单元 5 谁有脑子?

 

In the hospital, where their family member laygravely ill, the relatives gathered in the waiting room. Finally, the doctor came in looking tired andsomber.

 

家属全部聚集在医院的等候室，守着他们病重的家人。最后，医生带着疲倦而严峻的面容出现了。“恐怕有坏消息要告诉你们。他边说边环视”着众人担忧的脸庞：

 

"The only hope left for your loved one at this time is a brain transplant.It's an experimental procedure, risky, and you will have to pay for the brain yourselves."

 

“到了这个地步，你们亲爱的家人唯一的希望就是进行大脑移植，但这项手术还在实验阶段，风险很大，而且脑袋的钱你们得自行负担。”

 

The family members sat silent as they absorbed the news.At length, someone asked, "Well, how much does a brain cost?"

 

听到这个消息，家属全都静静地坐着。最后有人问道：“那么，一颗脑袋要多少钱?”

 

The doctor quicklyresponded, "$2,000 for a female brain, and $5,000 for a male brain."

 

医生很快回答：“女人的脑袋一颗2000 元，男人的脑袋一颗5000 元。”

 

The moment turned awkward. Men in the room tried not to smile, avoiding eye contact with the women, but some actually smirked.

 

气氛变得很尴尬。等候室的男性家属忍住不笑，避免接触到女性家属的眼神，但还是有些人不太自然地在偷笑。

 

A girl, unable to control her curiosity, blurted out the question everyone wanted to ask, "Why is the male brain so much more?"

 

有个女孩控制不了好奇心，大家都想问的问题被她一下子脱口而出："男人的脑袋为什么贵那么多?”

 

The doctor smiled at her childish innocence and then to the entire group said,"It's a standard pricing procedure. We have to mark the female brains down, because they've been used."

 

“这是标准的定价方式。我们不得不调降女人脑袋的价格，是因为它们一直都在使用。”医生对她的赤子之心报以微笑，接着对全部的人说道：“这是标准的定价方式。我们不得不调降女人脑袋的价格，是因为它们一直都在使用。”