读故事

Danny kept trying to find Professor Bell so that he could give her his article connecting the baby boom to a related increase in the number of auto shows, but it was beginning to feel like she was avoiding him like the plague. Whenever he went to her office there was always a note saying that she was away from her desk.
Danny waited a couple times, walking back and forth, hoping she would show up! She never did! And so he left message after message for her. Some messages were so creative he thought that he should audition them for a show!
When he finally saw her walking down the hall he attracted her attention to himself and then purposefully turned to talk to her. He wouldn't let her back down this time.
“My, you are a persistent one,” she said, as he came up to her. “I should award the prize for diligence to you!”
“Well, I really need your help. This article is awaiting publication and I need your comments.”
“I'm not averse to helping you, Danny,” she replied, starting to look to the ground. “But my husband passed away last week.”
Stunned, Danny then realized that she was attired all in black.
“Oh, I'm sorry. What made you come back to work so soon?”
“You did. Your notes and messages awoke me to the fact that I needed to keep living. You know, like the sign I put up before class,‘attendance required. If I don't come back now, I never will.”
“Really. I just wanted your help.” She smiled and said, “Thank you for that. I can attribute my return to you. Really, it's okay. You helped avert me from prolonged grief.”

记短语

attendance required要求参加(或出席)，必须参加(或出席)
attire in穿着…衣服，穿上…盛装
attribute to把…归因于，把…归咎于；认为…属于
audition for对…进行面试，让…试演
auto show汽车展览
averse to反对，嫌恶，不愿意
avert from转移，避免，消除(灾难、危险等)
avoid like the plague像躲瘟疫一样避开，避之唯恐不及
await publication等待出版，等待发表
awake(sb.) to (sth.)使…意识到，使…认识到
award (sth.) to (sb.)授予…，给予…
away from one's desk不在办公，不能接电话
baby boom生育高峰，出生率激增
back and forth来回地，反复地
back down打退堂鼓，放弃原来的主张；退下，撤回

    丹尼一直在找贝尔教授，他要把他的文章交给她，这篇文章把生育高峰和汽车展次数的相对增加进行了联系，可他开始有种感觉，那就是她在像躲瘟疫一样躲着他。每次去她办公室，总是有一个条子说她不在办公。
    丹尼等了几次，他在办公室门口来回走动，希望她会出现！可她就是不见人影！因此他给她留了一次又一次的条子。有几张条子写得非常有创意，他认为该拿它们去试试看能不能展览！
    等他终于看到她从大厅里走来，他引起了她的注意并专门转身去和她说话。这次他不想让她撤走了。
    “我的天，你真执着。”他朝她走来时她说。“我应该授予你勤奋奖！”
    “是这样，我真的需要您的帮助。这篇文章在等待发表，需要您提提意见。”
    “我不是不愿意帮你，丹尼，”她说，眼睛开始盯着地面。“可我丈夫上周去世了。”
丹尼大吃一惊，接着他发现她穿着一身黑衣服。
    “噢，很遗憾。是什么让你这么快就来上班的呢？”
    “是你。你的留言使我认识到一个事实，那就是我得继续生活。你知道，就像我在上课前立的标牌一样，‘必须出席’。如果我现在不回来，我永远都不会回来了。”
    “说真的，我的确需要您的帮助。”
    她笑道：“谢谢你，我回来要归功于你。真的，我没事，你使我节哀顺变。

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