经典双语笑话 第38期:不费吹灰之力

 NO Sweat! 不费吹灰之力

There were four passengers in the small aircraft as it sputtered² over the Andes: 一架正飞越安第斯山脉的小飞机上坐着四名乘客：

a businessman, an inventor, a priest³ and a laid -back budget traveller. 一名商人，一名发明家，一位神父和一个靠预算过日子、看起来懒懒散散的旅行者。

Suddenly the pilot entered the cabin and told them the horrible news: 突然，驾驶员走进舱告诉他们可怕的消息：

"Gentlemen, the plane is going down. “各位先生，这架飞机正失控下降中。

I'm going to try to crash-land it, but you must all jump." 我要设法迫降，但你们必须先跳下飞机。”

Naturally, the men were horrified⁴ and even more so when they discovered that there were only three parachutes. 当然，那几个人都吓得目瞪口呆，尤其是当他们发现只有三个降落伞可以使用时，更是心惊胆战。

The businessman said, "Sirs, I employ thousands of people.  那名商人说道：“各位先生，我雇用好几千名员工。

Their lives and those of their families depend on me.  他们都要靠我养家活口。

I think you'll agree that I must survive. " 我想你们都同意我必须活着回去。”

He promptly⁵ put on a parachute and leaped. 说着他便穿上一具降落伞跳出飞机去。

The inventor rose, already adjusting the straps⁶： 接着发明家站了起来，调整了肩带说道：

"I'm the smartest man in the world.  “我是世界上最聪明的人。

My inventions have transformed the lives of millions. 我的发明改变了成千上万人的生活。

There’s no telling how much good I may yet do. 我还会对大众造多少福难以估计。

Goodbye. " And he, too, jumped from the plane. 再见了，各位!”他也跟着跳出机舱。

The priest was se.rene, and interrupted his prayers to speak to the traveller. 神父心平气和，中断祷告，对旅行者说道：

"I am a man of God, my son; I have no fear of death. “小伙子，我是信奉上帝的人，我对死并不畏惧。

Take the last parachute and save your life. " 剩下的降落伞你就拿去用，逃命去吧!”

"Hey, it,s cool, Father.  “嘿，神父，真是太棒了!

There’ re still two parachutes left.  我们还有两个降落伞。

The smartest man in the world just jumped out of the plane wearing my backpack." 那个自称世界上最聪明的人背了我的背包跳出去了。”

1.passenger 乘客；路人

例句：Each passenger on; he's overweight for take-off as it is.

每个乘客可以携带一个小手提箱放在飞机的座位下。

2.sputter¹ 吵闹；争论；停息

例句：We heard his truck pull up in the parking lot and sputter when the engine was turned off.

我们听见他的卡车泊进了车位，以及发动机熄火的声音。

3.go down 减退；变弱；平息；沿着

例句：A single mistake and all that time and money would go down the drain.

只要发生一个错误, 全部的时间和金钱就将尽付东流.

4.parachutes 降落伞

例句：Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open.

思想如降落伞，只有在张开时才能发挥作用。

1 sputter   

n.喷溅声；v.喷溅

参考例句：

• The engine gave a sputter and died.引擎发出一阵劈啪声就熄火了。
• Engines sputtered to life again.发动机噼啪噼啪地重新开动了。

2 sputtered   

v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的过去式和过去分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出

参考例句：

• The candle sputtered out. 蜡烛噼啪爆响着熄灭了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The balky engine sputtered and stopped. 不听使唤的发动机劈啪作响地停了下来。 来自辞典例句

3 priest   

n.神父，牧师，司铎，司祭，领导者，神甫；vt.使成为神职人员

参考例句：

• He confessed to a priest that he had sinned.他向神父忏悔他犯了罪。
• The priest visited all the old people in the parish.牧师探望了教区里的所有老人。

4 horrified   

a.(表现出)恐惧的

参考例句：

• The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
• We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。

5 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

6 straps   

n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• the shoulder straps of her dress 她连衣裙上的肩带
• The straps can be adjusted to suit the wearer. 这些背带可进行调整以适合使用者。