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I'd written a letter to the people I'd met.
我给所有我拜访过的人写了一封信
Dear Mister or Missus or Miss,
亲爱的先生 女士 小姐
or Abby or Hazelle or Tommy or Elaine,
艾比 何泽尔 汤米 伊莱恩
or anybody I'd met whose last name is Black.
所有我见过的姓布莱克的人
You might remember me.
你们也许还记得我
My name is Oskar Schell.
我叫奥斯卡·谢尔
I came to visit you to see if you could help me find the lock,
我之前拜访过你们 想在你们的帮助下找到一把锁
that fit the key I thought my father had left me.
我原以为钥匙是父亲特意留给我的
Most of you were very helpful and nice to me.
大多数人都帮助了我 而且很友好
I want to thank you for that.
谢谢你们所做的
And I want to thank you for the horse ride you gave me,
谢谢你让我骑马
and for Taylor's picture of me and my key.
还有泰勒画的我和钥匙
You might want to know, the key wasn't meant for me.
你们也许应该知道 钥匙其实不属于我
It was meant for a Mr. William Black,
是属于威廉·布莱克的
who maybe needed it even more than I did.
他可能比我更需要
I was disappointed, obviously,
当然 我很失望
but I'm honestly glad that it's where it belongs.
但我也由衷的高兴 它找到了归属的人
And I'm even glad to have my disappointment,
我甚至很高兴我有失望
which is much better than having nothing.
总比什么都没有好
My dad told me that New York,
我爸爸曾告诉我
once had a Sixth Borough that floated away.
纽约曾经有个第六区 但是飘走了
They tried to save it, but they couldn't,
他们尝试拯救 但无能为力
and it's never coming back.
它就这样消失了
As much as I want him to...
虽然我非常想念爸爸
my dad is never coming back.
但他永远回不来了
And I thought I couldn't live without him, but now I know I can.
我以为没有他我活不下去 现在知道 原来我可以
I think that would make my dad proud.
爸爸会因此为我骄傲的
which is all I ever wanted.
这也是我最想得到的
重点讲解
一.visit：v. 拜访，参观，闲谈 n. 拜访，参观，聊天
【词义辨析】
call on，see，visit，drop in
call on: 社交上的正式用语，指无目的、礼节性的短暂拜访，访问者与被访问者之间一般只有社交或公务关系。
see: 常用词，含义广泛，既可指接受他人来访，又可指去访问他人。
visit: 正式用词，强调出于工作需要的访问，也指亲戚朋友间的看望。
drop in: 多指在计划之外或事先未打招呼的偶然、顺便访问。也可指参观。
【例句用法】
1.It was his first visit to his wife's parents.
那是他第一次去看望岳父和岳母。
2.I'm going to visit my aunt for a few days.
我打算去姑妈家住几天。
3.Visiting time in this hospital is from 4 to 6.
这家医院的探望时间是从4点到6点。
4.He makes several business visits to American every year.
他每年都要为商务到美国去几次。
二.ever：adv. 曾经，在任何时候，究竟，一直，永远
【词语用法】
ever一般解释为“在任何时候的”，但有时候可与always同意，表示“始终，一直”。
Honesty ever pays.
I have ever been of opinion that honesty pays.
句中的ever可替换成always。
ever可出现在过去时态或完成时态的疑问句中。
Did you ever see such a grand parade?
Have you ever seen such a grand parade?
你曾看过如此壮观的游行吗?
ever在疑问句中，常用来加重语气，而没有附加意思。
What ever do you want?
Who ever wants this?
for ever和forever意思相同，表示“永久地”，只是英国人习惯用前者for ever，而美国人习惯用forever；
seldom if ever和seldom or never意思相同，表示“难得地，绝无仅有的”，属于习惯用语。
She seldom if ever goes to his house.
她很难得地去了他家。
ever的否定词 not ever一般只出现在口语中，文字上习惯用never.
Don't ever do it.
Never do it.
第一句只用在口语中。
ever so表示“很”，用得比较普遍。
I am ever so delighted to see you.
我很高兴看到你。
【错句举例与错句分析】
错句：I will ever remember you.
纠正：I will always remember you.
翻译：我会一直记得你的。
分析：ever一般解释为“在任何时候的”，与always（始终，一直）表示不同意思。
【例句用法】
1.He hated her more than ever, when he got that letter.
他接到那封信后，比以往任何时候都更加憎恨她。
2.That was a fine meal if ever there was one!
那确实是一顿丰盛的饭。
3.Despite the good weather forecast, the next morning was as wet as ever.
尽管预报称天气很好，但次日上午仍阴雨绵绵。
4.I wondered if he'd ever stopped to think how I felt.
我不知道他是否曾考虑过我的感受。
5.What ever are you doing?
你究竟在干什么？
6.Have you ever been to Paris?
你去过巴黎吗？