胡敏讀故事記單詞新GRE核心詞匯 003 His Latest Trick
His Latest Trick 他的最新小把戲
The acrobat had become quite adept. So much that his latest trick could get no actuary toacquiesce in providing him insurance: there being no need for actuarial evidence to back the denial of any policy being written up. This latest trick was considered so dangerous that even the acrobat had to acknowledge he could very well die were he to perform it.
I had made his acquaintance over a decade before. He'd been an acoustic guitar playing acne-faced addict without an address. He suffered from an acute addiction to pain-killers (inaddition to a special food additive which would addle his wits and leave his skin as hard as the shell of an acorn). I would acquit him of lesser crimes: I was a judge with enough acuitythen to appreciate that the young man he was could be turned around.
1 didn't want him to become one more addendum in newspaper obituaries. Iwas adamant he could be saved, ignoring the adage that "once bad. always bad." Ibelieved he could adapt to a life without drugs. And he showed himself adaptable; his acquisitive intellect acquired the necessary skills to become a successful acrobat after his acquittal. But it would be an acrimoniousprocess for him, when not having the adequate patience he'd lash out against his strict trainingregimen.
Even I, who kept close watch on his case, at times, doubted he could adhere. But he had theacumen to overcome. I could adduce him as an example when considering the fate of others. I'dacquaint him with a master acrobat whose name was just an acronym. This master acrobat had developed acrophobia and so could not continue in his profession. But he could pass on his knowledge, actuate in an acolyte the abilities needed to be a successful acrobat.
But it took the humility to acquiesce, for any and all acrimony to finally dissipate. The young acrobat would achieve the acme of his master. And now in the awful acoustics of an old gymnasium, with acrid smoke billowing about—I ate peanuts whose acidulous aftertaste saw me throw away those that remained in their achromatic bag. Iwashed down the ascetic taste in my mouth with the beer I nearly spat out, seeing the acrobat fall some thirty feet. What was his latest trick? To bounce off the ground? And he did, his acorn hard skin doing wonders for him as he got to his feet and bowed to his applauding audience.
