1

翻译：

原文：
As one approaches some crossroads, one comes to a sign which says that drivers have to stop when they come to the main road ahead.
译文：
当人们接近某些十字路口时，会看到一个标志，标志上写着驾驶员到达前方主干道时必须停车。

原文：
At other crossroads, drivers have to go slow, but they do not actually have to stop (unless, of course, there is something coming along the main road);
译文：
而在其他的十字路口，驾驶员必须减速，但实际上不需要完全停车（除非，当然，主路上有车辆驶来）。

原文：
and at still others, they do not have either to stop or to go slow, because they are themselves on the main road.
译文：
还有一些十字路口，驾驶员既不用停车也不用减速，因为他们本身就在主路上。

原文：
Mr Williams, who was always a very careful driver, was driving home from work one evening when he came to a crossroads.
译文：
威廉姆斯先生是个非常小心的司机，某天傍晚他下班开车回家时，来到一个十字路口。

原文：
It had a ‘Slow’ sign, so he slowed down when he came to the main road, looked both ways to see that nothing was coming, and then drove across without stopping completely.
译文：
这个路口有一个“慢行”标志，所以他到主路时减速了，左右看了一下，确认没有车辆驶来后，便没有完全停车直接通过了。

原文：
At once he heard a police whistle, so he pulled in to the side of the road and stopped.
译文：
随即他听到一声警哨，于是把车停在路边。

原文：
A policeman walked over to him with a notebook and pencil in his hand and said, ‘You didn’t stop at that crossing.’
译文：
一名警察拿着笔记本和铅笔走过来对他说：“你在那个路口没有停车。”

原文：
‘But the sign there doesn’t say “Stop”,’ answered Mr Williams. ‘It just says “Slow”, and I did go slow.’
译文：
“可是标志上并没有写‘停车’，”威廉姆斯先生回答，“它只是写了‘慢行’，而我确实减速了。”

原文：
The policeman looked around him, and a look of surprise came over his face.
译文：
警察环顾四周，脸上露出惊讶的表情。

原文：
Then he put his notebook and pencil away, scratched his head and said, ‘Well, I’ll be blowed! I am in the wrong street!’
译文：
然后他收起笔记本和铅笔，挠了挠头说：“哎呀，搞错了！我走错街了！”

关键词：

1. Crossroads - 十字路口
2. Sign - 标志
3. Slow - 慢行
4. Stop - 停车
5. Policeman - 警察

关键句：

1. “The sign there doesn’t say ‘Stop’. It just says ‘Slow’, and I did go slow.”
   “标志上并没有写‘停车’，只是写了‘慢行’，而我确实减速了。”

2. “Well, I’ll be blowed! I am in the wrong street!”
   “哎呀，搞错了！我走错街了！”
   好的，我将逐句翻译您上传的图片内容，并提取关键词和关键句。以下为逐句直译与分析：

图片 2 翻译：

原文：
Before the last war, officers in the navy had a lot more freedom when their ship was in port than they have nowadays.
译文：
在上次战争之前，海军军官在船只停靠港口时比现在有更多的自由。

原文：
They were expected to lead a busy social life, and to take an active part in sport ashore.
译文：
他们被期望过着忙碌的社交生活，并积极参与岸上的体育活动。

原文：
It was therefore rather difficult for them to find time to do all their other duties.
译文：
因此，他们很难找到时间完成所有其他职责。

原文：
Usually, all the officers in a ship used to have a regular meeting together once a week to receive orders from their captain, make reports and discuss any business that had to be discussed, such as who should represent the ship in the next football match.
译文：
通常，船上的所有军官每周会定期开会一次，以接受船长的命令、做报告并讨论需要讨论的事务，例如谁应代表船参加下一场足球比赛。

原文：
One such meeting was being held on board a ship one day, and after the regular business had been completed, the time came to discuss the date of the next meeting.
译文：
一天，船上正在举行这样的会议，例行事务完成后，他们开始讨论下一次会议的日期。

原文：
Friday of the next week was suggested, and so was Monday of the week after, but both of them interfered with somebody’s arrangements for the weekend, and in the end it was generally agreed that the meeting should be held on Wednesday, as this would be the least likely day to interfere with anybody’s convenience, since it was right in the middle of the week.
译文：
有人建议在下周五开会，也有人建议下周一，但这两天都干扰了某些人的周末安排，最终一致同意在周三开会，因为这是最不可能影响任何人方便的日子，因为它正好在一周的中间。

原文：
As the officers were leaving, however, one of them was heard to say, ‘Wednesday is the worst day, because it interferes with two weekends!’
译文：
然而，当军官们离开时，有人听到一个军官说：“周三是最糟糕的一天，因为它影响了两个周末！”

关键词：

1. Officers - 军官
2. Navy - 海军
3. Meeting - 会议
4. Freedom - 自由
5. Wednesday - 周三

关键句：

1. “Wednesday is the worst day, because it interferes with two weekends!”
   “周三是最糟糕的一天，因为它影响了两个周末！”

图片 3 翻译：

原文：
Mr and Mrs Williams had always spent their summer holidays in England in the past, in a small boarding-house at the seaside.
译文：
威廉姆斯先生和夫人过去总是在英国的一个海边小旅馆度过他们的暑假。

原文：
One year, however, Mr Williams made a lot of money in his business, so they decided to go to Rome and stay at a really good hotel while they went around and saw the sights of that famous city.
译文：
然而有一年，威廉姆斯先生在生意上赚了很多钱，于是他们决定去罗马住在一家非常好的酒店，同时游览这座著名城市的景点。

原文：
They flew to Rome, and arrived at their hotel late one evening.
译文：
他们飞到了罗马，在一个晚上很晚的时候到达了酒店。

原文：
They expected that they would have to go to bed hungry, because in the boarding-houses they had been used to in the past, no meals were served after seven o’clock in the evening.
译文：
他们以为自己会饿着肚子睡觉，因为他们以前住过的旅馆晚上七点以后就不再提供餐食。

原文：
They were therefore surprised when the clerk who received them in the hall of the hotel asked them whether they would be taking dinner there that night.
译文：
所以当酒店大堂的接待员问他们当晚是否要用晚餐时，他们感到非常惊讶。

原文：
‘Are you still serving dinner then?’ asked Mrs Williams.
译文：
“你们还在提供晚餐吗？”威廉姆斯夫人问。

原文：
‘Yes, certainly, madam,’ answered the clerk. ‘We serve it until half-past nine.’
译文：
“是的，当然，夫人，”接待员回答，“我们一直提供到九点半。”

原文：
‘What are the times of meals then?’ asked Mr Williams.
译文：
“那么餐点的时间是几点？”威廉姆斯先生问。

原文：
‘Well, sir,’ answered the clerk, ‘we serve breakfast from seven to half-past eleven in the morning, lunch from twelve to three in the afternoon, tea from four to five, and dinner from six to half-past nine.’
译文：
“嗯，先生，”接待员回答，“我们早餐从早上七点供应到十一点半，中餐从十二点到下午三点，下午茶从四点到五点，晚餐从六点到九点半。”

