英语沙龙

The little boy did not like the look of the barking dog.

"It's all right，" said a gentleman， "don't be afraid. Don't you know the proverb： Barking dogs don't bite？"

"Ah， yes，" answered the little boy. "I know the proverb， but does the dog know the proverb， too？"

一个小男孩非常不喜欢狗狂叫的样子。

“没有关系，”一位先生说，“不用害怕，你知道这条谚语吗：‘吠狗不咬人。”

“啊，我是知道，可是狗也知道吗？”

“Are you sure it doesnt scream， yell， or swear？ ”asked the preacher.

“Oh absolutely. Its a religious parrot，” the storekeeper assures him.

“Do you see those strings on his legs？ When you pull the right one， he recites the Lords Prayer， and when you pull on the left he recites the 23rd Psalm.”

“Wonderful！ ”says the preacher， “but what happens if you pull both strings？”

“I will fall off my perch， you stupid fool！” screeched the parrot.

“你确信它不会尖叫，大叫或诅咒别人吗？”传教士问。

“哦，绝对不会。它是一只虔诚的鹦鹉。”店主保证说。

“你看见它腿上的这些细绳了吗？当你拉动右面的这根，它会背诵天主经，当你拉动左面的那根，它会背诵赞美诗。”

“太棒了！”传教士说，“但是如果我同时拉动两条绳子，会发生什么呢？”

“我会从栖木上掉下去的，你这个笨蛋！”鹦鹉尖声说道。

Professor Tom was going to meet his students on the next day， so he wrote some words on the blackboard which read as follows： "Professor Tom will meet the class tomorrow." A student， seeing his chance to display his sense of humor after reading the notice， walked up and erased the "c" in the word "class." The Professor noticing the laughter， wheeled around， walked back， looked at the student， then at the notice with the "c" erased--calmly walked up and erased the "l" in "lass"， looked at the flabbergasted student and proceeded on his way.

汤姆教授打算第二天与他的学生见面，因此他在黑板上写道：“汤姆教授明天将和大家见面。”一位学生看到这条通知后，觉得展示自己幽默感的机会来了，就走上前，将“class”中的“c”擦掉，教授听到笑声，转过身走回来，看了看那位学生，又看看被改动过的通知，不动声色地走上前，把“lass” 中的“l”擦掉，看了看那位目瞪口呆的学生，教授扬长而去。（译注：class去掉了c，就变成了lass，意为情侣；再去掉l，就变成了ass，意为蠢驴。）

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

我知道笼中鸟为何歌唱（节选）

--Maya Angelou （4 April 1928 - 28 May 2014）

——玛雅·安吉罗（1928年5月4日——2014年5月28日）

The free bird leapson the back of the windand floats downstreamtill the current endsand dips his wingsin the orange sun raysand dares to claim the sky.

有一只鸟儿蹦蹦跳跳乘上云做的轻舟随长风漂流直抵天尽头看橙红暖阳将翅膀染透天空都归它所有

But a bird that stalksdown his narrow cagecan seldom see throughhis bars of ragehis wings are clipped andhis feet are tiedso he opens his throat to sing.

另一只鸟在狭窄笼里僵硬地踱来踱去偶尔往外觑栏杆却不许剪掉了飞羽双足也缚起只好放声歌一曲

The caged bird singswith fearful trillof the things unknownbut longed for stilland his tune is heardon the distant hillfor the caged birdsings of freedom

被囚的鸟儿展开歌喉发出战栗的啁啾向未知低头心却仍祈求调子回荡在远处的山丘因为这只鸟它歌颂的是自由

作者简介：玛雅·安吉洛是20世纪美国最传奇的黑人女性，她是三届格莱美奖得主，身兼作家、诗人、舞蹈家、教授、导演等多重身份，还曾在卡特和福特总统两届政府中任职。玛雅还写过六部自传、六部散文集和数十部诗集等。1993年，她应邀在克林顿总统的就职典礼上朗诵诗作《晨曦的脉动》，成为在总统就职典礼上朗诵诗歌的非洲裔第一人。