胡敏讀故事記托福詞匯 第172期:劇作家筆下的水管工 The Playwright's Plumber
胡敏讀故事記托福詞匯 第172期:劇作家筆下的水管工 The Playwright's Plumber
中英對照
172 The Playwright's Plumber
172 劇作家筆下的水管工
There was a play write, who at the plea of his publisher, pledged to write a pleasing, yet plausible story about plight of a plump plumber who wore plumage.
有一個劇作家，在出版商的再三懇求之下，保證寫一個既令人滿意又合情合理的故事。這個故事講的是一個身披羽毛衣的胖嘟嘟的水管工人在身處困境之時發(fā)生的種種事情。
The story went something like this:
下面是故事的梗概：
The plumber was replacing a pipe on a farm when the farmer asked about his plumage.
這個水管工在某農場修理管道的時候，農場主問及他身上的羽毛。
Then he merely said, Never mind my sense of fashion, you can just go back to your plow.
他輕描淡寫地回答道：我不過就是太追求時髦了嘛，不要介意，繼續(xù)你的耕作吧！”
Offended, the plumber's eyes began to well with tears.
但隨即，他還是感覺受到了傷害，淚水奪眶而出。
The farmer said:Have I insulted you with my question about your plumage?
看到這種情形，農場主問道：我問及你的羽毛是不是傷害了你？”
The plumber wanted to be pliant with his customer,No, he replied,
水管工人想對他的主顧更順從點，于是回答說：沒有。
Pollen is a pollutant to the eyes, you know, and I am afraid that my eyes have been polluted.
你知道花粉對眼睛來說算得上是一種污染物質，我的眼睛可能就被花粉污染了。
yeah, I guess your eyes don't need pollinating, do they?
沒錯，我想你的眼睛應該不需要授粉吧！
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! the farmer chortled. The plumber continued to work.
哈哈哈！農場主忍俊不禁。水管工繼續(xù)工作。
He first plunged a pipe into a liquid cleaner, bent the pliable pipe to the proper shape, and used a plumb line to make sure it was plumb, then he polished the pipe to give it a sheen.
首先他把一根水管投入到液體清潔器里，把柔軟的管子彎成適當的形狀，然后用一根垂直線來測量管子，確保其完全垂直。
Finally, he connected the wire from the poles of the electrical unit as the pipe was also to serve as electrical ground.
接著他又把管子擦亮，讓它熠熠生輝。最后，由于管子同時也是電源的地面設備，他用金屬絲把管子與一端電極連接起來。
Satisfied with the good job he had done, the plumber left the farm, waddling along with his plumage and his poise and dignity despite the famer's insults.
做完這一切以后，他對他的工作表示滿意，全不把農場主的侮辱當回事，帶著他的羽毛衣，神色鎮(zhèn)定而莊重地大搖大擺而去。
There was a poll at the publishing house about this story.
對這個故事出版社進行了一次民意測驗。
The staff was polarized: half of them really liked it, and the other half didn't.
員工們的意見兩極分化很嚴童：一半人非常喜歡，一半人一點也不喜歡。
Regardless, they decided to go ahead and publish it.
但不管怎樣，他們都決定要繼續(xù)努力以出版此書。
Now the playwright can line his pocketbook with money from the story.
現(xiàn)在，這個劇作家可以用此書的稿費所得將 也的皮錢夾塞得鼓鼓囊囊的而感到躊躇滿志了。
重點詞匯
plea[pli:]n. 懇求，申訴，請愿，抗辯，借口
dignity['digniti]n. 尊嚴，高貴，端莊
pleasing['pli:zi?]adj. 令人愉快的，討人喜愛的 動詞please的現(xiàn)在
plumb[pl?m]n. 鉛錘，垂直 v. （用鉛垂）測量，探測 adv.
plow[plau]n. 犁，耕地
vt. 耕犁，
vi
n. [植]花粉，[昆]粉面(雙翅目昆蟲的易落粉) vt
poll[p?ul]n. 投票，民意測驗，民意，票數
v. 做民意
adj. 似真實合理的，似可信的
bent[bent]bend的過去式和過去分詞 adj. 下定決心的，彎曲的
playwright['pleirait]n. 劇作家