原文：
‘But that hardly leaves any time for us to see the sights of Rome!’ said Mrs Williams in a disappointed voice.
译文：
“可这几乎没剩下时间让我们去看罗马的景点了！”威廉姆斯夫人失望地说道。

关键词：

1. Summer holidays - 暑假
2. Rome - 罗马
3. Hotel - 酒店
4. Meals - 餐点
5. Sightseeing - 游览

关键句：

1. ‘But that hardly leaves any time for us to see the sights of Rome!’
   “可这几乎没剩下时间让我们去看罗马的景点了！”

图片 4 翻译：

原文：
Mrs Black was having a lot of trouble with her skin, so she went to her doctor about it.
译文：
布莱克夫人的皮肤问题很多，所以她去看了医生。

原文：
He could not find anything wrong with her, however, so he sent her to the local hospital for some tests.
译文：
然而，他没发现任何问题，所以把她送去当地医院做一些检查。

原文：
The hospital, of course, sent the results of the tests direct to Mrs Black’s doctor, and the next morning he telephoned her to give her a list of the things that he thought she should not eat, as any of them might be the cause of her skin trouble.
译文：
医院当然直接把检查结果寄给布莱克夫人的医生，第二天早晨，医生打电话告诉她一份他认为她不该吃的食物清单，因为其中任何一种都可能是导致皮肤问题的原因。

原文：
Mrs Black carefully wrote all the things down on a piece of paper, which she then left beside the telephone while she went out to a ladies’ meeting.
译文：
布莱克夫人仔细把所有的东西记在一张纸上，然后把它留在电话旁边，自己外出参加了一个女士聚会。

原文：
When she got back home two hours later, she found her husband waiting for her.
译文：
两小时后，她回到家，发现丈夫在等她。

原文：
He had a big basket full of packages beside him, and when he saw her, he said, ‘Hullo, dear. I have done all your shopping for you.’
译文：
他旁边有一个装满包裹的大篮子，当他看到她时说道：“你好，亲爱的。我已经帮你把所有购物都做完了。”

原文：
‘Done all my shopping?’ she asked in surprise. ‘But how did you know what I wanted?’
译文：
“把我的购物都做完了？”她惊讶地问道，“可你怎么知道我需要什么？”

原文：
‘Well, when I got home, I found your shopping list beside the telephone,’ answered her husband, ‘so I went down to the shops and bought everything you had written down.’
译文：
“嗯，我回家时在电话旁边看到了你的购物清单，”她丈夫回答，“所以我去商店把你写的东西全都买回来了。”

原文：
Of course, Mrs Black had to tell him that he had bought all the things the doctor did not allow her to eat!
译文：
当然，布莱克夫人不得不告诉他，他买的全是医生不让她吃的东西！

关键词：

1. Skin trouble - 皮肤问题
2. Doctor - 医生
3. Shopping list - 购物清单
4. Prohibited foods - 禁止的食物
5. Misunderstanding - 误解

关键句：

1. ‘I went down to the shops and bought everything you had written down.’
   “我去商店把你写的东西全都买回来了。”

2. ‘He had bought all the things the doctor did not allow her to eat!’
   “他买的全是医生不让她吃的东西！”

图片 5 翻译：

原文：
Some young soldiers who had recently joined the army were being trained in modern ways of fighting, and one of the things they were shown was how an unarmed man could trick an armed enemy and take his weapon away from him.
译文：
一些最近参军的年轻士兵正在接受现代作战方式的训练，其中之一是如何让一个手无寸铁的人智取武装敌人并夺走他的武器。

原文：
First one of their two instructors took a knife away from the other, using only his bare hands; and then he took a rifle away from him in the same way.
译文：
首先，两位教官中的一位仅用双手从另一位那里夺下了一把刀，然后又用同样的方式夺下了一把步枪。

原文：
After the lesson, and before they went on to train the young soldiers to do these things themselves, the two instructors asked them a number of questions to see how well they had understood what they had been shown.
译文：
课程结束后，在训练年轻士兵自己练习这些动作之前，两位教官问了他们几个问题，以了解他们对所学内容的掌握程度。

原文：
One of the questions was this: ‘Well, you now know what an unarmed man can do against a man with a rifle.
译文：
其中一个问题是：“好吧，你们现在知道一个手无寸铁的人如何对付一个拿步枪的人。”

原文：
Imagine that you are guarding a bridge at night, and that you have a rifle.
译文：
想象一下，你在晚上守卫一座桥，并且你有一支步枪。

原文：
Suddenly you see an unarmed enemy soldier coming towards you. What will you do?’
译文：
突然，你看到一个手无寸铁的敌军士兵向你走来。你会怎么做？”

原文：
The young soldier who had to answer this question thought carefully for a few seconds before he answered, and then said, ‘Well, after what I have just seen, I think that the first thing I would do would be to get rid of my rifle as quickly as I could so that the unarmed enemy soldier couldn’t take it from me and kill me with it!’
译文：
需要回答这个问题的年轻士兵认真思考了几秒钟后回答道：“嗯，根据我刚才看到的，我认为我首先要做的就是尽快扔掉我的步枪，这样这个手无寸铁的敌军士兵就不能从我手中夺走并用它杀了我！”

关键词：

1. Young soldiers - 年轻士兵
2. Unarmed man - 手无寸铁的人
3. Rifle - 步枪
4. Training - 训练
5. Self-defense - 自卫

关键句：

1. ‘The first thing I would do would be to get rid of my rifle as quickly as I could.’
   “我首先要做的就是尽快扔掉我的步枪。”

图片 6 翻译：

原文：
A certain poet had written a play, and arrangements were being made to perform it.
译文：
某位诗人写了一部戏剧，正在安排上演。

原文：
Of course, the poet was asked to give his advice on the scenery, the lighting, and all the other things that help to make a play successful, and he proved to be a very difficult man to please, as he had his own very definite ideas of how each scene should look.
译文：
当然，这位诗人被要求就布景、灯光及其他能让戏剧成功的元素提出建议。他证明自己是个难以取悦的人，因为他对每个场景的呈现都有非常明确的想法。

原文：
In one of the scenes in the play, it was necessary to produce the effect of a wonderful sunset, which the young lovers watched together before singing one of their great love songs.
译文：
戏剧中的一个场景需要展现壮丽的日落，年轻恋人一起观看后唱出他们伟大的爱情歌曲之一。

原文：
The theatre electricians worked very hard to produce this sunset effect.
译文：
剧院的电工们非常努力地尝试制造出这个日落效果。

原文：
They tried out all kinds of arrangements and combinations of lights—red lights, orange lights, yellow lights, blue lights, lights from above, lights from behind, lights from the front, lights from the sides—but nothing satisfied the poet, until suddenly he saw exactly the effect that he had been dreaming of producing ever since he had written his play.
译文：
他们尝试了各种灯光的排列和组合——红灯、橙灯、黄灯、蓝灯，从上方、后方、前方、侧面照射的灯光——但都未能让诗人满意，直到某一刻，他看到了自己写剧本时梦想中的效果。

