胡敏讀故事記托福詞匯第181期:準(zhǔn)備探索金字塔 Preparing for the pyramids

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2018年06月17日

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胡敏讀故事記托福詞匯第181期:準(zhǔn)備探索金字塔 Preparing for the pyramids

中英對(duì)照

181.Preparing for the pyramids

181.準(zhǔn)備探索金字塔

As an Egyptologist, I have been to Egypt many times.

作為一個(gè)埃及古物學(xué)者，我去過(guò)埃及多次。

This time, I am going to quench my thirst for adventure and try to solve the puzzle of the Pyramids.

這一次，我想滿(mǎn)足我冒險(xiǎn)的欲望，試圖解開(kāi)金字塔之謎。

To undertake such a questionable task one must purge oneself of all inferiorities, purify one's mind, quell and doubts, and be confident that one is uniquely qualified for such a quest.

要尋求一件如此可疑的事情的答案，你必須清除一切自卑感，凈化心靈，消除疑慮，還要充分自信，相信自己是惟一能夠完成這一次探索任務(wù)的合格入選。

In preparation for this journey, I gathered a couple of items:

為了這一次行程，我做了充分的準(zhǔn)備：

a newly invented quartz watch, whose quartz was taken from a particular quarry and had undergone a purification process to meet quantitative qualifications based on quantum theory electronics; and a purple quilt for those cold nights in the Pyramids.

我準(zhǔn)備了一款新發(fā)明的石英表，這塊表的石英是從一個(gè)特殊采石場(chǎng)開(kāi)采出來(lái)的，經(jīng)過(guò)多重凈化程序，其質(zhì)量完全符合在量子論電子學(xué)基礎(chǔ)上制定的定量條件要求；同時(shí)我還準(zhǔn)備了一床紫色的棉被，以適應(yīng)探索金字塔時(shí)寒冷的夜晚的需要。

My first stop in Egypt was in a quaint, quiescent little town not far from the Pyramids.

我在埃及的第一站是離金字塔不遠(yuǎn)的一個(gè)離奇有趣的寂靜小鎮(zhèn)。

It may seem puzzling to some, but my quest began with a questionnaire.

對(duì)某些人來(lái)說(shuō)，這個(gè)小鎮(zhèn)是一個(gè)不解之謎，但我的探索工作就是在這兒以進(jìn)行問(wèn)卷調(diào)查開(kāi)始的。

My first subject was a queer little man who just happened to be walking by.

我的第一個(gè)調(diào)查對(duì)象是一個(gè)路過(guò)的長(zhǎng)相古怪的矮個(gè)男人。

I said to him, Excuse me, sir, do you eat quail?

我對(duì)他說(shuō)：打擾了，先生，請(qǐng)問(wèn)您吃鵪鶉嗎？

My query seemed to have bothered him, because he immediately began shaking his fists over his head and shouting at me unintelligibly in his native tongue.

我的詢(xún)問(wèn)好像使他非常生氣，因?yàn)樗R上握緊拳頭在頭上晃了晃，還用土語(yǔ)對(duì)我含糊不清地說(shuō)了一句什么。

After quelling him with a chocolate bar and an unfulfilled promise of my purple quilt, he eventually, after much haranguing, did answer my question.

后來(lái)我給了他一塊巧克力，還佯裝許諾給他我那床紫色的被子，他的情緒總算慢慢平靜下來(lái)了。最后，他做了一次長(zhǎng)篇大論的演講，回答了我的問(wèn)題。

I then proceeded to ask several other passers-by the same question at random, evoking similar responses from each.

然后，我隨意問(wèn)了幾個(gè)過(guò)路人同樣的問(wèn)題，每一個(gè)人的回答好像都千篇一律。

After quite a number of these unpleasant queries, I found someone who could speak good English, who brought to my attention that the quail is an animal that is worshipped in the local religion and that asking this sort of question could put me in serious danger.

做了大量這樣并不令人愉快的調(diào)查之后，我發(fā)現(xiàn)了一個(gè)英語(yǔ)說(shuō)得很好的家伙，純告訴我在當(dāng)?shù)伫g鶉被當(dāng)作圖騰來(lái)崇拜，問(wèn)這一類(lèi)問(wèn)題肯定會(huì)給我?guī)?lái)危險(xiǎn)。

With my hope in the questionnaire quailed, I decided to move on.

盡管我現(xiàn)在對(duì)于調(diào)查表已是心驚膽戰(zhàn)，但我還是充滿(mǎn)希望地繼續(xù)前進(jìn)。