【生詞預覽】

curb路邊，tumble墜落，compact小巧的

【笑話原文】

Hidden Value

Someone in our neighborhood put a huge sofa out by the curb. Since it was in good shape, many motorists slowed down for a look. But when they saw how enormous it was, they’d leave. Eventually a compact car pulled up, and two men got out. They removed the cushions, turned the sofa upside down and shook it hard. Then they picked up all the coins that tumbled out, and drove off.

【中文譯文】

隱藏的價值

我們鄰居有人把一個巨大的沙發扔在馬路邊上。由于它看上去很不錯，許多過往的車輛都慢下來看一看。但是，當他們看到它是那么的巨大，就都開走了。最后，有一輛小型轎車停下來，走出來兩個人。他們把沙發墊子都拿掉，把沙發翻過來，然后使勁搖晃。然后，他們從地上撿起所有滾出來的硬幣，就開車走了。

【詞匯講解】

1.curb路邊。park one’s car close to the curb將汽車緊靠人行道的路緣停放。還有“控制”的意思：ease curbs on freedom of speech and assembly放寬對言論與集會自由的限制。

2.slow down(up)慢下來。Business slowed up after Christmas.圣誕節后生意清淡了。“使生活放松”：Find some way of slowing your father down; he is far too busy now.想辦法讓你父親輕松一點；他現在太忙了。“耽誤”：Weather conditions slowed up the departure of other flights.天氣情況使其他班機推遲起飛。

3.enormous巨大的。可以指具體的“大”，也可以是抽象的。an enormous interest in sth.對某事物的巨大興趣；an enormous problem大問題；an enormous nose大鼻子。

4.pull up停下。He pulled up his horse at the gate.他在大門口把馬勒住。這個詞組還有很多含義，比如“拉到近處”:Pull your chair up to the table.把你的椅子挪近桌子。“少活動多休息”：She was advised by her doctor to pull up and take easy.她的醫生勸她少活動多休息，悠著點兒。“責罵”：He wants pulling up sharply.他這個人得狠狠訓一頓。“提高”：pull up one’s English提高英語水平。

5. tumble墜落。The baby is just learning to walk and he’s always tumbling over.那幼兒剛學走路，所以老是摔倒。The town tumbles down the hill to the beach.那市鎮從小山延伸而下，直達海邊。它也可以指“暴跌”：The stock market tumbled.股市暴跌。還可以指“打滾”：The sick man tossed and tumbled in his bed.那個病人在床上輾轉反側。

6.drive off駕車離開。drive sb. off in a car駕車把某人送走。“把…趕走”：sing a song to drive off the feelings of sadness唱支歌來消除悲傷。