原文：
‘That’s it!’ he shouted excitedly to the electricians behind the stage. ‘That’s just right! Keep it exactly like that!’
译文：
“就是这个效果！”他激动地对舞台后面的电工喊道，“完全正确！就保持这个样子！”

原文：
‘I’m sorry, sir,’ answered the chief electrician, ‘but we can’t keep it like this.’
译文：
“很抱歉，先生，”首席电工回答，“但我们不能保持这个效果。”

原文：
‘Why ever not?’ asked the poet angrily.
译文：
“为什么不行？”诗人愤怒地问。

原文：
‘Because the theatre is on fire, sir,’ answered the chief electrician. ‘That’s what’s producing the effect you can see now!’
译文：
“因为剧院着火了，先生，”首席电工回答，“现在您看到的效果正是火造成的！”

关键词：

1. Poet - 诗人
2. Play - 戏剧
3. Lighting effect - 灯光效果
4. Sunset - 日落
5. Fire - 火灾

关键句：

1. ‘Because the theatre is on fire, sir.’
   “因为剧院着火了，先生。”

图片 7 翻译：

原文：
Nasreddin never seemed to have enough money to pay his bills, so he always owed money to the shopkeepers in his town.
译文：
纳斯雷丁似乎从来没有足够的钱来支付账单，所以他总是欠镇上店主的钱。

原文：
Most of them were patient, understanding men and did not speak to him very often about the money that he owed them, but there was one who was not at all patient, and who was also very fond of money.
译文：
大多数店主都很有耐心、通情达理，不常提起他欠的钱，但有一个人完全没有耐心，而且非常喜欢钱。

原文：
Whenever this man saw Nasreddin, he reminded him of the money that he had not yet paid him, and he very often did this in front of Nasreddin’s best friends, which made Nasreddin feel very uncomfortable, as he did not want his friends to know that he was so poor.
译文：
每当这个人看到纳斯雷丁，就会提醒他还没付的钱，而且经常当着纳斯雷丁最好的朋友的面提起，这让纳斯雷丁感到很不舒服，因为他不想让朋友们知道他这么穷。

原文：
One day, therefore, Nasreddin decided to teach the shopkeeper a lesson.
译文：
因此，有一天，纳斯雷丁决定给这个店主一个教训。

原文：
The next time that the man stopped him in the street and began to shame him publicly about his debt to him, Nasreddin said, ‘Wait a minute. How much money do I in fact owe you?’
译文：
下次这个人在街上拦住他，公开羞辱他欠钱时，纳斯雷丁说：“等一下。我到底欠你多少钱？”

原文：
‘You owe me exactly one hundred and twenty-two liras,’ answered the shopkeeper.
译文：
“你欠我正好一百二十二里拉，”店主回答。

原文：
‘Well,’ said Nasreddin, ‘if I paid you forty liras this month, another forty next month, and forty more the month after that, how much would I still owe you?’
译文：
“嗯，”纳斯雷丁说，“如果我这个月付你四十里拉，下个月再付四十，之后的一个月再付四十，那我还欠你多少钱？”

原文：
‘You would then owe me two liras, of course,’ answered the shopkeeper.
译文：
“那你还欠我两里拉，当然，”店主回答。

原文：
‘Well, aren’t you ashamed of yourself,’ Nasreddin said, ‘giving me all this trouble for only two liras?’
译文：
“好吧，你难道不觉得羞愧吗，”纳斯雷丁说，“为了区区两里拉给我添了这么多麻烦？”

关键词：

1. Nasreddin - 纳斯雷丁
2. Debt - 债务
3. Shopkeeper - 店主
4. Money - 钱
5. Shame - 羞辱

关键句：

1. ‘Giving me all this trouble for only two liras?’
   “为了区区两里拉给我添了这么多麻烦？”

图片 8 翻译：

原文：
Mrs Baker’s sister was ill. She had someone to look after her from Monday to Friday, but not at the weekend, so every Friday evening Mrs Baker used to go off to spend the weekend with her at her home in a neighbouring town.
译文：
贝克夫人的姐姐病了。她在周一到周五有专人照顾，但周末没有，所以每个星期五晚上，贝克夫人都会去邻近城镇的姐姐家陪伴她度过周末。

原文：
But as Mr Baker could not cook, she had arranged for his sister to come over and spend the weekend looking after him at their home.
译文：
但由于贝克先生不会做饭，她安排了他的姐姐过来，在家陪他度过周末。

原文：
This meant that Mr Baker had quite a busy time when he came home from work on Friday evenings.
译文：
这意味着每周五晚上贝克先生下班回家时会非常忙碌。

原文：
First he had to drive home from the railway station. Then he had to drive his wife to the station to catch her train.
译文：
他先要从火车站开车回家，然后还要送他的妻子去车站赶火车。

原文：
And then he had to wait until his sister’s train arrived, so as to take her to his house.
译文：
然后他还得等到姐姐的火车到站，再接她回家。

原文：
Of course, on Sunday evening he had to drive his sister to the station to catch her train back home, and then wait for his wife’s train, so as to bring her home.
译文：
当然，周日晚上，他还要开车送姐姐去车站赶回家的火车，然后等妻子的火车到站接她回家。

原文：
One Sunday evening he had seen his sister off on her train and was waiting for his wife’s arrival when a porter, who had often seen him at the station, came over and spoke to him.
译文：
某个星期天晚上，他送姐姐上了火车，正等着妻子到来时，一个经常在车站见到他的搬运工走过来跟他说话。

原文：
‘You are having a lot of fun,’ he said. ‘But one day one of those women is going to catch you with the other, and then you will be in real trouble!’
译文：
“你玩得挺开心的，”搬运工说，“但总有一天，这两个女人中的一个会撞见另一个，那时候你可就麻烦了！”

关键词：

1. Weekend schedule - 周末安排
2. Train station - 火车站
3. Family obligations - 家庭责任
4. Misunderstanding - 误解
5. Porter - 搬运工

关键句：

1. ‘One day one of those women is going to catch you with the other, and then you will be in real trouble!’
   “总有一天，这两个女人中的一个会撞见另一个，那时候你可就麻烦了！”

图片 9 翻译：

原文：
A gay young man, who earned his living as a drummer in a band, had just married, and he and his wife were looking for somewhere to live.
译文：
一位活泼的年轻人是乐队的鼓手，刚结婚，他和妻子正在寻找住所。

原文：
They saw a lot of places, but there was always something that one of them did not like about them.
译文：
他们看了很多地方，但总有一方对那些地方不满意。

原文：
At last, however, they found a block of new flats which both of them really liked.
译文：
不过，最后他们找到了一栋两人都非常喜欢的新公寓。

原文：
However, there was still the problem of whether they should take one of the ground-floor flats, which had a small garden, or one of the upstairs ones.
译文：
然而，问题在于他们是否应该选择一楼有小花园的公寓，还是楼上的公寓。

原文：
At last they decided on a first-floor flat—not too low down and not too high up—and moved in.
译文：
最终他们决定选择一套一楼的公寓——不算太低也不算太高——并搬了进去。

