【生词预览】
fascinated着迷,elegant精美的,calligraphy书法,cocktail鸡尾酒
【笑话原文】
Cheap but Good
My wife was fascinated by the elegant calligraphy on the hand-written menu in a Chinese restaurant. She took it home and spent months knitting a sweater with Chinese characters in the front. She was wearing it at a cocktail party when a Chinese physician asked where she got the symbols.
“From a menu,” she admitted. “Do you know what they say?”
“I’m afraid to ask,” my wife said, “but tell me anyway.”
“Cheap but good.”
【中文译文】
价廉物美
我的妻子被中国餐馆的手写菜单上优美的书法迷住了。她把菜单带回家,花了几个月的时间织了一件毛衣,把中国字织在胸前。她穿着这件毛衣参加一个鸡尾酒会。一位中国医生问她是在哪里搞到这个图样。她承认是从菜单上描下来的。医生问:“你知道这些字什么意思吗?”我的妻子说:“我没敢问。你告诉我吧。”中国医生说:“价廉物美。”
【词汇讲解】
1.fascinate使着迷。be fascinated with history深深爱上历史学科。She fascinated him into marring her.她弄得他神魂颠倒而终于娶了她。还有“慑住”的意思:The serpent fascinated its prey.那条蛇慑住了它要捕食的动物。
2.elegant精美的。an elegant dress漂亮雅致的女服;lead a life of elegant ease过着优裕闲适的生活。也可以指“简洁的”:an elegant piece of reasoning简要明确的论证
3.calligraphy书法、笔迹。learn Chinese calligraphy学中国书法;be inscribed on a plaque in sb.’s caligraphy按某人的手迹刻印与一块匾额上。
4.knit编织。除此之外,knit还有很多意思,比如“使癒合”:knit broken bones使折骨癒合;“皱眉”:knit one’s brows in thought紧锁双眉思索;“缔结”:knit an agreement订立协议
5.cocktail鸡尾酒。也可以作及物动词,意为“举行鸡尾酒会”:They lionized and cocktailed the young author.他们给那青年作家捧场,并为他举行鸡尾酒会。
6.physician医生。也可以指“抚慰者、解除痛苦者”:a physician of the soul心灵的抚慰者。 |