The Names of the Trees
Laura Kasischke
I passed this place once long ago
when a man lived here with his four
daughters, peacefully, it seemed. Those
daughters took turns washing
dishes, doing laundry. Frothy pearls1 and
feathers in a sink. Soft
socks, warm towels, folded, clean, in
closets, drawers, and baskets, and
on shelves. To me
this was astonishing. The laundry
done by daughters! No
mother in the house at all. A weeping
willow2 grew in their back-
yard, but it was not a symbol then.
It could not have been
because this was the only tree
I knew the name of yet -- unless it was a tree
that bore familiar fruit. Like
an apple tree, a mulberry. This
willow's branches did not seem to be <a href=https://WWw.EuZw.nEt/miNiform.html>苏州初中作文阅读培训</a>
branches at all to me, but
ribbons dangling3 loosely, tangling
girlishly. If there was any weeping, it
was inaudible to me. (Was
I supposed to see it?) One
of the daughters was only
a year ahead of me, and she
invited me (once) inside because
she wanted to play house with me. When
I confessed4 I wasn't sure what playing
house might mean, this girl
said she would teach me.
She was Mother for this reason.
I was the family dog. She
told me to eat Froot Loops
from a bowl on the kitchen floor
while on my hands and knees. We
laughed when I couldn't do it. But when
I was Mother, she
couldn't do it either.
That there was laughter!
A blue tablecloth5.
Salt and pepper shakers shaped
like hands, which, put <a hRef=htTps://Www.EuZw.nEt/miNifoRm.Html>苏州初中语文补习</a>
together, appeared to pray. When
I was thirsty, another daughter poured
a cup of water for me, pouring
water with such confidence it
seemed to me that she
might have poured the first water
from the first tap. When, out
of curiosity6, I went
into their bathroom and pretended to pee
I witnessed toilet paper printed with
forget-me-nots, along with a little dish
that held a piece of pink soap in it.
And, when, after this, I couldn't sleep
for three nights in a row, my
mother finally gave up
trying to comfort me.
1 pearls
n.珍珠( pearl的名词复数 )；珍品；人造珍珠；珠状物
参考例句：
<a hRef=htTps://Www.EuZw.nEt/miNifoRm.Html>苏州初中语文补习</a>
a necklace of rubies intertwined with pearls 缠着珍珠的红宝石项链 a string of pearls 一挂珍珠
2 willow
n.柳树
参考例句：
The river was sparsely lined with willow trees.河边疏疏落落有几棵柳树。 The willow's shadow falls on the lake.垂柳的影子倒映在湖面上。
3 dangling
悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口
参考例句：
The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now. 结果，那颗牙就晃来晃去吊在床柱上了。 The children sat on the high wall,their legs dangling. 孩子们坐在一堵高墙上，摇晃着他们的双腿。
4 confessed
adj. 众所周知的，公认的动词confess的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句：
She confessed to the murder. 她供认犯了谋杀罪。 He confessed to a priest that he had sinned. 他向神父忏悔他犯了罪。
5 tablecloth
n.桌布，台布
参考例句：
He sat there ruminating and picking at the tablecloth.他坐在那儿沉思，轻轻地抚弄着桌布。 She smoothed down a wrinkled tablecloth.她把起皱的桌布熨平了。
6 curiosity
n.好奇心，新奇的事物，珍品
参考例句：
He gave in to curiosity and opened my letter.他抑制不住好奇心，拆开了我的信。 The children are dying of curiosity to see what's in the parcel.孩子们出于好奇，迫不及待地想看看包裹中是什么东西。
《The Names of the Trees》添加时间：2024-12-14；更新时间：2025-03-09
