Chapter 30

He's married. I am bent¹ down, taking my shoes off,when I hear him say, "I would like you to meet my wife."I look up and there beside him is… Mrs. Patel. "Hello," shesays, extending her hand and smiling. "Piscine has beentelling me lots about you." I can't say the same of her. Ihad no idea. She's on her way out, so we talk only a fewminutes. She's also Indian but has a more typicallyCanadian accent. She must be second generation. She's alittle younger than him, skin slightly darker, long black hairwoven in a tress. Bright dark eyes and lovely white teeth.
She has in her arms a dry-cleaned white lab coat in aprotective plastic film. She's a pharmacist. When I say,"Nice meeting you, Mrs. Patel," she replies, "Please, make itMeena." After a quick kiss between husband and wife, she'soff on a working Saturday.
This house is more than a box full of icons². I startnoticing small signs of conjugal³ existence. They were thereall along, but I hadn't seen them because I wasn't lookingfor them.
He's a shy man. Life has taught him not to show offwhat is most precious to him.
Is she the nemesis⁴ of my digestive tract⁵?
"I've made a special chutney for you," he says. He'ssmiling.
No, he is.

1 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

2 icons   

n.偶像( icon的名词复数 )；（计算机屏幕上表示命令、程序的）符号，图像

参考例句：

• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons. 用图标来区分重要的文本项。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Daemonic icons should only be employed persistently if they provide continuous, useful status information. 只有会连续地提供有用状态信息的情况下，后台应用程序才应该一直使用图标。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

3 conjugal   

adj.婚姻的，婚姻性的

参考例句：

• Conjugal visits are banned,so marriages break down.配偶访问是禁止的，罪犯的婚姻也因此破裂。
• Conjugal fate is something delicate.缘分，其实是一种微妙的东西。

4 nemesis   

n.给以报应者，复仇者，难以对付的敌手

参考例句：

• Uncritical trust is my nemesis.盲目的相信一切害了我自己。
• Inward suffering is the worst of Nemesis.内心的痛苦是最厉害的惩罚。

5 tract   

n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林)

参考例句：

• He owns a large tract of forest.他拥有一大片森林。
• He wrote a tract on this subject.他曾对此写了一篇短文。