【生詞預覽】

scheme計劃，random任意的，strike up開始（談話），reprimand訓斥

【笑話原文】

Was He Fired?

A co-worker had a unique scheme to meet women. He’d call a random number. If a man picked up, he apologized for dialing the “wrong” number. But when a woman answered, he’d strike up a conversation. One day, the department manager overheard him bragging how he averaged two dates a week from this ploy. Was he fired? Did he receive a reprimand? No, he was named Director of Telemarketing.

【中文譯文】

他被開除了嗎？

一個同事對付女人有一套。他隨意打一個電話號碼，如果是男人接電話，他就道歉說打錯了。但如果是女人接電話，他就會搭上話。有一天，部門經理聽見他吹噓說，他用這套辦法平均每星期約會兩個女人。他被開除了嗎？他收到訓誡了嗎？沒有。他被任命為電話銷售部主任了。

【詞匯講解】

1.scheme計劃. a scheme for the term’s work學期工作安排。也有“詭計”的意思：That so-called sale is a scheme to swindle the consumer.那場所謂的大賤賣其實只是個欺詐消費者的騙局。

2.random任意的／胡亂的。random killings胡亂殺戮；random bullets亂飛的流彈；a random talk漫談。Ask some random students to join in a discussion.任選幾名學生一起參加討論。

3.strike up開始（談話）。strike up a friendship開始建立友誼。 A military band struck up a funeral dirge.軍樂隊奏起葬禮哀樂。

4.brag吹噓（及物／不及物）。He bragged about his new car.他吹噓自己的新車。That is nothing to brag about.那沒有什么可夸耀的。也可以作名詞，是“大話”的意思：His brag was tiresome to listen to.他的自吹自擂聽得人厭煩。

5.ploy計策／手段。a delaying ploy拖延之計；a bargaining ploy討價還價的手段；a propaganda ploy宣傳擠倆。This is a ploy to gain publicity for his new book.這是為他的新作求名的手段。在口語里，還有“忙碌的活動”的意思：Angling is his latest ploy.他最近忙著釣魚。

6.reprimand訓斥。The boy got a new reprimand from his teacher.那個男學生又收到老師一頓訓斥。We can’t let his behaviour go without reprimand.我們不能讓他任意胡來而不加譴責。