密歇根新闻广播 怀念哈利库克

 

Forty years ago or so, Harry¹ Cook, an Episcopal priest turned newspaper reporter who later worked as a priest again, landed perhaps the last interview ever with Father Charles Coughlin, the famed radio priest whose open anti-Semitism and flirtation² with Nazism³ led the Vatican to silence him during World War II.

"Are you a Jew?" Coughlin asked Harry.

Concealing⁴ his disgust, Cook said no, and then went off to the Shrine⁵ of the Little Flower in Royal Oak to talk with the Roman Catholic priest Franklin D. Roosevelt called one of the most dangerous men in America. Harry Cook, who was a good friend of mine, wasn't exactly dangerous, unless you tried to argue with him and didn't have your facts straight.

But for the last two decades, he was one of Metropolitan⁶ Detroit's leading public intellectuals, lecturing to rapt audiences on topics ranging from the Bible to the Electoral College. Hundreds more fans all over the world followed a weekly blog he wrote.

Cook was uncompromisingly honest. Though he had gone through rigorous seminary training and was an expert in Biblical texts and ancient languages, he had long since become a nonbeliever. I have known other ministers who had lost their faith, but they mostly kept that concealed⁷ from their congregations.

Harry didn't. He let his flock at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Clawson know how he felt, and wrote books about how to live a moral life in a world without a personal god.

A few families left, and there were grumblings about charging him with heresy⁸, but most of his congregants stayed loyal to Harry. In some ways, he was a bit like the Old Testament⁹ God himself. He was a deep-voiced curmudgeon¹⁰ more at home with a fountain pen than a smart phone. He had a sardonic¹¹ sense of humor, but wasn't light and breezy. When I did a tribute on this station to Ernie Harwell when that iconic baseball announcer died, Harry assumed I had been made to write on a topic he thought beneath me.

He was stunned¹² when he found out writing about baseball was my idea, but forgave me anyway. Cook was brilliant and erudite, but what was perhaps most impressive was his strong commitment to social justice. He was a regular volunteer at Crossroads of Michigan, an inner-city social service agency, and was a strong supporter of same-sex marriage long before that was cool.

He had a wide-ranging life. One of his first memories was being in Detroit as a five year old when the race riot of 1943 broke out, after which his family moved up north. He had been a railroad worker, a newspaper reporter, religion editor and editorial writer, and a priest.

And he gave everything his all. He believed firmly that saving the world is up to us. Or, as the title of one of his books put it, "Long Live Salvation¹³ by Works." Harry Cook didn't back down from a fight, but last month, he lost one to prostate cancer. There will be a memorial service tomorrow morning at 11 at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Oak Park, and people will share a lot of stories.

My guess is that Harry would be happy if a lot of those who admired his work came.

Jack¹⁴ Lessenberry is Michigan Radio's Senior Political Analyst¹⁵. Views expressed in his essays are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Radio, its management or the station licensee, The University of Michigan.

1 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

2 flirtation   

n.调情，调戏，挑逗

参考例句：

• a brief and unsuccessful flirtation with the property market 对房地产市场一时兴起、并不成功的介入
• At recess Tom continued his flirtation with Amy with jubilant self-satisfaction. 课间休息的时候，汤姆继续和艾美逗乐，一副得意洋洋、心满意足的样子。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

3 Nazism   

n. 纳粹主义

参考例句：

• His philosophical eyes were obviously shortsighted by the evil influence of Nazism. 显然，他那双哲学家般的深邃的眼睛也被纳粹的妖氛所眩惑。 来自中国文学部分
• Nazism suppressed all three movements as degenerate. 纳粹把所有三个运动都作为颓废艺术而加以镇压。

4 concealing   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Despite his outward display of friendliness, I sensed he was concealing something. 尽管他表现得友善，我还是感觉到他有所隐瞒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• SHE WAS BREAKING THE COMPACT, AND CONCEALING IT FROM HIM. 她违反了他们之间的约定，还把他蒙在鼓里。 来自英汉文学 - 三万元遗产

5 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

6 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

7 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

8 heresy   

n.异端邪说；异教

参考例句：

• We should denounce a heresy.我们应该公开指责异端邪说。
• It might be considered heresy to suggest such a notion.提出这样一个观点可能会被视为异端邪说。

9 testament   

n.遗嘱；证明

参考例句：

• This is his last will and testament.这是他的遗愿和遗嘱。
• It is a testament to the power of political mythology.这说明，编造政治神话可以产生多大的威力。

10 curmudgeon   

n. 脾气暴躁之人，守财奴，吝啬鬼

参考例句：

• The old curmudgeon found a new scapegoat and that let me out.那个老守财奴找到一个新的替罪羊，这样我就脱身了。
• The old curmudgeon was talking about the smothering effects of parental duty on creative lives.那些坏脾气的老人们喋喋不休于父母生儿育女之责任的妨碍性效应。

11 sardonic   

adj.嘲笑的，冷笑的，讥讽的

参考例句：

• She gave him a sardonic smile.她朝他讥讽地笑了一笑。
• There was a sardonic expression on her face.她脸上有一种嘲讽的表情。

12 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

13 salvation   

n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困

参考例句：

• Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。
• Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。

14 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

15 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。