英語笑話
During the doctor's periodic visit to my elderly mother, I told him that Mother would be celebrating her 98th birthday in few days. Delighted by the news, he bent down and gave her a kiss for the occasion. He then announced that he, too, would be celebrating a birthday in few days and asked for a kiss in return.
When he left, my mother shook her head in disgust. "Can you imagine ," she said. "Seventy dollars and I had to kiss him too!"
中文翻譯
醫(yī)生定期來探視我的老母親,我告訴他母親過幾天就要慶祝她98歲的生日了。醫(yī)生聽了也很高興,為此,他彎下腰來親了我母親一下。然后他說過幾天他也要慶祝自己的生日,并要求她還他一個吻。
醫(yī)生走后,我母親厭惡地?fù)u搖頭?!澳隳芟胂髥??”她說,“付了他70美元,我還得親他!”
詞匯點睛
periodic [?p??ri??d?k] adj. 定期的,周期的
elderly [?eld?l?] adj. 相當(dāng)老的,上了年紀(jì)的
celebrate [?sel?bre?t] v. 慶祝,祝賀
delight [d??la?t] v. 給(某人)樂趣,使愉快
bend down 彎腰
occasion [??ke??n] n. 時刻,時候,場合
announce [??na?ns] v. 宣布,宣告,發(fā)表
in return 作為回報,作為報答
disgust [d?s?g?st] n. 反感,厭惡,嫌惡
imagine [??m?d??n] v. 想象,設(shè)想
語法分析
1. During the doctor's periodic visit to my elderly mother, I told him that Mother would be celebrating her 98th birthday in few days. 醫(yī)生定期來探視我的老母親,我告訴他母親過幾天就要慶祝她98歲的生日了。
解析 這個句子的主干是I told him...,that引導(dǎo)的是一個賓語從句,During the doctor's periodic visit to my elderly mother是整個句子的時間狀語。
2. He then announced that he, too, would be celebrating a birthday in few days and asked for a kiss in return. 然后他說過幾天他也要慶祝自己的生日,并要求她還他一個吻。
解析 這也是一個由that引導(dǎo)的賓語從句,句子在主干是He announced...,that引導(dǎo)的賓語從句作announced的賓語。too在句子作插入語,此處是為了避免句子頭重腳輕,而把too移到前面,句子的正常語序應(yīng)為:he would be celebrating a birthday in few days too。
口語實踐
A May I call on you today?
B Sure, welcome.
A 我今天去拜訪您,可以嗎?
B 當(dāng)然可以,歡迎。
A Will it be convenient if I call on you at 3 in the afternoon?
B OK.
A 我下午三點去拜訪您方便嗎?
B 好的。
★convenient [k?n?vi?n??nt] adj. 方便的,合適的
A Are you busy and may I come over?
B Sorry, I'm not available at the moment.
A 您忙嗎?我過來好嗎?
B 抱歉,我現(xiàn)在沒空。
★come over 過來
★available [??ve?l?bl] adj. (指人)可會見的,可與之交談的
A I'll give you my address so you can look me up whenever you're in London.
B Okay. That would be nice.
A 我會把我的地址給你,這樣你什么時候來倫敦的時候就可以來看我了。
B 好的,那很好。
★address [??dres] n. 地址
笑話文化解讀
地中海國家,他們無論男女都以相互吻面頰作為問候禮,即使陌生人也是如此。
在意大利和法國,人們社交性質(zhì)的親吻是每天的必修禮儀,老幼都清楚何時應(yīng)該親吻以及親吻何處和吻幾次,人們認(rèn)為親吻絕非難堪的事,自然用不著回避和否認(rèn)。
但是在英國、德國和北歐國家,親吻就顯得保守些了,假如是彼此熟悉的朋友或親戚關(guān)系,相互吻面頰也只限于女士之間及男女之間。而男人并不互相吻面頰,雖然近些年開始有些松動變化。
另外,不同國家的親吻次數(shù)上也有差異,北歐斯堪的納維亞半島的人親吻一次就夠了,法國人喜歡左右臉頰各吻一次,荷蘭人和比利時人則至少吻上三次。不過這并不意味著荷蘭人和比利時人是歐洲最熱烈的親吻者。
提到親吻,法國人無疑堪稱天下無敵手。無論是親吻在日常生活中的首要地位,還是對它的偏愛,法國人都肯定是歐洲之冠。這不難理解,以親吻為題材的兩尊聞名世界的雕像,羅丹的“吻”和勃朗庫西的“吻”,都完成于巴黎。