中英文本

Let's face it: English is a stupid language.

不要怀疑：英语是一种愚蠢的语言。

There is no egg in the eggplant,no ham in the hamburger,and neither pine nor apple in the pineapple.English muffins were not invented in England;and French fries had nothing to do with France.

茄子里没有鸡蛋，汉堡里也没有火腿，在凤梨即没有松木也没有苹果。英国松饼不是在英国发明的；而炸薯条与法国一点关联都没有。

We sometimes take English for granted,but if we examine its paradoxes we find that quicksnad takes you down slowly,boxing rings are square,and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

我们有时候习惯的以为英语就是这样说的，但如果我们探讨它似是而非的地方，我们会发现流沙是让你慢慢陷下去的，拳击场是方型的，而天竹鼠既不是来自几内亚，更不是猪。

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down,in which you fill in a form by filling it out,and in which an alarm clock goes off by going on.

你不是不惊讶于这种独特的疯癫语言，比如说你的房子被烧毁时，它是烧起来的，当你填表之时，是要填写出的，而闹钟响起来（go off）是因为它自己启动了（go on）。

English was invented by people,not computers,and it reflects the creativity of the human race(Which of course isn't a race at all).That is why when the stars are out they are visible,but when the lights are out they are invisible.And why is it that when I wind up my watch is starts but when I wind up this story it ends!

英语是由人而不是由电脑发明的，它反应的是人类的创造力（那当然根本就不是一种竞赛）。那就难怪当星星出来（out）时是看得见的，但是灯光减了（out）时是看不见的。为什么我给我的手表上紧发条时它就开始走了，而当我完结了这个故事时它结束了。

重点讲解

1.French fries 法式炸薯条

French fries are one of the most popular potato foods in America.

法式炸薯条是美国最受欢迎的马铃薯食用方法之一。

2.marvel at 对...惊奇

In the lobby, tourists marvel at the artwork: giant fantasias of peaks and temples; gold peacocks with spreading enamel tails.

大厅里，观光游客对艺术作品惊奇不已：山顶和庙宇的幻想曲；黄金孔雀彩饰尾。

3.burn up烧起来；烧掉

Creatures that burn up energy more quickly tend to have shorter lives than animals that convert food into energy slowly.

燃烧能量快的动物比那些把食物缓慢转换成能量的动物生存的时间更短。

4.wind up 上紧发条；结束

They often wind up with a "none of the above" reaction.

而他们反应经常是以一句“以上这些我都不想选”作为结束。