The Beginning

    That said, it was the 1970s, and attitudes toward parenting were looser than they are today. Kids generally had more freedom. And by the time I was in my early teens, my parents had accepted that I was different from many of my peers and had come to terms with the fact that I needed a certain amount of independence in making my way through the world. That acceptance had been hard-won --- especially for my mother --- but it would play a defining part in who I was to become.

    作者提到，雖然那是1970年代，但當時的育兒方式比現在寬鬆，孩子們一般擁有更多自由。隨著他進入青春期，他的父母逐漸意識到他與眾不同，需要一點獨立去探索人生。這種接受並非易事，尤其對他的母親來說，但這種經歷最終深深影響了作者的成長與個性。

prologue: DJ[ˋprəulɔg] a speech, etc. at the beginning of a play, book or film that introduces it

splinter group: a small group of people that has separated from a larger one

expedition: an organized journey with a particular purpose, especially to find out about a place that is not well known

vastly: very much

wilderness: a large area of land that has never been developed or used for growing crops because it is difficult to live there

The Pacific Coast is a region in western North America that lies along the Pacific Ocean.

topographic: connected with the physical features of an area of land, especially the position of its rivers, mountains, etc.

pruney: it is used to describe skin, particularly fingers and toes, that becomes wrinkled, especially after prolonged immersion in water.

tarp (tarpaulin): a large sheet made of heavy waterproof material, used to cover things with and to keep rain off

forage: to search widely for food

undergrowth: a mass of bushes and plants that grow close together under trees in woods and forests

coax: to manipulate with great perseverance and usually with considerable effort toward a desired state or activity

twig: a small, very thin branch that grows out of a larger branch on a bush or tree

chop up: to cut (something) into small pieces

omelet: a hot dish of eggs mixed together and fried, often with cheese, meat, vegetables, etc. added

pail: an open container with a handle, used for carrying or holding liquids, sand, etc.

saucepan: a deep round metal pot with a lid (= cover) and one long handle or two short handles, used for cooking things over heat

culinary: connected with cooking or food

traipse: to walk somewhere slowly when you are tired and unwilling

camaraderie: a feeling of friendship and trust among people who work or spend a lot of time together

yearning: a strong and emotional desire

transcendent: going beyond the usual limits; extremely great

mainframe computer: a large, powerful computer, usually the center of a network and shared by many users

stamina: the physical or mental strength that enables you to do something difficult for long periods of time

sophomore: a student in the second year of a course of study at a college or university

daunting: making somebody feel nervous and less confident about doing something; likely to make somebody feel this way

proposition: an idea or a plan of action that is suggested

wimp out: to not do something that you intended to do because you are too frightened or not confident enough to do it

Log shelters, often called log cabins or log houses, are structures built by stacking tree trunks or logs horizontally and interlocking them at the corners.

meadow: a field covered in grass, used especially for hay

elation: a feeling of great happiness and excitement

sway somebody: to persuade somebody to believe something or do something

miserable: DJ[ˋmizərəbl] very unhappy or uncomfortable

nascent: ​beginning to exist; not yet fully developed

trudge: to walk slowly or with heavy steps, because you are tired or carrying something heavy

spruce: an evergreen forest tree with leaves like needles

sleet: a mixture of rain and snow

interminable: lasting a very long time and therefore boring or annoying

gash: to make a long deep cut in something, especially a person’s skin

limp: to walk slowly or with difficulty because one leg is injured

hone: to develop and improve something, especially a skill, over a period of time

sloppy: ​that shows a lack of care, thought or effort

whittle: to form a piece of wood, etc. into a particular shape by cutting small pieces from it

reclaim: to get something back or to ask to have it back after it has been lost, taken away, etc.

Bill Gates "Source Code"

Online Dictionaries Used:

hk.dictionary.search.yahoo.com

www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com

www.merriam-webster.com

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