英语小达人 287 I Don't Know Either

 　　I Don't Know Either

　　我也不知道

　　A scientist gets on a train to go to New York. His cabin¹ also has a farmer in it. To pass the time the scientist decides to play a game with the guy.

　　一个科学家坐火车去纽约，他的这节车厢里还有一个农民。为了打发时间，科学家决定和农民做个游戏。

　　"I will ask you a question and if you get it wrong, you have to pay me 1 dollar. Then you ask me a question, and if I get it wrong, you get 10 dollars. You ask me a question first."

　　“我问你一个问题，如果你答错了，你给我1块钱。然后你问我一个问题，如果我答错了，我给你10块钱。现在你先问我一个问题吧。”

　　The farmer thinks for a while. "I know. What has three legs, takes 10 hours to climb up a palm tree, and 10 seconds to get back down?"

　　农民想了一会儿，“有了，什么东西长着三条腿，要花10个小时爬上一棵棕榈树，下来却只要10秒钟？”

　　The scientist is confused and thinks long and hard about the question. Finally, the train ride is coming to an end.

　　科学家被搞糊涂了，他努力地想啊想啊。最后，火车到终点了。

　　As it pulls into the station, the scientist takes out 10 dollars and gives it to the farmer. "I don't know. What has 3 legs, takes 10 hours to get up a palm tree and 10 seconds to get back down?"

　　火车进站的时候，科学家拿出10块钱给农民。“我不知道了。这个长着三条腿，花10个小时爬上一棵棕榈树，下来却只要10秒钟的到底是什么东西？”

　　The farmer takes the 10 dolalrs and puts it into his pocket. He then takes out 1 dollar and hands it to the scientist.

　　农民接过10块钱放进口袋，又掏出1块钱递给科学家。

　　"I don't know."

　　“我不知道。”

　　重点讲解：

　　1. pass the time

　　消遣；打发时间；

　　eg. Without particular interest and just to pass the time, I read a story.

　　我读了一篇故事，并非有什么特别的兴趣，仅仅为了消遣。

　　eg. During a lunch break, he and the buyer passed the time with some chitchat.

　　午饭休息时间，他与顾客谈天闲聊以消磨时间。

　　2. come to an end

　　结束；

　　eg. Now the award ceremony has come to an end.

　　颁奖仪式到此结束。

　　eg. But all good things must come to an end, as they say.

　　但正如人们所说,天下没有不散的筵席。

　　3. pull into

　　（使）驶入停下；

　　eg. He pulled into the driveway in front of her garage.

　　他把车停在了她家车库前的车道上。

　　eg. She pulled the car into a tight parking space on a side street.

　　她将车停进了小路上一个狭窄的停车位里。

　　4. hand sth. to sb./hand sb. sth.

　　把某物递/交给某人；

　　eg. He took a thick envelope from an inside pocket and handed it to me.

　　他从内侧口袋里掏出一只厚信封递给我。

　　eg. He handed me a little rectangle² of white paper.

　　他递给我一张小小的长方形白纸片。

1 cabin   

n.(结构简单的)小木屋；船舱，机舱

参考例句：

• They threw up a new cabin in a couple of hours.在几小时之内他们就建起了一座新的小屋。
• It's very hot in the cabin;let's go on deck.舱室内很热，我们到甲板上去吧。

2 rectangle   

n.长方形，矩形

参考例句：

• Suppose the width of a rectangle is x metres.设长方形的宽是x米。
• He handed me a little rectangle of white paper.他递给我一张小小的长方形白纸片。