【生词预览】

ox牛，out of缺少

【笑话原文】

Rope or Ox?

The man in the prison asked a new comer why he was sent there. The new comer answered: "I am out of luck, I think. A few days ago I was walking in the street when I saw a piece of dirty rope. I thought nobody wanted it and so I picked it up and took it home."

"But it is not against the law to pick up a piece of rope and take home!"

"I told you I had bad luck, didn't I?" the man sighed, "The trouble is that I didn't notice there was an ox at the other end of that rope."

【中文译文】

绳子还是公牛？

在监狱里，一个人问新来的犯人为什么被关进来。新来的犯人回答说：“我想我真是倒霉。几天前我在街上走的时候，看到一根脏绳子，以为没人要了，便捡起来带了回家。”

“但是，捡一根绳子带回家并不犯法啊！”

“我告诉过你我倒霉了吧？”那个人叹了口气，“麻烦的就是我没有注意到绳子的那一头还有一头公牛。”

【词汇讲解】

1.ox牛。He is as strong as an ox.他体壮如牛。I'm willing to be an ox serving the country all my life.我甘当孺子牛, 终生为国家服务。

2.来者。The audience in the front rows made room for the late comers.
前排的观众为迟来的人让出座位。也可以指“有成功希望的人”。

3.out of缺少。 “I am out of luck”我缺少运气，那就是运气不好的意思了。out of还有很多含义，比如”脱离了(状态)“A lorry ran down the hill out of control.卡车失去了控制,直往山下冲去。

4.pick up捡起。还可以指“搭救”： The shipwrecked sailors were picked up by a passing boat.一艘过路的船只搭救了遭受船难的水手。“振作”: His spirits picked up.他的精神振奋起来了。 “收拾东西〔屋子〕“：
Children, it's time to pick up and have supper.孩子们, 该收拾吃晚饭了。

5.sigh叹气。 She sighed and looked sad.她叹了口气, 显得很伤心。She sighed with relief when she heard the good news.听到这个好消息时, 她宽慰地舒了口气。

6.trouble麻烦。也可以作动词： I don't wish to trouble them.我不愿意去麻烦他们。May I trouble you to shut the door? 麻烦你把门关上好吗？