Everything Happens for a Reason by Kate Bowler

PART 1 Expressions

1. I teetered on my shoes in the morning, and by midday, I plopped myself on a table or a chair.

teeter: (v.) 摇晃；踉跄

She teetered after him in her high-heeled shoes.

2. I was wrapped in a cocoon of my husband's love, my son's squawking, and the glorious façade of efficiency.

cocoon:  [kəˈku:n] (n.) 蚕茧；保护膜

the cocoon of a caring family

(v.) cocoon sb/sth in sth: to protect sb/ sth by surrounding them or It completely with sth

We were warm and safe, cocooned in our sleeping bags.

squawk:  [skwɔ:k] (v.) （鸟受惊时）粗厉的叫声；尖叫

"You did what?!" She squawked.

(n.) The bird gave a started squawk.

3. My 150-person American Christianity class caught wind of the note and sent me a giant gift basket filled with onesies and T-shirts for Zach plastered with enormous lettering that said it all: BLESSED.

catch/ get/ have wind of sth: informal, to hear or find out about sth secret or private 类似于中文中的“闻风”。”

You'd better hope the press doesn't get wind of this.

onesie: 连体衣

plaster： (v.) 用灰泥抹墙

be plastered with 涂抹；贴满

Her face was plastered with make-up.

The news of the wedding was plastered all over the papers.

a onesie

4. I am trying to find the magic formula that lifts me out of this sterile room and back, back to the warmth of my own bed.

sterile: 比较熟悉的两个意思是 1. （土地）贫瘠的；2.不能生育的

此外sterile 还可以指“无菌的，消毒过的” eg. sterile bandages, sterile water. 例句中即为此意。

另外，sterile哈可以形容 “无个性的，缺乏新意的” -- lacking individual personality, imagination or new ideas.

The room felt cold and sterile.

sterile debate on political reform

5. So it pleases me to no end to find out later that the most serious scholars I have ever known have cried snotty tears as they pleaded with God to extend my life.

to no end: (ad.) 极为

If you can't control yourself, you could be embarrassed to no end.

I left my jacket here earlier, I mean -- which irritates my mother to no end.

snotty: (a.) full of or covered with snot

snotty kinds, a snotty nose

snot: (n.) 鼻涕

6. A hotshot doctor is giving instructions.

hotshot: (n.)  a person who is extremely successful in their career or at a particular sport 很有成就的人；运动高手 （pl.）hotshots

a hotshot lawyer

7. Tears are trickling down both our faces.

trickle: (v.) 1.（使）滴，淌，小股流淌

Trickle some oil over the salad.

2. (使)慢慢走；缓慢移动

People began trickling into the hall.

PART 2 Thoughts

这一章节里作者写了很多手术前后的感受和思绪。有没有想过，如果有一天突然发现自己的时间可能所剩无几，最遗憾的会是什么？我想那会将是这一生留给自己的时间太少了。我们把太多的时间用在追求功名利禄上，剩下的时间则大多给了家人、朋友或者其他认识或不认识的人，但真正留给自己的时间却少得可怜。相信大多数人总会有一个很想去旅游但却一直没有去过的地方，或者因为时间不够，或者因为缺乏同伴，又或者因为有太多的牵绊。

文中有这样一段话：“It's like we're all floating on the ocean, holding on to our own inner tubes. We're all floating around, but people don't seem to know that we're all sinking. Some are sinking faster than others, but we're all sinking.” 看到这一段话突然觉得像被泼了一盆冷水，瞬间清醒过来。年少时的我们总以为人生是无限漫长的，甚至不知道如何打发这漫长的一生，即使病痛也毫不在意，以为病痛总会愈合、生活总会继续。然而事实上，生命是无常的，有太多的意外和不幸。曾经在面试时被问到，你觉得十年后的自己会是怎样的。我当然知道对方期待怎样的回答，然而我告诉他，我不知道，我无法预见自己十年后的样子。人生哪有那么多的十年可以规划，甚至一两年的时间都是无法预估的。我会好好地生活，好好地工作，然而我不会给自己安排什么五年计划、十年计划。我爱我的人生，我也敬畏我的人生。