Lesson 59 Tom’s Demise 汤姆的死

Words:



deck n. 一副（纸牌）



declaim v. 高谈阔论，慷慨陈词



declaration n. 宣布，宣言



declare vt. 宣布，声明



decline vi./n. 衰退，下降，减退；vt. 婉言谢绝



decompose v. 分解，（使）腐烂



decomposition n. 腐烂，分解



decorate vt. 装饰，装潢，修饰



decoration n. 装饰，装饰品



decorative adj. 装饰的，可作装饰的



decorous adj. 端庄得体的



decorum n. 正派得体，稳重大方



decoy n. 诱饵，引诱物



decrease v. 减少



decry v. 非难，谴责



deduce v. 演绎，推断



deface v. 损坏外表



defame v. 诽谤，损坏名誉



defecate vi. 排粪；通大便



defect n. 缺点，瑕疵



defection n. 缺陷；脱党，变节



defective adj. 有缺陷的



defend vt. 防护；辩护



defense n. 防卫，防卫物



defensive adj. 自卫的



By the time the police found Tom in the warehouse, his body was decomposed beyond recognition. His clothing had the decorous appearance of someone who was going to attend a card game. The coroner said he was obviously in the advanced stages of decomposition. The coroner said that Tom defecated in his pants before dying. Tom also had defensive wounds on his hands. His body was covered with a deck of cards. The police deduced that a card game was used as a decoy to lure Tom to the warehouse. There, he was assaulted then stabbed to death with a knife.



The decorations at Tom’s funeral were beautiful. His family had decorated the church. A decorative wood podium was placed behind Tom’s coffin.



I was hoping that everyone at the funeral would behave with decorum. However, Tom was despised by many of his relatives. Their trust in Tom had declined over the years. His defection from the church also decreased his popularity. Everyone decried his life of gambling. Some declaimed that Tom’s death was, in fact, a relief and a good lesson for everyone. One relative defamed Tom by claiming that he stole money from his own family. Someone even defaced Tom’s headstone. Nobody dared to defend him. I felt compelled to say something in his defense. I nervously inched my way to the podium and began to speak.



“Tom wasn’t perfect,” I said. “He had his share of defects. Nevertheless, a defective soul is the kind of soul who is most in need of our prayers. So let us pray for Tom.”



警方在仓库里发现汤姆时，他的尸体已腐烂得难以辨认了。他的装束端庄得体，像是准备去参加一个纸牌赌博活动。验尸官宣布他在案发现场死亡。这个验尸报告似乎很没说服力，因为很明显他的尸体已经腐烂到了较严重的地步。验尸官宣称汤姆临死前大便失禁在裤子里，而且由于自卫而手部受伤。尸体上盖着一副纸牌。于是，警方推断说有人利用纸牌赌博做诱饵把汤姆引进仓库，然后乘机攻击，用刀刺死了他。



汤姆葬礼上的装饰品很美。他的家人还装饰了教堂。汤姆的棺木后面放着一个装饰性的木质讲台。



我希望所有参加葬礼的人都行为得体。然而，汤姆的许多亲戚都鄙视他。这几年他们对汤姆的信任已经减弱。他脱离教会更使他声誉下降。每个人都谴责他的赌博生涯。一些人在慷慨陈词，称汤姆的死事实上对大家来说是一种解脱和一个很好的教训。一个亲戚诽谤汤姆说他曾偷自家人的钱。甚至有人毁坏了墓碑的外表。但没人站出来为他辩护。我想我不得不说几句作为对他的辩护。于是，我紧张地一步一步地走到讲台旁就开始讲话。



“汤姆并非完人，”我说，“他有他的缺点，可是一个有缺陷的灵魂是最需要我们为之祈祷的。所以让我们为汤姆祈祷吧。”