1.To be on the Safe Side
In a cinema during a performance one of the audience gets up, makes his way along the row of seats and goes out into the foyer(门厅,大厅) . A few minutes later he returns and asks the man sitting at the head of the row:
Excuse me, was it your foot I stepped on when I was going out a moment ago?
Yes, but it doesn‘t really matter. It didn‘t hurt at all.
Oh, no, it isn‘t that. I only want to make sure that this is my row.
翻译:
保证没走错
在一家电影院里,一名观众在演出期间站了起来,沿着他那排位子走到休息室去了。几分钟后,他回到那排位子并问坐在首位的那位男士道:
对不起,请问我刚才出去的时候是踩着你的脚吗?
是的,不过没什么关系,一点也不疼。
噢,不,我不是这个意思。我只是想确认一下这是不是我的那排位子。
2.Talking on the Telephone
Each Sunday the minister called the children to the front of the church while he told them a story. Once he brought a telephone to better illustrate the idea of prayer.
“You talk to people on the telephone and don‘t see them on the other end of the line, right?” he began.
The children nodded yes. “Well, talking to God is like talking on the telephone. He‘s on the other end, but you can‘t see him. He is listening though.”
Just then a little boy piped up and asked, “What‘s his number?”
翻译:
在电话中交谈
每个星期天牧师都会把孩子们叫到教堂前面,然后给他们讲一个故事。一天,他为了更好地阐述祈祷的含义,带来了一台电话机。
“你们和别人在电话里交谈,并没有看到电话线另一端的人,对吗?”他开始问道。孩子们点头称是。“好的,和上帝交谈就象通过电话交谈一样。他就在另一端,虽然你看不见他,但是他正在聆听你的心声。”
就在这时,一个小男孩尖着嗓子问道:“那他的电话号码是什么?”
3.Father and son
Son: Is it true, Dad, I heard that in some parts of Africa a man doesn‘t know his wife until he marries her?
Dad: That happens in every country, son.
翻译:
父与子
儿子:爸爸,听说在非洲的一些地方男人在结婚前根本不认识他的妻子。
父亲:孩子,实际上所有的国家都是这样的。
4.It depends
Traveler: Can I catch the three o‘clock train to Toronto?
Ticket agent: That depends on how fast you can run. It left fifteen minutes ago.
翻译:
看情况
旅行者:我还能赶上3点钟那班到多伦多的火车吗?
售票员:那得看你跑得有多快。火车15分钟前开出。