我与名人不情愿的邂逅

By Sue Wunder

I am no good with celebrities， as shy in their presence as many of them are eager to guard their privacy in public. But Im shy in general； chance encounters with the famous simply bring into sharper focus the trait Ive borne and nurtured since childhood—when even the hour or two before holiday meals with a host of visiting relatives found me desperate to help my mother in the warmth and relative privacy of the kitchen.2 Anyone with more exotic credentials than aunts and uncles sent me fleeing into deeper recesses... partly because of my reclusive nature and partly because I sensed anothers need for privacy.3

I vividly recall the day I shopped with my mom in a local mall and found myself watching haplessly as Jay North （of 1960s TV Dennis the Menace fame） cruised by， waving from a convertible as part of a publicity tour.4 I ducked between cars in the parking lot as he passed； to my eye he looked wholly out of context， also wan and exhausted.5 I wanted to stay out of sight， perhaps to spare us both.

As a teen， I was invited to accompany a friend， Candice， and her family to the Rochester， N.Y.， airport to greet Robert Kennedy on the campaign trail.6 To my awe， Candice actually reached out to shake his hand， and connected. I watched from a safe distance， sensing a tired candidates strain behind that brilliant smile.

As the years passed， I began to outgrow some of that reticence7 and married a geologist whose field studies centered on the Connecticut River Valley. We befriended a colleague of his， who worked with the states Geological Survey.8 Mikes home was on the island of Marthas Vineyard， and he soon invited us out for a weekend. From that first visit with him and his wife， Mary Jane， we all became close and our summer visits to Tisbury became frequent.

A mecca9 for celebrities， many of whom our hosts knew and greeted on the streets， the Vineyard put me to the test. I managed to smile in passing Patricia Neal on the sidewalk and at Ethel Kennedy and two of her daughters at a function we attended.10 One day in a local store， Mary Jane greeted a young child， telling me later that he was the “Sweet Baby James” of the song.

It was not until a few years later that I faced my first inescapable encounter with a national icon. My husband and I boarded a ferry from Woods Hole， Mass.， to the Vineyard on a Sunday afternoon， when most tourists are going the other way. The vessel was all but deserted， but stepping aboard with us was an older man with a reporters notebook jutting from his pocket.11 Recognizing Walter Cronkite， I gave him a wide berth， and headed for the top deck with our dog to feed the sea gulls a loaf of bread I always brought for that purpose.12

Ten minutes later， as we cleaved across the choppy waters and the birds began swooping down to my outstretched arm，13 there came a deep familiar voice， just behind me： “Well， youve got their attention now！”

To my horror， he and my husband were settling into adjacent14 seats and beginning to engage in easy conversation. Spying the box of popcorn Mr. Cronkite was offering to share， my traitorous black Lab pulled me to them and， after being indulged with a handful， gave that famous face an encouraging lick.15 Another handful readily came his way， shattering my reserve.16

Soon all three of us were talking， Cronkite genuinely interested in our plans to adopt， Rob quizzing him on political intrigues，17 and I at least contributing something about my developing career in science writing.

My hometown in Indiana is not such a celebrity magnet， though almost all of us who lived here in the 1970s or 80s bumped into Bob Knight now and then.18 Once， my son and I found ourselves at a local driving range tee19 adjacent to the one that the celebrated Indiana University basketball coach occupied. Tim connected with the ball for a beautiful sailing drive to the far distance just as Mr. Knight was leaving.20 We all watched the ball grow smaller， and “The General” paused to greet us and acknowledge the coup—to Tims delight.21

Such encounters， ephemeral and unsolicited，22 I can handle. As for Walter Cronkite—the most trusted man in America in his day， and the soul of friendliness—I was charmed beyond caring about privacy. While Id never have intruded， he seemed to welcome company.

But I havent， in fact， changed all that much since I ducked between cars to avoid Jay North. Id do it again if another star of any age came my way. And the next time I visit the Vineyard， Im thinking of leaving my dog in Indiana.

1. brush： 短暫的历险，不愉快的小接触。

2. 但我一直都是个害羞的人；和名人的邂逅恰恰更尖锐地凸显了我与生俱来的一个性格特点，这一特点从孩提时代起我就一直在培养着——在有一堆亲戚参加的节日聚餐前的一个或两个小时前，我就已经绝望地躲进厨房温暖而相对隐私的环境里给妈妈当帮手了。

3. exotic： 外（国）来的；credentials： 证明书，证件，此处比喻“身份”；recess： 隐秘处，幽深处；reclusive： 隐居的，遁世的。

4. haplessly： 运气不好地，不幸地；Jay North：杰伊·诺思，美国演员，电视剧代表作Dennis the Menace（多译为《淘气阿丹》）；convertible： 敞篷汽车。

5. duck： 躲避，躲闪；out of context： 格格不入的，形容不在状态的；wan： 倦怠的。

6. Robert Kennedy： 罗伯特·肯尼迪（1925—1968），美国肯尼迪家族的成员，竞选总统过程中遇刺身亡；campaign trail： 竞选路线。

7. reticence： 沉默寡言。

8. befriend： 和……交朋友；Geological Survey： 地质调查局。

9. mecca： （度假）圣地。

10. Patricia Neal： 帕特里夏·尼尔，美国女演员；Ethel Kennedy： 埃塞尔·肯尼迪，是罗伯特·肯尼迪的妻子；function： 重大聚会，宴会。

11. 船上差不多都空了，但是有一位上了年纪的男子和我们一起上了船，他的口袋里露出一个记者用的记事本。jut： 突出，伸出。

12. Walter Cronkite： 沃尔特·克朗凯特（1916—2009），美国著名的新闻记者和主持人；give sb./sth. a wide berth： 避开某人/某物；deck： 甲板；loaf： 一个（面包）。

13. cleave： 穿过；choppy： 波涛汹涌的；swoop： 飞扑，猛扑。

14. adjacent： 相邻的。

15. 看到克朗凯特先生手里准备分享的那桶爆米花，我的黑色拉布拉多猎犬立刻“叛变”，拖着我靠近他们，并在心满意足地吃了一大把之后，给了这张著名的脸鼓励性的一舔。indulge with： 使高兴，让……享受一下。

16. 他马上又递过来一把，这下我也不再矜持了。shatter： 使破碎；reserve： 矜持，拘谨。

17. quiz： 查问，盘问；intrigue： 阴谋，诡计。

18. bump into： 巧遇，碰见；Bob Knight： 鲍勃·奈特，美国著名篮球教练。

19. driving range tee：（高尔夫球）练习场发球区。

20. 就在奈特准备离开的时候，蒂姆挥出漂亮的一杆，把球打得老远。connect with： 击中；drive：（对球的）猛击。

21. “The General”： “将军”，是鲍勃·奈特的绰号；coup： 一击。

22. ephemeral： 短暂的；unsolicited：未经请求的。