英文短篇故事（纽约）207 Chinese New Year Visitor

 　　For Chinese New Year, Lisa set out four plates and four glasses. She set out lobster¹, rice, greens, and tofu. She set out oranges, grapes, and cherries. She set out cakes and cookies. She set out two shot glasses filled with whiskey. She set out two ashtrays³. A lit cigarette rested in each ashtray². Lisa and Mel burned phony thousand-dollar bills for her ancestors. Lisa greeted and thanked her ancestors. She asked for their help in the new year. Later, Mel and Lisa ate dinner. After dinner, Mel was sitting on the sofa. Lisa came out of the bathroom. "Look what I found on the bathroom floor," she said. She opened her hand. Mel saw a tiny green worm. "I'm going to put it outside," Lisa said. Mel asked, "Put it outside? Why not just flush⁴ it down the toilet?" She said, "Because it might be one of my ancestors."

1 lobster   

n.龙虾，龙虾肉

参考例句：

• The lobster is a shellfish.龙虾是水生贝壳动物。
• I like lobster but it does not like me.我喜欢吃龙虾，但它不适宜于我的健康。

2 ashtray   

n.烟灰缸

参考例句：

• He knocked out his pipe in the big glass ashtray.他在大玻璃烟灰缸里磕净烟斗。
• She threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray.她把烟头扔进烟灰缸。

3 ashtrays   

烟灰缸( ashtray的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A simple question: why are there ashtrays in a no-smoking restaurant? 问题是：一个禁止吸烟的餐厅为什么会有烟灰缸呢？
• Avoid temptation by throwing away all cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays. 把所有的香烟，打火机，和烟灰缸扔掉以避免引诱。

4 flush   

vi.奔流；vt.冲洗；adj.齐平的；n.脸色，脸红

参考例句：

• Father asked me to flush off the garage floor.父亲叫我冲洗车库的地板。
• There was a flush in her cheeks.她满脸通红。