原文：
After they had bought furniture, carpets, curtains, and all the rest, they gave a big party to celebrate the setting up of their first home together.
译文：
他们买了家具、地毯、窗帘以及其他所有东西后，举办了一场盛大的聚会，庆祝他们共同建立的第一个家。

原文：
It was a gay and noisy party, as all the host’s friends from the band came and played their instruments.
译文：
这是一场热闹非凡的聚会，主人在乐队的朋友们都来了，并演奏了他们的乐器。

原文：
The guests danced, sang and practised on their host’s drums.
译文：
客人们跳舞、唱歌，还练习敲了主人的鼓。

原文：
Soon after one a.m. the telephone rang.
译文：
凌晨一点多时，电话响了。

原文：
The hostess went to answer it in the hall, and after she had finished, came back with a happy smile on her face and said to her husband, ‘That was the man who has just moved into the flat downstairs telephoning, dear.
译文：
女主人去大厅接电话，接完后笑着回来，对丈夫说：“亲爱的，是刚搬到楼下公寓的那个人打来的电话。

原文：
I am so glad we decided not to choose it. He says it is terribly noisy down there.’
译文：
我真高兴我们当初没选那里。他说楼下吵死了。”

关键词：

1. Flat selection - 公寓选择
2. Party celebration - 聚会庆祝
3. Drummer - 鼓手
4. Noise complaint - 噪音投诉
5. New neighbors - 新邻居

关键句：

1. ‘I am so glad we decided not to choose it. He says it is terribly noisy down there.’
   “我真高兴我们当初没选那里。他说楼下吵死了。”

图片 10 翻译：

原文：
Just after the last war, people were very willing to give money to help those who had suffered from it.
译文：
在上一场战争结束后，人们非常愿意捐钱帮助那些受难的人。

原文：
But not everyone who collected money was honest.
译文：
但并不是所有募捐的人都诚实。

原文：
The newspapers were full of stories of people who had been cheated by men who went from house to house saying that they were collecting for soldiers who had been seriously wounded in the war, or for people who had lost their homes, or for some other noble cause, while all the time they were putting the money they collected into their own pockets instead of using it for the purposes they claimed to be collecting it for.
译文：
报纸上充满了这样的故事：一些人逐户声称自己在为战争中受重伤的士兵、失去家园的人或其他崇高的目的募捐，但实际上却把募来的钱装进了自己的口袋，而不是用于他们声称的用途。

原文：
One day Mr Smith came back with another story of this kind.
译文：
一天，史密斯先生带回了一个类似的故事。

原文：
He told his wife that a group of people had collected thousands of dollars for the widow of the Unknown Soldier.
译文：
他告诉妻子，有一群人为无名战士的遗孀募捐了数千美元。

原文：
Then someone had written to the papers about it, and they had written articles to warn other people.
译文：
然后有人把这件事写信告诉了报纸，报纸还写了文章警告其他人。

原文：
Mr Smith said that he and his friends at the office had had a good laugh about the story when they had read it in the newspaper.
译文：
史密斯先生说，他和办公室的朋友在看了这则报道后大笑了一场。

原文：
‘Can you imagine anyone being so stupid as to believe that story and give money for the widow of the Unknown Soldier?’ he asked his wife.
译文：
“你能想象有人居然蠢到相信这个故事，并为无名战士的遗孀捐钱吗？”他问妻子。

原文：
She looked puzzled at first, but then her face brightened.
译文：
她起初感到困惑，但随后脸色一亮。

原文：
‘Oh, yes! I see now!’ she answered. ‘Of course, the government pays the widow of the Unknown Soldier!’
译文：
“哦，我明白了！”她回答，“当然是政府支付无名战士遗孀的费用！”

关键词：

1. War - 战争
2. Donations - 捐款
3. Scams - 欺诈
4. Unknown Soldier - 无名战士
5. Widow - 遗孀

关键句：

1. ‘Can you imagine anyone being so stupid as to believe that story and give money for the widow of the Unknown Soldier?’
   “你能想象有人居然蠢到相信这个故事，并为无名战士的遗孀捐钱吗？”

2. ‘Of course, the government pays the widow of the Unknown Soldier!’
   “当然是政府支付无名战士遗孀的费用！”

图片 11 翻译：

原文：
Mr and Mrs Davies had left their Christmas shopping very late.
译文：
戴维斯先生和夫人把圣诞购物拖到了非常晚。

原文：
There were only a few days more before Christmas, and of course the shops and streets were terribly crowded, but they had to get presents for their family and friends, so they started out early one morning for the big city, and spent several tiring hours buying the things they wanted in the big shops.
译文：
离圣诞节只剩几天了，商店和街道非常拥挤，但他们必须为家人和朋友买礼物，于是他们一大早就出发前往大城市，在大商店里花了几个小时买想要的东西。

原文：
By lunch-time, Mr Davies was loaded down with parcels of all shapes and sizes.
译文：
到中午时，戴维斯先生已经提满了各种形状和大小的包裹。

原文：
He could hardly see where he was going as he and his wife left the last shop on their way to the railway station and home.
译文：
当他和妻子离开最后一家商店，前往火车站回家时，他几乎看不清自己要去的方向。

原文：
Outside the shop they had to cross a busy street, made even busier than usual by the thousands of people who had come by car to do their last-minute Christmas shopping.
译文：
在商店外，他们必须穿过一条繁忙的街道，这条街因为成千上万人开车来做最后的圣诞购物而变得比平时更忙碌。

原文：
Mr and Mrs Davies had to wait for the traffic lights to change, but as Mr Davies could not see in front of him properly, he gradually moved forward into the road without realizing it.
译文：
戴维斯先生和夫人不得不等红绿灯转换，但由于戴维斯先生看不清前方，他不知不觉中慢慢走到了马路中间。

原文：
Mrs Davies saw this and became worried.
译文：
戴维斯夫人看到了这一幕，非常担心。

原文：
Several times she urged her husband to come back off the road, but without success.
译文：
她几次催促丈夫退回路边，但都没有成功。

原文：
He could not hear her because of the noise of the traffic.
译文：
他因为交通的噪音听不到她的声音。

原文：
Finally she shouted in a voice that could be heard clearly above all the noise, ‘Henry! If you intend to stand in that dangerous position a moment longer, give me the parcels!’
译文：
最后，她大声喊道，声音盖过了所有的噪音：“亨利！如果你打算再在那个危险的位置站一会儿，就把包裹给我！”

关键词：

1. Christmas shopping - 圣诞购物
2. Crowded streets - 拥挤的街道
3. Parcels - 包裹
4. Dangerous position - 危险的位置
5. Traffic noise - 交通噪音

关键句：

1. ‘If you intend to stand in that dangerous position a moment longer, give me the parcels!’
   “如果你打算再在那个危险的位置站一会儿，就把包裹给我！”

