英文短篇故事（纽约）336 The Perfect Wife

 　　Bill, Bob, and Ben were talking about their wives. Bill said, "My wife is the world's biggest complainer. She complains about everything. If I leave a speck¹ of toothpaste in the bathroom sink, she complains. If I wait too long to take out the trash, she complains. If I come home five minutes late, she complains." Bob said, "You're a lucky man. At least your wife's talking to you. My wife reads everything that's printed. Her nose is always buried in a book, a magazine, or a newspaper. To get her attention, I'd have to get myself printed." Ben said, “You guys should have married my wife. She never complains. She's a great listener². And, she's active in our local community. What more could a man want?" Bill and Bob stayed married to their wives until they died. Ben got divorced³ when he discovered his wife was cheating on him.

1 speck   

n.微粒，小污点，小斑点

参考例句：

• I have not a speck of interest in it.我对它没有任何兴趣。
• The sky is clear and bright without a speck of cloud.天空晴朗，一星星云彩也没有。

2 listener   

n.听众；收听者

参考例句：

• I'm a regular listener to her show.我经常收听她的节目。
• She became an attentive listener.她变成了一个专心致志的聆听者。

3 divorced   

adj.离婚的；分开的；不相干的；脱离的v.与…离婚(divorce的过去式和过去分词)；分离；与某人离婚，判某人离婚

参考例句：

• Apparently they are getting divorced soon. 看样子，他们很快就要离婚。
• Many divorced men remarry and have second families. 许多离婚的男子再婚组成了新的家庭。