Mark Twain was on his way to a lecture when his chauffeur offered an idea, "Sir, I've heard your speech so many times that I could recite2 it, and since nobody know you there this time I think I could deliver it and give you the night off."
Sounds great, Mark Twain said.
When they got to the auditorium3, Mark Twain put on the chauffeur's hat and settled in the back row. The chauffeur walked to the front and delivered the speech.
Afterward he asked if there was any question. "Yes," said one of the audience4. Then he proposed a rather difficult question.
The chauffeur was panic-stricken5 for a moment but quickly recovered, "That's an easy one," he replied, "so easy, I'm going to let my chauffeur answer it."
Notes:
1. chauffeur 司機(jī)
2. recite 背誦
3. auditorium 禮堂
4. audience 觀眾,聽眾
5. panic-stricken 驚慌失措的
在馬克·吐溫去做演說(shuō)的路上,他的司機(jī)出了個(gè)主意:“先生,我聽您的演說(shuō)那么多次以至于我都能背下來(lái)了。既然這次演說(shuō)的地方?jīng)]人認(rèn)識(shí)您,我想我能幫您做這個(gè)演說(shuō),這樣可以讓您休息一個(gè)晚上?!?
馬克·吐溫說(shuō):“這個(gè)主意不錯(cuò)。”
到了禮堂,馬克·吐溫戴上司機(jī)的帽子坐在了后排,而司機(jī)走到前面,做起了演說(shuō)。
結(jié)束后,他問聽眾有沒有問題要問。一個(gè)聽眾說(shuō)有,接著提出了一個(gè)很難的問題。
司機(jī)一下子被問住了,但他很快回過(guò)神來(lái)?!斑@個(gè)問題容易,”他說(shuō),“很容易,我讓我的司機(jī)來(lái)回答就可以了?!?
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馬克·吐溫(Mark Twain, 1835-1910),原名塞姆·朗赫恩·克列門斯(Samuel Langhorne Clemens),是美國(guó)的幽默大師、小說(shuō)家、作家,亦是著名演說(shuō)家。