图片 12 翻译：

原文：
Most of Nasreddin’s neighbours were pleasant people, who were always ready to help each other when they were in trouble; but there was one woman who lived in his street who was disliked by everybody because she was always interfering in other people’s business, and because she was always borrowing things from people and then forgetting to give them back.
译文：
纳斯雷丁的大多数邻居都是和善的人，他们在遇到困难时总是乐于互相帮助；但街上有一位女人，她被所有人讨厌，因为她总是干涉别人的事情，而且经常向人借东西，却忘了还。

原文：
Early one morning, Nasreddin heard a knock at his front door, and, when he opened it, found this woman outside.
译文：
一天清晨，纳斯雷丁听到有人敲门，他打开门，发现是这位女人。

原文：
‘Good morning, Nasreddin,’ she said. ‘I have to take some things to my sister’s house in the town today, and I have not got a donkey, as you know. Will you lend me yours? I will bring it back this evening.’
译文：
“早上好，纳斯雷丁，”她说，“我今天要把一些东西带到城里我姐姐家去，但正如你知道的，我没有驴子。你能借我你的驴吗？今晚就还给你。”

原文：
‘I am sorry,’ answered Nasreddin. ‘If my donkey was here, I would of course lend it to you very willingly, but it is not.’
译文：
“很抱歉，”纳斯雷丁回答，“如果我的驴在这里，我当然很乐意借给你，但它不在。”

原文：
‘Oh?’ said the woman. ‘It was here last night, because I saw it behind your house. Where is it now?’
译文：
“哦？”女人说，“昨晚它还在，因为我看到它在你家后面。现在在哪里？”

原文：
‘My wife took it into town early this morning,’ answered Nasreddin.
译文：
“我妻子今天一大早把它带到城里了。”纳斯雷丁回答。

原文：
Just then the donkey brayed loudly.
译文：
就在这时，驴子发出了大声的叫声。

原文：
‘You are not telling the truth, Nasreddin!’ the woman said angrily. ‘I can hear your donkey. You should be ashamed of yourself, telling lies to a neighbour!’
译文：
“你在撒谎，纳斯雷丁！”女人生气地说，“我能听到你的驴叫声。你应该为对邻居撒谎感到羞耻！”

原文：
‘You are the one who should be ashamed, not me!’ shouted Nasreddin. ‘Is it good manners to believe a donkey’s word rather than that of one of one’s neighbours?’
译文：
“应该感到羞耻的是你，不是我！”纳斯雷丁喊道，“相信一头驴的话而不是邻居的话，这符合礼貌吗？”

关键词：

1. Nasreddin - 纳斯雷丁
2. Neighbour - 邻居
3. Donkey - 驴
4. Lying - 撒谎
5. Good manners - 礼貌

关键句：

1. ‘Is it good manners to believe a donkey’s word rather than that of one of one’s neighbours?’
   “相信一头驴的话而不是邻居的话，这符合礼貌吗？”

图片 13 翻译：

原文：
Nasreddin had to preach in the mosque every Friday, but he did not like this duty at all, and was always looking for ways to avoid it.
译文：
纳斯雷丁每周五必须在清真寺布道，但他一点也不喜欢这个任务，总是在寻找方法逃避。

原文：
One Friday he had a good idea. When he went up to begin to preach to the people in the mosque, he said to them, ‘Do you know what I am going to talk to you about?’
译文：
有一个星期五，他想到一个好主意。当他走上讲坛准备对人们布道时，他问他们：“你们知道我要讲什么吗？”

原文：
They were surprised and answered, ‘No, we do not.’
译文：
他们感到惊讶，回答道：“不知道。”

原文：
Then Nasreddin said, ‘Well, if you do not know anything about such an important matter, it is a waste of time for me to talk to you about it.’
译文：
纳斯雷丁说：“既然你们对这么重要的事情一无所知，那我讲也只是浪费时间。”

原文：
And he went down again without preaching to the people.
译文：
于是他下了讲坛，没有布道。

原文：
The next Friday, he again asked the question, ‘Do you know what I am going to talk to you about today?’
译文：
下一个星期五，他再次问：“你们知道今天我要讲什么吗？”

原文：
This time the people thought that they had learnt their lesson, so they all said, ‘Yes, we do.’
译文：
这次，人们以为吸取了教训，于是都回答：“知道。”

原文：
Then Nasreddin said to them, ‘Well, it is a waste of time to tell people things that they already know.’
译文：
然后纳斯雷丁说：“既然你们已经知道了，那我讲也是浪费时间。”

原文：
And again he went down without preaching to the people.
译文：
他又下了讲坛，没有布道。

原文：
The third Friday, Nasreddin again said, ‘Do you know what I am going to preach to you about today?’, but this time some people answered, ‘Yes,’ and some answered, ‘No.’
译文：
第三个星期五，纳斯雷丁再次问：“你们知道今天我要讲什么吗？”这次有人回答“知道”，有人回答“不知道”。

原文：
‘Well,’ said Nasreddin, ‘if some of you know, and some of you do not, those that do can tell those that do not,’ and again he went down without saying another word.
译文：
“好吧，”纳斯雷丁说，“如果有些人知道，有些人不知道，那知道的人可以告诉不知道的人。”说完，他再次下了讲坛，什么也没讲。

关键词：

1. Nasreddin - 纳斯雷丁
2. Preaching - 布道
3. Avoidance - 逃避
4. Clever response - 机智回答
5. Lesson - 教训

关键句：

1. ‘Those that do can tell those that do not.’
   “知道的人可以告诉不知道的人。”

图片 14 翻译：

原文：
Late one night, Nasreddin was woken up by a terrible noise in the street outside his house.
译文：
一天深夜，纳斯雷丁被屋外街道上的巨大噪声吵醒。

原文：
It sounded as if a terrible fight was going on, and as Nasreddin loved nothing better than to watch a fight in the street, he opened his window and looked out.
译文：
听起来像是一场激烈的争斗，而纳斯雷丁最喜欢看街头打斗，于是他打开窗户向外看。

原文：
He saw two young men fighting just outside his front door, but when they saw him watching them, they went round the corner of the house and continued to shout at each other and to hit each other there.
译文：
他看到两个年轻人就在他家门前打架，但他们发现有人看时，便绕到房子的拐角，继续大喊大叫并互相殴打。

原文：
Nasreddin did not want to miss anything, so he ran down and opened his front door, but, as it was a cold night, he wrapped himself in a blanket before he went out.
译文：
纳斯雷丁不想错过任何精彩场面，于是跑下楼打开了大门，但因为是个寒冷的夜晚，他披着一条毯子出去了。

原文：
He walked to the corner of his house and looked round it. The two men were still shouting and struggling.
译文：
他走到房子的拐角，探头看了看，那两个人还在叫喊和扭打。

原文：
Nasreddin went closer to them, both to see the fight better and to try to find out what the men were fighting about.
译文：
纳斯雷丁走近他们，既为了看得更清楚，也为了弄清楚他们为何而打。

原文：
But as soon as he was within easy reach of the men, they stopped fighting, attacked him, seized his blanket and ran away into the darkness with it.
译文：
但他刚靠近他们，他们就停止了打斗，转而攻击他，抢走了他的毯子，然后带着毯子跑进了黑暗中。

