Farewell,Lovely Conversations

By Robert Klose

I acknowledge, at this juncture, that a revolution has occurred,and that much has been gained by having hand-held devices that not only allow us to communicate while on the run, but also reserve parking spaces, garner weather reports, and tell us where, precisely, at any given moment, we are standing on planet Earth.1. 我承认，在这一时刻，一场变革已经发生，我们通过掌上设备可以做很多事情，能在奔走时沟通交流，可以预订停车位，获取天气预报，还能在任何时刻准确获得我们在地球上的定位。at this juncture: 在这个时刻；on the run: 忙碌中，奔波中；garner: 获得，得到。

But I must also acknowledge a loss. As a traveler, I think one of the joys of that experience is hearing what other travelers have to say. Conversation used to be surprisingly easy to initiate2. initiate: 开始，发起。.When I would take a seat next to someone on a train, bus, or plane, the first thing I would do was greet the person. Once the ice had been broken, subsequent chatter tended to erupt spontaneously.3. 一旦破冰，后面就自然而然地闲侃下去。chatter: 闲聊，聊天；erupt:爆发，喷发；spontaneously: 自然地，自发地。Where are you headed? Do you live in Bangor?Isn’t Boston a friendly town? Do you really work for the New England Aquarium4. aquarium: 水族馆。? Free tickets? Seriously? Well, thank you...

Things have changed, and the change has been striking5. striking: 显著的，突出的。.Recently, while boarding a long-distance bus, I couldn’t help but notice that everyone was staring into their palms, poking and clicking away.6. 我不禁发现每个人都盯着自己手中的手机，不停地戳戳点点。I found an empty seat next to a middle-aged man and greeted him. He threw me a cursory7. cursory: 匆忙的，仓促的。glance and said “Morning.” Then he returned to his device. I made one more bid to engage him, asking where he was headed, but he wasn’t buying.8. 我再次努力想和他攀谈，问他去哪里，然而他并不买账。bid: 尝试，争取；engage: 吸引。So I left him to his world and retreated9. retreat:（为避免不愉快或尴尬情形而）退缩，退却。into my own.

曾经，在漫长无聊的旅途中，和同行的乘客聊天是打发时间的最好办法，并时常有意想不到的收获。而现在，有了智能手机，大家都成了低头族，忙着在手机上戳戳点点：查收邮件、聊天、发布状态……即便面对面坐着，也懒得抬头看对方一眼，更别说交谈了。手掌中这台小小的设备无疑大大地方便了我们的工作和生活，但它是否也让我们失去了某些宝贵的东西呢？

I miss the casual conversations with fellow travelers. One never knows what will be revealed10. reveal: 展示，显示。, and sometimes how helpful it will be. I was once on a ship traveling from Iceland to Denmark. I noticed an older man standing by the railing11. railing: 栏杆。,looking out over the North Sea. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” I ventured12. venture: 大胆行事。. He turned to me, nodded, and asked, “Where are you going?” We were soon chatting away. I eventually confided13. confide: 吐露（秘密、心事等）。that I didn’t know how I was going to get from the port in Denmark to my destination city. His response: “Of course you know. I have a car and I’m going to drive you there!”?

I shall never forget that act of kindness. But even when an interaction doesn’t produce a useful product, it can still be memorable.14. 即便交谈不能带来实质性的好处，依旧是令人难忘的经历。I recall the woman on an Amtrak train who looked at my slender frame, frowned, and began to scribble out recipes for me, to “fatten you up.”15. 我记得一次在美铁火车上，一位妇女看着我瘦弱的身板，皱了皱眉，潦草地写下几张菜谱给我，说是可以“增肥”。Amtrak:即America track，美国国家铁路客运公司；slender: 苗条的，纤弱的；frown: 皱眉；scribble: 潦草地书写。And also the teenage boy traveling on another train to see his mother after an absence of years. (I heard his moving story by simply remarking that he looked apprehensive16. apprehensive: 忧虑的，担忧的。.) Then there was the fellow teacher who, in the course of trading stories about classroom intrigue17. intrigue: 阴谋，计谋。, discovered that he had missed his stop. When I expressed alarm on his behalf,he remarked, “No, no. It was worth it. I enjoyed our conversation!”

But now, if I attempt, how ever gently, to engage fellow passengers in conversation these days, I have the distinct sense that I am upending them from a preferred activity, be it checking e-mail, posting on Facebook, or,even playing games.18. 但是现在无论我语气多温柔地努力想和同行的乘客交谈，都明显感觉到自己是在打扰他人的乐事，无论是查收邮件、在“脸书”上发布状态，甚至是打游戏。upend: 颠倒，倒放。

In this sense, the long trips have become even longer.But I recently discovered reason for hope.

The bus I was riding from Boston to Bangor had broken down somewhere just over the Maine border.We passengers disembarked19. disembark: 使下车（或飞机）。and waited for the next bus to come along. As I got on it, I hovered at the front of the vehicle as those already seated glanced up at me.20. 我上车后在前面寻找位子，那些已经坐下的乘客抬起头看着我。hover: 徘徊，犹豫。Inspired, and wanting to seize the moment when I had their attention,I asked, “Is there anyone here who is interesting enough for me to sit next to?”

A pleasant-looking woman raised her hand. “I am,” she offered.

I sat with her, we chatted, and by gum21. by gum: （口语中表示惊喜的欢呼）老天爷啊！!—she was interesting! She read books, she traveled, she had interesting children. She got off in Portland, leaving me behind, but the glow of that interaction sustained me for the two remaining hours to Bangor.22. 她在波特兰下了车，留下我一个人，但和她交谈的愉快心情支撑着我接下来到班戈市的两个小时路程。glow: 喜悦，满足的心情。