【生詞預覽】

cardboard紙板，creation作品，bet確信

【笑話原文】

Translation not Found

I returned from Russia after living there nearly two years. My sister decided to surprise me by creating “welcome home” signs in Russian. She went to a website that offered translations, and printed the translated phrase onto cardboards. When I got off the plane, I saw my whole family, excitedly waving colored cardboards. My sister gave me a big hug, and pointed proudly to her creations. “Isn’t that great?” she said, “Bet you didn’t think I knew any Russian.”

I admitted that I was indeed surprised—the signs actually said, “Translation not found.”

【中文譯文】

譯文沒有找到

我在俄國住了將近兩年以后回國。我妹妹打算給我一個驚喜，用俄文做一個“歡迎歸來”的標語。她到一個提供翻譯的網站，并且把翻譯出來的文字打印在紙板上。我一下飛機就看到我們全家興高采烈地揮舞著彩色的硬紙板。我妹妹給了我一個熱烈的擁抱，并且自豪地指著她的作品說：“是不是很棒？我猜你一定沒想到我懂俄語。”

我承認我確實大吃一驚。這標語實際上說的是：“譯文沒有找到。”

【詞匯講解】

1.cardboard卡紙板。還可以作形容詞，意思是“不堅實的；不真實的；老一套的”：The story has too many cardboard charactors.

2.get off下飛機。除此之外，get off還有很多其他含義，比如“下班”：What time do you get off(work)? 你什么時候下班？“入睡”：I just couldn’t get off(to sleep) last night.昨晚我怎么也睡不著。“改變話題”：Let’s get off the topic.我們別再談這個話題了吧。

3.creation作品。Language is the most important mental creation of men.語言是人類頭腦中最重要的產物。creation還有“時裝”的意思：The designer’s latest creation is a backless evening dress.時裝設計師設計的最新式服裝是一種露背女晚禮服。

4.bet確信。I bet you were wrong about that.我敢說那件事你錯了。這和文中的bet是一個意思。而bet還有“打賭”的意思：I bet him he could not outrun me.我跟他打賭他跑不過我。

5.admit承認。還可以作不及物動詞，有“通往”的意思：This door admits to the dining room.這扇門通餐廳。“容許”：Circumstances do not admit of this.情況不容許如此。

6.indeed確實（用來加強語氣）。She was a very beautiful girl indeed.她確實是個非常美麗的姑娘。