Unit 4 Science and technology-Topic exploration
Even in Real Life There Were Screens Between Us
Still the Google chat box said, "Paul is typing."
Paul was the guy I met in October at a meeting. Since then we started video chatting for hours every night.
1.chat box:聊天框
2.typing:正在打字中
One night, when we talked too late, I fell asleep with my laptop open and woke up seven hours later. He was still there, asleep.
Then he woke up too and said, "Hi, you."
"Hi," I said. "How did you sleep?"
1.asleep:睡着的
2.laptop:笔记本电脑
As the weeks went on, I told Paul about my last boyfriend, a guy I had met in computer class and dated for almost two years. He listened quietly and gave good, clear-eyed advice about letting go. He also told me about his ex-girlfriend, who never appreciated his work.
1.ex-girlfriend：前女友
2.appreciated： 认可，赞赏
In the safety of my room, I could see Paul, but I couldn't touch him. I could summon him when I wanted to talk, but I never knew him in any light other than the one from the lamp by his bed.I could call him any time I liked; I could avoid him any time I wanted, because just one click of the mouse would shut him out of my room.
1. safety: 安全
2. touch：接触
3. summon：召唤
4. lamp：灯
5. click of the mouse：点击鼠标
"I really like you," he said one night.
"I really like you too," I said. "I don't know what that means."
I wanted to find out. So in early March I borrowed a car, begged my boss to let me out of work a day early, and drove 540 miles to spend a long weekend in the city where Paul lived.
1. begged:乞求，恳求
Paul was almost exactly as I expected. He stood waiting at the side of the street while I parked my car. We kissed on the street. I felt relieved and thought: "This works in real life."
1.expected:预期的，期待的
2.relieved：不再忧虑，减轻，缓解，解除
But after we kissed and ate pizza and went back to his house, we struggled for things to talk about. In real life, Paul stared off at nothing while I talked. In real life, he had no questions about the drive or my job. He took me out for dinner and read his e-mail while we waited for our food.
1.struggled for：为某事而斗争，挣扎
2.stared：盯着，凝视，注视
He took me to a party at his friend's house where they proceeded to argue for hours about Web design while I sat on a chair and stared at the ceiling, drunk and bored. I felt all this seemed like a game: a constant dance of reaching for me and pulling back, of closeness and distance, of real life and Internet make-believe.
1. proceeded:继续进行
2.web design:网页设计
3.drunk:喝醉的，醉醺醺的
4.bored:无聊的
5.constant:经常的
6.distance:距离，疏远
The day I left him while he was out at work, I wrote him a note, willing myself not to cry: "Dear Paul, thank you so much for having me this weekend. It meant a lot to me to spend time with you in person."
1.in person: 亲自
Proper name:
1. Google
2. chat room
