书城外语别样的名人风采
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第94章 绅士是什么

Benjamin Franklin was a famous American diplomat and writer.

His black servant often asked him:“Dear Master,what's a gentleman?”

Once Franklin answered him like this:“A gentleman is a kind of living thing.He can eat,drink and sleep,but can do nothing.”

After a while,the servant ran to him and said:“Oh!Master,I know what a gentleman is now.Men work,horses draw wagons and oxen plough field;but pigs only eat,drink,sleep and do nothing all day long.So,no doubt,it is pig that is a gentleman.”

本杰明·富兰克林是美国著名的外交家和作家。他的黑人仆人经常问他:“尊敬的主人,绅士到底是什么样的呢?”

有一次富兰克林这样回答他:“绅士是一种生物。它能吃饭,能喝水,也能睡觉,但是却什么都做不了。”

过了一会儿,仆人跑过来,说:“哦!主人!我知道绅士是什么了。人类工作,马能拖动货车,老牛能犁地;但是猪只吃、喝、睡,整天什么都不做。所以,毫无置疑,绅士就是猪啊。”

1.diplomat n.外交家,外交官;有外交手腕的人;处事圆滑机敏的人

E.g.As a diplomat,he should handle all unexpected situations skillfully.

外交官应该能巧妙地处理各种意外情况。

2.draw vt.画;拉;吸引vi.拉;拖n.平局;抽签

E.g.A horse draws the cart along.马沿路拉车。

The cart was drawn by a pony.马车由一匹小马拉着。

3.wagon n.货车,四轮马车vt.用运货马车运输货物

4.oxen n.牛(ox的复数)

5.plough vt.耕;犁vi.用犁耕田;开路n.犁;耕地(等于plow)

E.g.They ought to finish ploughing the south field by tomorrow.

到明天他们应该犁完南边的一块地。

after a while 过了一会儿[亦作in a while]

E.g.Then,after a while,the drama fades away.

过后,这种戏剧性事件消失了。