181. Preparing for the pyramids准备探索金字塔 purge-quilt
As an Egyptologist, I have been to Egypt many times. This time, I am going to quench my thirst for adventure and try to solve the puzzle of the Pyramids. To undertake such a questionable task one must purge oneself of all inferiorities, purify one’s mind, quell and doubts, and be confident that one is uniquely qualified for such a quest.
In preparation for this journey, I gathered a couple of items: a newly invented quartz watch, whose quartz was taken from a particular quarry and had undergone a purification process to meet quantitative qualifications based on quantum theory electronics; and a purple quilt for those cold nights in the Pyramids.
My first stop in Egypt was in a quaint, quiescent little town not far from the Pyramids. It may seem puzzling to some, but my quest began with a questionnaire. My first subject was a queer little man who just happened to be walking by. I said to him, “Excuse me, sir, do you eat quail?” My query seemed to have bothered him, because he immediately began shaking his fists over his head and shouting at me unintelligibly in his native tongue. After quelling him with a chocolate bar and an unfulfilled promise of my purple quilt, he eventually, after much haranguing, did answer my question. I then proceeded to ask several other passers-by the same question at random, evoking similar responses from each. After quite a number of these unpleasant queries, I found someone who could speak good English, who brought to my attention that the quail is an animal that is worshipped in the local religion and that asking this sort of question could put me in serious danger. With my hope in the questionnaire quailed, I decided to move on.
purge v.清除,清除政敌等
purification n.纯化,净化
purify vt.提纯,精炼,净化
purple n.紫色
puzzle n.难题,谜
puzzling adj.使迷惑的,使莫明其妙的
pyramid n.金字塔
quail n. 鹌鹑v.胆怯,畏缩
quaint adj.奇怪的,离奇有趣的
qualification n.资格,条件
qualified adj.合格的
quantitative adj.定量的,数量的
quantum theory(物)量子论
quarry n.采石场,露天矿场
quartz n.石英
queer adj.奇怪的,古怪的
quell v. 镇压,平息,消除,减轻
quench vt.淬火，熄灭，解渴
query n.淬火,熄灭,解渴
quest n.质问,询问
questionable adj可疑的.
questionnaire n.调查表,问卷
quiescent adj.静止的,寂静的
quilt n.棉被vt.制在棉被 |