Chapter 6: Loophole
Part I ：篇章
一：Our life turned into a courtroom drama with two lawyers constantly debating over loopholes and technicalities
Loophole 1: 和母亲日常生活的争论中，找彼此间的漏洞。Trevor渐大后，思维足够敏捷而常让母亲语塞，母亲便以书信的方式教育他。最有趣的一次有理的狡辩莫过于，母亲写信职责对其学习不佳以及对老师母亲态度不够尊敬，并禁足一周作为惩罚，Trevor回信述其不公还将自己过错归于母亲，因为自己是她生下的孩子：
这样的后果，唯有挨打了。虽Trevor做错事常会挨打，但母亲都让其心服口服：
One thing I respected about my mom was that she never left me in any doubt as to why I was receiving the hiding.
二： I could always find loopholes in the law.
Loophole 2 ：总是找学校或其他规矩制度的漏洞。在 Maryvale就读时，学校周五圣餐仪式规矩，非天主教徒的Trevor不可领餐，数次挨饿后，Trevor又一展口才：
数次之后，校方认为Trevor巧舌如簧不知悔改，下最后通牒，Trevor选择辍学。对此，母亲并未严加批评，认为有问题的是学校而不是Trevor。教会Trevor懂得质疑权威和体制。无奈的是，Trevor也总是质疑母亲。
She taught me to challenge authority and question the system.The only way it backfired on her was that I constantly challenged and questioned her.
Part II ：Thought
...another trait I inherited from my mother: her ability to forget the pain in life.
I never let the memory of something painful prevent me from trying something new.
苦痛的记忆不会阻止敢于尝试新事物步伐。每人都会在生活中都会或多或少碰壁而受伤鼻青脸肿，疼痛痛哭，这仅是让你明白事实真相，伤痛的消失恰是为了让你再次站起。痛觉，生理学而言是机体保护机制，给你提个醒，不是防御机制，痛而生畏裹足不前，不可取。“天将降大任于斯人也，必先苦其心志，劳其筋骨，饿其体肤，增益其所不能”经历磨砺的不仅是能有所增担大任能力，还要有忘其苦、劳、饿的生活苦痛的达观。敢忘而不畏，勇于向前，敢于再一次新的尝试。
痛后仍需继续着...如书所说：it's time to get up again
You'll have a few bruises and they'll remind you of what happened and that's okay. But after a while the bruises fade, and they fade for a reason—because now it's time to get up to some shit again
Part III 词汇
The only way it backfired on her was that I constantly challenged and questioned her.
backfire
if a plan or action backfires, it has the opposite effect to the one you intended 发生意外, 产生事与愿违的后果
同义：rebound，recoil，backlash
例句：The company's new policy backfired when a number of employees threatened to quit
仿写：His plan backfired on him, so his company bankrupted.
I think he thought he was giving me an ultimatum that would get me to shape up
Shape up
①to improve your behaviour or work:
例句：You kids had better shape up, because I’m in no mood to fool around.
②to make progress in a particular way:
～progress/ plan
例句：Ken’s plans for the business are shaping up nicely.
仿写：The government has yet to shape up the progress of smoking prohibition.
✏️ shape as
Immigration is shaping up as a major issue in the campaign.
✏️ shape up to be something
It's shaping up to be a pretty big party.
③shape up or ship out 美式 口语
used to tell someone that if they do not improve, they will be made toleave a place or their job 要么表现好要么走人
The principal laid into me.
lay into somebody/ something 短语动词
释义：to attack or criticize someone or something:
同义：Blame,criticize,condem
例句：Outside the club, two men were laying into each other.
仿写：Pay attention to thunder, in case it laid into you suddenly.
Learn to buck that trend now and you will be a better man because of it
buck [及物动词]to oppose something in a direct way:
同义：oppose
例句：He was a rebel who bucked the system (=opposed rules or authority).
例句：Unemployment in the area has bucked the trend by falling over thelast month.
✏️ buck against
✏️ buck ˈup： (often in orders) to become more cheerful ➔cheer up
仿写：Initially, Trevor's mother had bucked against the apartheid.