【生词预览】

deliver生产（婴儿）lantern灯笼，attendance出席

【笑话原文】
　
Is It the Light that's Attracting Them?

Mike lives in the countryside with no electricity.

One night, Mike's wife begins to deliver the baby. The local doctor is there in attendance.

"What do you want me to do, Doctor? "

"Hold the lantern, Mike. Here it comes!" the doctor delivers the child and holds it up for the proud father to see.

"Mike, you're the proud father of a fine strapping boy." "Saints be praised, I..." Before Mike can finish, the Doctor interrupts, "Wait a minute. Hold the lantern, Mike." Soon the doctor delivers the next child.

"Thanks to..."

Again the Doctor cuts in, "Hold the lantern, Mike, Hold the lantern!"

Soon the Doctor delivers a third child. The doctor holds up the baby for Mike's inspection.

"Doctor," asks Mike, "Do you think it's the light that's attracting them?"

【中文译文】

是灯吸引的他们吗

麦克住在没电的乡村。

一天晚上，麦克的老婆就要生产了。当地医生来了。

“医生，我要做些什么？”

“举好灯，麦克。孩子要出来了！”医生接过孩子并举起来给这位自豪的父亲看。

“麦克，你真是个值得骄傲的父亲，你的孩子很强壮。”“上帝保佑，我……”麦克还没说完，医生就打断他，“等等。拿好灯，麦克。”不一会儿，医生又接生了第二个孩子。

“感谢你……”

医生又插话道：“拿好灯，麦克，拿好灯！”

不久，医生又接生了第三个孩子。医生把孩子举起来给麦克瞧瞧。

“医生，”麦克说，“你觉得是灯光把孩子们吸引出来的吗？”

【词汇讲解】

1.deliver生孩子，接生。deliver还有很多别的含义，比如“释放”：deliver sb. from slavery把某人从奴役中解救出来。“进攻”：They have delivered the terrorists a telling blow.他们已经给恐怖分子有力的痛击。

2.attendance出席。take attendance点名。There was a large attendance at the meeting.到会的人很多。它还有“护理”的意思：be in attendance on the Royal Family侍候王室

3.strapping强壮的。还有“巨大的”的意思：a strapping lie弥天大谎

4.praise赞扬。His father never praised him.他父亲从不称赞他。He had a lot of praise for her work.他对她的工作大加赞赏。

5.cut in插嘴。这个词组还有“切入”的意思：After sifting the flour into a mixing bowl, cut the lard in.把面粉筛入搅拌碗中后，把猪油剁进去。

6.inspection检查，审视。On closer inspection the notes proved to be forgeries.经进一步仔细查看，发现这些钞票是伪造的。