原版英文故事与诗歌：Eye Halve a Spelling Chequer…

Eye halve¹ a spelling checker……It came with my pea sea".In this poem some words have been substituted by homophones - words with the same sound but different spelling. It proves that computer spelling checkers are not infallible!

Eye Halve a Spelling Chequer

Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin² knot sea.

Eye strike a quay³ and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar⁴ write
It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore⁶ two long
And eye can put the error rite⁵
Its really ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect in it's weigh
My chequer tolled⁷ me sew.

(Sauce unknown)

 

Correct English version

 

I have a spelling checker
It came with my PC
It plainly marks for my review
Mistakes I cannot see

I strike a key and type a word
And wait for it to say
Whether I am wrong or right
It shows me straight away

As soon as a mistake is made
It knows before too long
And I can put the error right
It’s rarely ever wrong

I have run this poem through it
I am sure you’re pleased to know
It’s letter perfect in its way
My checker told me so

(Source unknown)

 

1 halve   

vt.分成两半，平分；减少到一半

参考例句：

• Let's halve the project between our two teams.让我们两个队平均分担这项工程吧。
• I'll halve expenses with you.我要跟你平均分摊费用。

2 kin   

n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的

参考例句：

• He comes of good kin.他出身好。
• She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

3 quay   

n.码头，靠岸处

参考例句：

• There are all kinds of ships in a quay.码头停泊各式各样的船。
• The side of the boat hit the quay with a grinding jar.船舷撞到码头发出刺耳的声音。

4 oar   

n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行

参考例句：

• The sailors oar slowly across the river.水手们慢慢地划过河去。
• The blade of the oar was bitten off by a shark.浆叶被一条鲨鱼咬掉了。

5 rite   

n.典礼，惯例，习俗

参考例句：

• This festival descends from a religious rite.这个节日起源于宗教仪式。
• Most traditional societies have transition rites at puberty.大多数传统社会都为青春期的孩子举行成人礼。

6 fore   

adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部

参考例句：

• Your seat is in the fore part of the aircraft.你的座位在飞机的前部。
• I have the gift of fore knowledge.我能够未卜先知。

7 tolled   

鸣钟（toll的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Bells were tolled all over the country at the King's death. 全国为国王之死而鸣钟。
• The church bell tolled the hour. 教堂的钟声报时。