【生词预览】

minister牧师，illustrate阐述，pipe用嗓子尖声说话

【笑话原文】

What's His Number?

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?"

【中文译文】

他的号码是多少？

每个星期日，牧师给孩子们讲故事时，都会把他们叫到教堂前面。有一次，为了更好地阐述祈祷的含义，他带来了一部电话。

”你们和别人在电话里交谈，看不到电话另一端的人，对吗？”他开口问道。孩子们点头称是。“嗯，和上帝交谈，就像在电话里交谈一样。他在另一端，但你看不到他。不过，他在听。”

就在这时，一个小男孩尖着嗓子问道：“他的号码是多少？”

【词汇讲解】

1.minister牧师。还可以指很多种职务，比如部长、大臣、外交使节、执行者等等:Angels are ministers of the divine will.天使是神的意志的执行者。
也可以作动词，有“给予援助”的意思：minister to the homeless对无家可归的人们给予援助。

2.better更好地。作为good的比较级，better是个很实用的词，不仅可以作形容词表示“更好的”，也可以作副词，正如文中的句子“Once he brought a telephone to better illustrate the idea of prayer.”作动词有“改善”的意思：Living conditions have bettered a great deal.生活条件已大有改善。也有“超过”的意思：better a record刷新纪录

3.illustrate阐述，表明。也有“给……作插图说明”的意思：She has illustrated a number of books.她为好几部书加了插图。还有“举例说明”的意思：The subject is difficult. Permit me to illustrate.这个题目很难，请容我举例说明。

4.prayer祷告，祈祷。My one prayer is that I don’t live to be really old.我唯一的祈望就是不要活到真正老得不行了。还有“祝愿”的意思：Whatever you decide you have my prayers.无论你决定如何，我都祝愿你。

5.nod点头表示。nod one’s agreement点头表示同意； nod one’s understanding点头表示领会。还有“点头叫”的意思：He nodded me out of the door.他点点头叫我出去。

6.pipe尖声喊叫：pipe a command尖着嗓子发出命令。pipe还有很多其他含义，比如“用管子输送”：pipe water into a house用管子送水到屋里；“吹奏”：pipe the song吹奏一首曲子