi.顫抖，發(fā)抖，抖動 n.顫抖，抖動，顫聲

　　quota n.定額，限額，配額

　　racism n.1.種族歧視，種族偏見 2.種族主義

　　racket n.1.喧嚷，吵鬧 2.敲詐，勒索，詐騙 3.(網(wǎng)球等的)球拍

　　In Pursuit of Understanding Race

　　Joe had always been on a qualitative quest to understand his history and the racism that he had experienced. The quantitative data that said he was part Egyptian, part Nigerian, and part Irish did not matter to him even though he did not know which race to put on questionnaires. And he never took advantage of quotas, which would have allowed him to go to the best schools. He was in hot pursuit of his own answer and there were no quaint solutions.

　　He felt most queer, however, when he visited the Pyramids. He could not identify with the Egyptians, their mummies, or their quays along the River Nile. And when he danced with an African quilt around his shoulders near a quartz mine in Nigeria he also did not feel that he had quenched his thirst for understanding himself. Knowing that the time for his query was running short he took another quarterly vacation from his job to visit Ireland.

　　"So your pursuit of understanding has led you here at last, Lad?"Said the man sitting next to him in an Irish bar with tennis rackets on the wall while drinking a quart of beer. "You can't quantify where you come from. It's in your heart! And there should be a purity to it all that makes you quiver when you finally understand it!"

　　As Joe left Ireland he knew that the man at the Irish bar had spoken true words of wisdom. He had no home country. He was just himself and that should be enough. Finally at peace Joe headed home. His quest was over.

　　弄清自己是誰

　　喬總是從質量上追求理解他的歷史和他所經(jīng)歷的種族主義。從數(shù)據(jù)的數(shù)量上來看，他部分是埃及人、部分是尼日利亞人、部分是愛爾蘭人，但這對他來說沒有多大關系，盡管他不知道在問卷上該填哪個民族。他從來都不利用配額，盡管這樣可以讓他上最好的學校。他只是窮追不舍地尋找自己的答案，但是卻沒有奇特而有趣的解決辦法。

　　但是，當他參觀金字塔的時候，他感到很奇怪。他不能認同埃及人、他們的木乃伊或者他們在尼羅河沿岸的碼頭。當他肩上披著一塊非洲被單在尼日利亞一個石英礦附近跳舞時，他同樣感覺不到能撲滅他想了解自己的渴望。由于知道質疑的時間所剩不多了，他又放下工作請了一個季假訪問了愛爾蘭。

　　“這么說你對了解身世的追求終于使你來到這里，小伙子？”在一家愛爾蘭酒吧坐在他身旁的一個人說，他喝著一夸脫啤酒，網(wǎng)球拍掛在墻上。“你無法確定你是哪里人，答案就在你心里！你身上應該有一種純潔性，當你終于弄明白的時候，這種純潔性會使你顫抖。”

　　離開愛爾蘭的時候，喬知道酒吧里的人說的話真是充滿智慧。他沒有國家，他就是他，這就夠了。他的心情終于平靜下來，他踏上了回家的路。他的追求終于結束了。