原文：
Nasreddin was too old to run after them, so he could do nothing but go sadly back to bed without his blanket.
译文：
纳斯雷丁年纪太大，追不上他们，只能失落地回到床上，盖着一条薄被。

原文：
‘Well,’ said his wife. ‘What were they fighting about?’
译文：
“嗯，”他的妻子问，“他们为什么打架？”

原文：
‘It seems that they were fighting about my blanket,’ answered Nasreddin, ‘because as soon as they got it, their quarrel ended.’
译文：
“看来他们是在争我的毯子，”纳斯雷丁回答，“因为他们抢到毯子后，争吵就结束了。”

关键词：

1. Nasreddin - 纳斯雷丁
2. Fight - 打斗
3. Blanket - 毯子
4. Robbery - 抢劫
5. Irony - 讽刺

关键句：

1. ‘It seems that they were fighting about my blanket.’
   “看来他们是在争我的毯子。”

图片 15 翻译：

原文：
Mr and Mrs Jones’s flat was full of suitcases, trunks and packed-up furniture.
译文：
琼斯先生和夫人的公寓里堆满了手提箱、大箱子和打包好的家具。

原文：
The two of them were busy with pencils and paper, checking their lists of luggage, when there was a ring at the door.
译文：
他们两人正忙着用铅笔和纸核对行李清单时，门铃响了。

原文：
Mrs Jones went to open it, and saw a well-dressed middle-aged lady outside.
译文：
琼斯夫人去开门，看到门外站着一位衣着得体的中年女士。

原文：
The lady said that she lived in the flat beside theirs, and that she had come to welcome them to their new home.
译文：
那位女士说她住在隔壁的公寓，特地来欢迎他们搬到新家。

原文：
The Joneses invited her in, after apologizing for the state of the flat.
译文：
琼斯夫妇邀请她进屋，并为公寓的杂乱状态道歉。

原文：
‘Oh, please don’t stand on ceremony with me,’ she answered.
译文：
“哦，请别跟我客气，”她回答。

原文：
‘Do you know, in some parts of this town neighbours are not at all friendly.
译文：
“你知道吗，在这个城市的某些地方，邻里关系一点都不友好。

原文：
There are some streets—and even some blocks of flats—where people don’t know their neighbours—not even their next-door ones.
译文：
有些街道，甚至一些公寓楼，人们彼此不认识，甚至连隔壁邻居都不知道是谁。

原文：
But in this block of flats, everybody is friends with everybody else. We are one big, happy family.
译文：
但在这栋公寓楼里，所有人都互相是朋友。我们是一大家子，幸福快乐的大家庭。

原文：
I am sure that you will be very happy here.’
译文：
我相信你们会在这里过得很愉快。”

原文：
The well-dressed lady got a shock when she came to visit the flat the next time, because she found a quite different man and woman in it.
译文：
当这位衣着得体的女士下次拜访公寓时，她大吃一惊，因为她发现公寓里住着完全不同的一对男女。

原文：
Mr and Mrs Jones had not had the courage to tell her that they were not the new owners of the flat, who were due to move in the next day, but the old owners, who had lived beside her for two years without her ever having visited them or even noticed their existence.
译文：
琼斯夫妇没有勇气告诉她，他们不是公寓的新主人，新主人要第二天才搬进来。他们是旧主人，在这里住了两年，她从未拜访过他们，甚至没注意到他们的存在。

关键词：

1. Flat - 公寓
2. Neighbours - 邻居
3. Friendliness - 友好
4. Misunderstanding - 误解
5. New owners - 新主人

关键句：

1. ‘We are one big, happy family.’
   “我们是一大家子，幸福快乐的大家庭。”

2. ‘She found a quite different man and woman in it.’
   “她发现公寓里住着完全不同的一对男女。”

图片 16 翻译：

原文：
Mr Brown was at the theatre. He had got his ticket at the last moment, so he had not been able to choose his seat.
译文：
布朗先生去看戏。他最后一刻才买到票，因此没能选择座位。

原文：
He now found that he was in the middle of a group of American ladies, some of them middle-aged and some quite old.
译文：
他发现自己坐在一群美国女士中间，有些人是中年，有些人则相当年长。

原文：
They obviously all knew each other well, as, before the curtain went up on the play they had come to see, they all talked and joked a lot together.
译文：
她们显然彼此非常熟悉，因为在她们来看戏的幕布拉开之前，她们一起聊得很开心，开了很多玩笑。

原文：
The lady sitting on Mr Brown’s left, who was about sixty years old, seemed to be the happiest and the most amusing of the American group, and after the first act of the play, she apologized to him for the noisiness of her friends.
译文：
坐在布朗先生左边的那位女士大约六十岁，似乎是这群美国人中最开心、最有趣的。第一幕结束后，她为朋友们的吵闹向他道歉。

原文：
He answered that he was very glad to see American ladies so obviously enjoying their visit to England, and so they got into conversation.
译文：
他回答说，很高兴看到美国女士显然如此享受她们的英国之旅，于是两人聊了起来。

原文：
Mr Brown’s neighbour explained what they were doing there.
译文：
布朗先生的邻座解释了她们在这里的目的。

原文：
‘You know, I have known these ladies all my life,’ she said.
译文：
“你知道吗，我认识这些女士一辈子了，”她说。

原文：
‘We all grew up together back in our home town in the United States.
译文：
“我们都在美国的家乡一起长大。

原文：
They have all lost their husbands, and call themselves the Merry Widows.
译文：
她们都失去了丈夫，称自己为‘快乐寡妇’。

原文：
It is a sort of club, you know. They go abroad every summer for a month or two and have a lot of fun.
译文：
你知道，这像是一个俱乐部。她们每年夏天出国一个月或两个月，玩得非常开心。

原文：
They always go everywhere together. I have wanted to join their club for a long time, but I didn’t qualify for membership until the spring of this year.’
译文：
她们总是一起去任何地方。我很久以来都想加入她们的俱乐部，但直到今年春天我才符合会员资格。”

关键词：

1. Theatre - 剧院
2. American ladies - 美国女士
3. Merry Widows - 快乐寡妇
4. Club - 俱乐部
5. Friendship - 友情

关键句：

1. ‘They call themselves the Merry Widows.’
   “她们称自己为‘快乐寡妇’。”

2. ‘They go abroad every summer for a month or two and have a lot of fun.’
   “她们每年夏天出国一个月或两个月，玩得非常开心。”

图片 17 翻译：

原文：
Mr and Mrs Brown were going abroad for their holiday.
译文：
布朗夫妇要出国度假。

原文：
They had a dog called Blackie which they were very fond of, but they could not take him abroad with them, so they looked for a good place to leave him while they were away, and at last found a place which looked after dogs very well while their owners were away.
译文：
他们有一只非常喜欢的狗，叫布莱基，但不能带它出国，于是寻找一个适合寄养的地方。最后，他们找到了一家在主人外出时能很好照顾狗的地方。

原文：
They took Blackie there just before they left for their holiday, and sadly said goodbye to him.
译文：
他们在出发度假前把布莱基送到那里，并依依不舍地与它告别。

