【生词预览】

idyllic质朴宜人的，spot场所，grimly生气地

【笑话原文】

A Complaint

Some people always have something to complain about. I stayed in a beautiful hotel right on the beach in California—an idyllic spot, you would think. But while I was waiting to check out, I heard the manager ask another guest, “Did you enjoy your stay?”

“Not really,” the man said grimly.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” the manager apologized. “What was the problem?”

“The surf was too loud.”

【中文译文】

海滨宾馆

有些人总是有事情可以抱怨。我住在加州海滨一家漂亮的旅馆里。你会觉得这一定是一个恬静、愉快的地方。可是，当我等着办理退房手续的时候，听到经理问另一个旅客，“你在这里过得愉快吗？”

那人生气地说：“不怎么样。”

经理道歉说：“很抱歉，发生什么问题了？”

“海浪声太大了！”

【词汇讲解】

1.complaint抱怨。Our complaints fell on deaf ears.我们的抱怨被置若罔闻。还有“疾病”、“诉讼”的意思：childish complaints小儿常见病；take a complaint to the police向警方提出控告

2.idyllic质朴宜人的，田园诗一般的。an idyllic scene like a painting画一般的田园风光。Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision.
我们的潜意识里藏着一派田园诗般的风光!

3.spot地点，场所。This is the spot where the accident happened.这就是事故发生的地点。口语里可以指“窘境”：What advice do you have for a woman in my spot? 你对处在我这种境地的女人有什么指教？spot也有“污点”的意思：a spot on one’s reputation名誉上的污点。也可以指特定部位：a sore spot in the throat喉头疼痛处。Every man has his weak spot.人人都有弱点。

4.check out结帐离开。这个短语还有很多含义，比如“离开”：My uncle has to check out before Monday.我的叔父得在星期一之前走。“检查”：check out a plane对飞机进行检查。“证明”：Does this story check out with the facts?这说法同事实相一致吗？

5.grimly生气地。grimly源自形容词grim，这个词有很多含义，例如“无情的”：acknowledge the grim truths承认无情的真理；“坚定的”：grim determination不屈不挠的决心；“令人生畏的”：a grim-faced guard面孔铁板的警卫；“可怕的”：a grim accident惨不忍睹的事故。

6.surf海浪。也可以指“海浪似的东西”：a surf of dust rising back of the carriage马车背后扬起的一阵尘土。作动词时有“冲浪”的意思：Ten years ago, no one surfed this place but him.10年前除他以外没有人在这里作冲浪运动。surf the Internet浏览因特网。