音频下载[点击右键另存为][00:01.43]Passage 38. Rain of Seattle I

[00:07.00]I’ve got a deep secret few people understand and even fewer will admit to sharing.

[00:15.10]It’s time to tell the truth:

[00:17.40]I love the rain, deeply and passionately and more than the sun.

[00:23.08]At least I live in the right place,

[00:25.60]famous for its damp weather and spawning its own genuine rainforest.

[00:30.63]I can’t imagine living anywhere else than the Pacific Northwest.

[00:35.23]The sun shines so infrequently that my friends forget where they put their sunglasses.

[00:41.36]Gloomy clouds cause many people around here to suffer from seasonal affective disorder.

[00:47.92]Yet I welcome the rain.

[00:50.65]Seattleites will say they like how rain keeps the city green,

[00:54.71]how clean the air tastes afterwards.

[00:57.77]My real reason for enjoying the rain is steeped in pure selfishness

[01:02.80]when it’s mucky outside,

[01:04.88]I don’t have to do anything.

[01:07.03]I can spend the afternoon curled up reading,

[01:10.09]build a fire and make a big pot of spiced tea.

[01:13.70]I can sleep in late, waking up occasionally to hear soothing patter on the roof,

[01:19.62]water racing down the gutter.

[01:21.81]Nobody expects me to leave my house or do anything overly productive.

[01:26.95]Maybe I’ll invite a few friends over to watch an old movie or play a board game.

[01:32.20]Friendsexpectations are low and easy to meet.

[01:36.24]Summer in Seattle is beautiful but exhausting.

[01:40.40]The sunny, gorgeous weather and blue skies draw Seattleites from their cozy little homes,

[01:46.86]ready to dry out and have fun.

[01:49.49]People go hiking, biking, canoeing.

[01:52.22]Folks work in their gardens, wash their cars

[01:55.50]and attend outdoor concerts in the park all in the same day!

[01:59.66]The effort involved to throw a party ratchets up several notches,

[02:04.80]as people host barbecues and picnics and water-skiing parties.