原文：
At the end of their holiday, they got back to England very late at night, and as they thought that the place where Blackie was staying might be closed at that late hour, they decided to wait until the next morning before going to get him.
译文：
假期结束后，他们深夜回到英格兰，觉得布莱基寄养的地方可能已经关门了，所以决定等到第二天早上再去接它。

原文：
So the next morning Mr Brown got into his car and drove off happily to collect Blackie.
译文：
第二天早上，布朗先生开车高高兴兴地去接布莱基。

原文：
When he reached home with the dog, he said to his wife, ‘Do you know, dear, I don’t think Blackie can have enjoyed his stay at that place very much. He barked all the way home in the car as if he wanted to tell me something.’
译文：
当他带着狗回到家时，他对妻子说：“亲爱的，我觉得布莱基好像不太喜欢呆在那个地方。它在车里一路狂叫，像是想告诉我什么。”

原文：
Mrs Brown looked at the dog carefully and then answered, ‘You are quite right, dear. He was certainly trying to tell you something.
译文：
布朗夫人仔细看了看狗，然后回答：“你说得对，亲爱的。它确实想告诉你点什么。

原文：
But he wasn’t trying to tell you that he hadn’t enjoyed his stay at that place. He was only trying to tell you that you were bringing the wrong dog home. This isn’t Blackie!’
译文：
但它不是想告诉你它不喜欢呆在那里，而是想告诉你你带错狗回来了。这不是布莱基！”

关键词：

1. Holiday - 度假
2. Dog - 狗
3. Blackie - 布莱基
4. Mistake - 错误
5. Pet care - 宠物照顾

关键句：

1. ‘You were bringing the wrong dog home. This isn’t Blackie!’
   “你带错狗回来了。这不是布莱基！”

图片 18 翻译：

原文：
Nasreddin sat drinking coffee and talking with some of his old friends.
译文：
纳斯雷丁坐着喝咖啡，与一些老朋友聊天。

原文：
One of the things they discussed was the difference between one person’s sense of values and another’s.
译文：
他们讨论的一个话题是，不同人对价值观的看法差异。

原文：
After some minutes, one of Nasreddin’s friends said to him, ‘Well, Nasreddin, you are a wise man, but you have said nothing on this subject yet. What do you consider to be the most valuable thing in the world?’
译文：
过了一会儿，纳斯雷丁的一个朋友对他说：“纳斯雷丁，你是个聪明人，但你还没对这个话题发表意见。你认为世界上最有价值的东西是什么？”

原文：
Nasreddin answered without hesitation, ‘I consider advice the most valuable thing in the world.’
译文：
纳斯雷丁毫不犹豫地回答：“我认为建议是世界上最有价值的东西。”

原文：
His friends thought about this for a few moments, and then one of them asked him, ‘And what do you consider the most worthless thing in the world?’
译文：
他的朋友们思索了一会儿，其中一个问他：“那你认为世界上最没有价值的东西是什么？”

原文：
Again Nasreddin replied without hesitating for a moment, ‘I consider advice the most worthless thing in the world.’
译文：
纳斯雷丁再次毫不犹豫地回答：“我认为建议是世界上最没有价值的东西。”

原文：
‘Really!’ said one of his friends. ‘You must be joking, Nasreddin! A minute ago you said that advice is the most valuable thing in the world, and now you say that it is the most worthless thing in the world!
译文：
“真的吗！”他的一个朋友说，“纳斯雷丁，你一定是在开玩笑！一分钟前你还说建议是世界上最有价值的东西，现在又说它是最没有价值的东西！

原文：
How can it be both the most valuable and the most worthless?’
译文：
它怎么能既是最有价值的，又是最没有价值的呢？”

原文：
‘Well,’ answered Nasreddin, ‘if you think about the matter carefully, you will see that I am not joking, and that I am quite right.
译文：
“嗯，”纳斯雷丁回答，“如果你仔细想想，你会发现我并不是在开玩笑，我说得很对。

原文：
When you give somebody good advice, and he takes it, advice is the most valuable thing in the world.
译文：
当你给某人好的建议，他接受了，建议就是世界上最有价值的东西。

原文：
But when you give a person advice and he does not take it, it is the most worthless thing in the world.’
译文：
但当你给某人建议而他不接受时，建议就是世界上最没有价值的东西。”

关键词：

1. Nasreddin - 纳斯雷丁
2. Advice - 建议
3. Values - 价值观
4. Contradiction - 矛盾
5. Wisdom - 智慧

关键句：

1. ‘Advice is the most valuable and the most worthless thing in the world.’
   “建议既是世界上最有价值的，也是最没有价值的东西。”

图片 19 翻译：

原文：
Mrs Jones was over eighty, but she still drove her old car like a woman half her age.
译文：
琼斯夫人已经八十多岁了，但她开车的状态像一个比她年轻一半的女人。

原文：
She loved driving very fast, and boasted of the fact that she had never, in her thirty-five years of driving, been punished for a driving offence.
译文：
她喜欢开快车，并以自己三十五年的驾龄从未因交通违法而受罚为荣。

原文：
Then one day she nearly lost her record.
译文：
有一天，她差点打破了自己的纪录。

原文：
A police car followed her, and the policemen in it saw her pass a red light without stopping.
译文：
一辆警车跟在她后面，车上的警察看到她闯了红灯而没有停车。

原文：
When Mrs Jones came before the judge, he looked at her severely and said that she was too old to drive a car, and that the reason why she had not stopped at the red light was most probably that her eyes had become weak with old age, so that she had simply not seen it.
译文：
当琼斯夫人出现在法官面前时，法官严肃地说，她年纪太大，不能再开车了。她闯红灯可能是因为年纪大了，视力减弱，所以根本没看到红灯。

原文：
When the judge had finished what he was saying, Mrs Jones opened the big handbag she was carrying and took out her sewing.
译文：
法官说完后，琼斯夫人打开随身携带的大手袋，拿出了针线活。

原文：
Without saying a word, she chose a needle with a very small eye, and threaded it at her first attempt.
译文：
她一言不发，挑出了一根针眼非常小的针，一次就穿好了线。

原文：
When she had successfully done this, she took the thread out of the needle again and handed both the needle and the thread to the judge, saying, ‘Now it is your turn.
译文：
成功穿好后，她又将线从针中拉出，把针和线一起递给法官，说：“现在轮到您了。

原文：
I suppose you drive a car, and that you have no doubts about your own eyesight.’
译文：
我想您会开车吧，而且对自己的视力没有怀疑吧。”

原文：
The judge took the needle and tried to thread it. After half a dozen attempts, he had still not succeeded.
译文：
法官接过针，试图穿线，但试了六次都没有成功。

原文：
The case against Mrs Jones was dismissed, and her record remained unbroken.
译文：
对琼斯夫人的指控被驳回，她的纪录仍未打破。

