名人笑話：2、 Dr. Swift 斯威夫特博士

2. Dr. Swift

A wealthy old lady lived near Dr. Swift used to send him presents occasionally by her servant. Dr. Swift took her presents but never gave the servant anything for his trouble.

One day as Swift was busy with his writing, the servant rushed into his room, knocked some books out of their place, threw his parcel2 on the desk and said, "my mistress1 has sent you two of her rabbits." Swift turned round and said, "My boy, that is not the way to deliver your parcel3. Now, you sit in my chair, watch my way of doing it and learn your lesson."

The servant sat down. Swift went out, knocked on his door and waited. The servant said "Come in." The doctor entered, walked to his desk and said, "If you please sir, my mistress sends her kind regards and hopes you will accept these rabbits which her son shot this morning in her fields."

The servant answered, "Thank you, my boy, Give your mistress and her son my thanks for their kindness and here is two shillings for yourself." The Doctor laughed, and after that, Swift never forgot to give the servant his tip.

Notes:

1. mistress 女主人

2. parcel 包裹

3. deliver 交付，遞送

斯威夫特博士

斯威夫特博士家附近有位富有的老婦人，她常打發(fā)仆人給他送禮物。斯威夫特博士接受她的禮物，但從不給仆人任何酬謝。

一天，斯威夫特博士正忙著寫東西，這個(gè)仆人沖進(jìn)他的房間，扒拉掉一些書，將一個(gè)包裹扔在書桌上，說道：“我的女主人送給你兩只兔子。”斯威夫特轉(zhuǎn)過身來說：“孩子，包裹可不是這樣送法呀。現(xiàn)在，你坐在我的椅子上，看看我是怎么送的，并要記取這個(gè)教訓(xùn)。”

仆人坐了下來，斯威夫特走出去，敲了敲門，等待回音。仆人說“進(jìn)來?！辈┦窟M(jìn)了門，走到桌旁說：“先生，我的女主人向您致以親切的問候，并希望您收下這些兔子，這是她兒子今天早晨在地里打的?！?

仆人回答說：“謝謝你，我的孩子。向你的女主人和她兒子致謝，謝謝他們的關(guān)心。這兩個(gè)先令是給你本人的?！辈┦啃α恕４撕?，斯威夫特從沒忘記給他小費(fèi)。

Useful link:

喬納森·斯威夫特（1667-1745），英國著名諷刺作家和政治家，以大量政論和諷刺詩等抨擊地主豪紳和英國殖民主義政策，受到讀者熱烈歡迎。他的諷刺小說影響更為深廣，所以他被高爾基稱為世界“偉大文學(xué)創(chuàng)造者之一”。