“She was (perched on the stool) beside me, and she said they keep talking about the after life and what it would be like in heaven after you’re dead, she said, nobody said anything about what it was like in their last life. Is it one of those things grown-ups don’t talk about. You know, as if children say these things. I was a bit surprised to say the least of it.” Jenny would seat by the fire and draw detailed pictures, the small two-room cottage near a bubbling stream. (Pictures hanging in) oval frames on the wall, one of a woman with a child, the other of a solider. A jetty, where she would wait for someone whose face, she couldn't (make out). She also drew (a series of maps) in hopes of being able to pinpoint the town in her memories. Scouring maps of Ireland, she kept returning a spit called Malahide. “I don’t remember how old she was, probably six or seven and she drew a map and she said this was the place where she lived or had lived. And she didn't know whereabout it was, but it was a little map, little street map, and she said then you go down here to the cottage and there’s the stream and laid it all out.” Pat became more and more (perplexed by) her daughter's strange claims, she did her best to shrug it off as typical childish behavior. (Deep inside), however, she wondered if there was something to it. Jenny was insistent, and her stories never changed. Jenny said the most (overwhelming memories) were of her eight children. She knew each one of their names, knew their faces, their (personalities) and she constantly worried about them. “The death itself wasn't a (horrific thing), but the leaving children behind and the fear for what’s going to happen to the children and my responsibilities as a mother. I supposed that would seem a little (incongruous for) a small child to have those (responsibilities). But it didn't seem so.” As Jenny grew older, the (memories refused to) fade. She felt a constant need to search for her lost children, but knew she couldn't ask her own parents to take her to Ireland. It wasn't until after she married and had children of her own that she was able to (act on these recollections). In the spring of 1980, determined not to lose those memories, Jenny took one of her childhood maps to a local bookstore, she found her hand-drawn map closely (resembled) an actual map of Malahide. She then consulted a (hypnotist in hopes) of learning more details.
Vocabulary:
to say the least: Used to show that what you are describing is in fact much more serious or important than you have suggested After all we did for him, his behavior toward us, to say the least, was a poor way to show his appreciation.
whereabout: the place or general locality where a person or thing is
hypnotist: someone who hypnotizes people 催眠师
相关阅读：
零基础英语培训
日常英语口语培训
英语口语进阶培训
