【生詞預(yù)覽】

ox牛，out of缺少

【笑話原文】

Rope or Ox?

The man in the prison asked a new comer why he was sent there. The new comer answered: "I am out of luck, I think. A few days ago I was walking in the street when I saw a piece of dirty rope. I thought nobody wanted it and so I picked it up and took it home."

"But it is not against the law to pick up a piece of rope and take home!"

"I told you I had bad luck, didn't I?" the man sighed, "The trouble is that I didn't notice there was an ox at the other end of that rope."

【中文譯文】

繩子還是公牛？

在監(jiān)獄里，一個(gè)人問(wèn)新來(lái)的犯人為什么被關(guān)進(jìn)來(lái)。新來(lái)的犯人回答說(shuō)：“我想我真是倒霉。幾天前我在街上走的時(shí)候，看到一根臟繩子，以為沒(méi)人要了，便撿起來(lái)帶了回家。”

“但是，撿一根繩子帶回家并不犯法啊！”

“我告訴過(guò)你我倒霉了吧？”那個(gè)人嘆了口氣，“麻煩的就是我沒(méi)有注意到繩子的那一頭還有一頭公牛。”

【詞匯講解】

1.ox牛。He is as strong as an ox.他體壯如牛。I'm willing to be an ox serving the country all my life.我甘當(dāng)孺子牛, 終生為國(guó)家服務(wù)。

2.來(lái)者。The audience in the front rows made room for the late comers.
前排的觀眾為遲來(lái)的人讓出座位。也可以指“有成功希望的人”。

3.out of缺少。 “I am out of luck”我缺少運(yùn)氣，那就是運(yùn)氣不好的意思了。out of還有很多含義，比如”脫離了(狀態(tài))“A lorry ran down the hill out of control.卡車(chē)失去了控制,直往山下沖去。

4.pick up撿起。還可以指“搭救”： The shipwrecked sailors were picked up by a passing boat.一艘過(guò)路的船只搭救了遭受船難的水手。“振作”: His spirits picked up.他的精神振奮起來(lái)了。 “收拾東西〔屋子〕“：
Children, it's time to pick up and have supper.孩子們, 該收拾吃晚飯了。

5.sigh嘆氣。 She sighed and looked sad.她嘆了口氣, 顯得很傷心。She sighed with relief when she heard the good news.聽(tīng)到這個(gè)好消息時(shí), 她寬慰地舒了口氣。

6.trouble麻煩。也可以作動(dòng)詞： I don't wish to trouble them.我不愿意去麻煩他們。May I trouble you to shut the door? 麻煩你把門(mén)關(guān)上好嗎？