关键词：

1. Mrs Jones - 琼斯夫人
2. Driving record - 驾驶纪录
3. Judge - 法官
4. Needle threading - 穿针
5. Dismissal - 驳回指控

关键句：

1. ‘I suppose you drive a car, and that you have no doubts about your own eyesight.’
   “我想您会开车吧，而且对自己的视力没有怀疑吧。”

图片 20 翻译：

原文：
When a big ship is in very rough sea, it has to be able to bend a little, otherwise it may break in two.
译文：
当一艘大船在汹涌的海上航行时，它必须能够稍微弯曲，否则可能会断成两截。

原文：
If one end of the ship is on the top of one huge wave, and the other end is on the top of another, with the middle of the ship hanging in between; or if one huge wave comes up under the middle of the ship, leaving the two ends hanging, the ship’s own weight will break its back if it is quite stiff.
译文：
如果船的一端在一个大浪的顶部，而另一端在另一个大浪的顶部，船中间悬空；或者一个大浪从船中间下方涌起，让两端悬空，如果船很僵硬，船体自重会使它断裂。

原文：
To make a big ship elastic enough to avoid this danger, it has joints where the sections of the ship come together above the water-line, and these joints open and shut slightly as the waves lift one section of the ship or another.
译文：
为了让大船足够灵活以避免这种危险，船的水线以上部分会有接缝，这些接缝会随着海浪抬高船的某一部分而稍微开合。

原文：
This is enough to save the ship from breaking into pieces.
译文：
这足以让船避免断裂。

原文：
One day a sailor was walking along a passage-way in a big ship during a storm when he was surprised to see a boy sitting comfortably in a chair at the end of the passage-way, which was opposite one of the ship’s joints.
译文：
一天，一名水手在暴风雨中走过大船的通道时，惊讶地看到一个男孩舒适地坐在通道尽头的椅子上，那个位置正对着船的一个接缝。

原文：
The boy had a bag of nuts beside him, and every time the ship was lifted by a wave and the joint opened, he put a nut in it.
译文：
男孩旁边有一袋坚果，每次船被海浪抬起，接缝打开时，他就往里面放一个坚果。

原文：
As the ship came down again, the joint closed and cracked the nut, gently but firmly.
译文：
当船再次下沉时，接缝闭合并轻柔但有力地压碎了坚果。

原文：
The boy then took it out and put the next one in as the joint opened again.
译文：
然后男孩把坚果取出来，再在接缝再次打开时放进去下一个。

关键词：

1. Big ship - 大船
2. Rough sea - 汹涌海面
3. Elasticity - 弹性
4. Joints - 接缝
5. Nut cracking - 坚果破壳

关键句：

1. ‘The joint closed and cracked the nut, gently but firmly.’
   “接缝闭合并轻柔但有力地压碎了坚果。”

Here is the revised version in English, with detailed yet concise summaries of each story:

1. The Road Sign

A careful driver saw a “Slow” sign at a crossroads, so he slowed down and drove through without stopping. A policeman stopped him, accusing him of not following the sign. The driver argued that the sign only said “Slow,” not “Stop.” After some confusion, the policeman realized he was at the wrong street.

2. The Navy Meeting

Navy officers struggled to decide on a meeting day that wouldn’t interfere with their weekend plans. They finally agreed on Wednesday. However, one officer complained that Wednesday was the worst day because it disrupted two weekends instead of one.

3. A Disappointing Holiday in Rome

A couple, used to staying at boarding houses in England, splurged on a high-class hotel in Rome. They were disappointed when the hotel’s strict meal schedules left them no time to explore the city’s sights, much to their frustration.

4. The Shopping List

Mrs. Black wrote down foods her doctor advised her to avoid. Her husband mistook the list for groceries and bought everything on it. Upon his return, Mrs. Black had to explain that those were foods she wasn’t supposed to eat.

5. Army Training

Soldiers were taught how to disarm an enemy barehanded. One trainee humorously remarked that if he ever faced an armed enemy, he would quickly get rid of his weapon to avoid being disarmed and attacked with it.

6. The Perfect Sunset

A poet demanded a perfect sunset scene for his play. Theater electricians tried various lighting combinations, and the poet finally approved. However, the lighting effects caused a fire backstage, creating an unintended “sunset.”

7. Nasreddin and the Debt

A shopkeeper publicly demanded repayment from Nasreddin. Nasreddin cleverly calculated that after paying in installments, he would owe only two liras, making the shopkeeper look petty for making such a fuss over a small amount.

8. The Weekend Juggle

Mr. Baker spent weekends driving his wife and sister between train stations. A porter, unaware of the situation, joked that Mr. Baker would eventually get caught juggling relationships with two women.

9. The Noisy Party

A drummer and his wife threw a lively party to celebrate moving into their new apartment. At 1 a.m., the downstairs neighbor called to complain about the noise, leaving the couple grateful they hadn’t chosen to live downstairs.

10. The Widow of the Unknown Soldier

After World War II, con artists falsely claimed to collect donations for the widow of the Unknown Soldier. A man laughed at people’s gullibility until his wife pointed out that the government already supports such widows.

11. Christmas Shopping Chaos

A couple, exhausted from Christmas shopping, struggled to cross a busy street. The wife grew frustrated with her husband’s slow pace, loudly demanding he hand over the parcels before causing an accident.

12. The Donkey

Nasreddin refused to lend his donkey to a neighbor, claiming it wasn’t home. Just then, the donkey brayed loudly. When the neighbor accused him of lying, Nasreddin humorously asked if it was polite to believe a donkey over a neighbor.

13. Avoiding the Sermon

Nasreddin cleverly avoided giving sermons at the mosque by asking whether the audience already knew what he would say. Depending on their answer, he either declared it unnecessary to speak or asked them to share the information themselves.

14. The Blanket Thieves

Nasreddin ventured outside on a cold night to watch a fight but ended up being attacked. The men stole his blanket, leaving him to joke that they must have been fighting over it all along.

15. The Neighbor’s Mistake

A middle-aged neighbor warmly welcomed the Joneses to their “new” flat, only to realize later that they were the old owners moving out. She had never noticed them during their two years as neighbors.

16. The Merry Widows

At the theater, Mr. Brown sat among a group of cheerful American widows who traveled together each summer. One widow humorously explained that she only qualified to join the group after her husband’s recent passing.

17. The Wrong Dog

After a vacation, the Browns picked up what they thought was their dog, Blackie, from a kennel. The dog barked the entire ride home. Mrs. Brown eventually realized they had brought home the wrong dog.

18. Advice: The Best and the Worst

Nasreddin claimed advice is the most valuable thing if accepted, but the most worthless if ignored. When questioned about this contradiction, he argued that the value of advice depends entirely on the receiver’s actions.

19. Mrs. Jones and the Judge

Mrs. Jones, an 80-year-old driver, was accused of running a red light due to poor eyesight. In court, she threaded a needle on her first attempt to prove her vision was fine, leaving the judge unable to refute her claim.

20. The Ship’s Joint

A sailor on a stormy sea noticed a boy cracking nuts using the joints of the ship. Each time the waves caused the ship’s joint to open, the boy placed a nut inside, letting the joint close to gently crack it.