An impoverished graduate student at Clemson University in South Carolina, I was excited when my father informed me that he had bought me a car. Hardly able to contain my enthusiasm, I asked Dad the typical questions: "What kind is it? Does it have a stick shift? Does it have a tape deck?"
"It's a 1982 Toyota," he replied. "It's a four speed, and, yes, it has a tape deck . " Pleased, I asked what color it was.
"Well, " he said uncomfortably, " which part?"
作為南卡羅萊那州克萊姆森大學(xué)的一個(gè)本科生,我囊中羞澀,當(dāng)我父親告訴我他為我買了輛車時(shí),我甚是激動(dòng)。我?guī)缀蹩刂撇蛔∥业臒崆?,?wèn)了爸爸幾個(gè)關(guān)鍵問(wèn)題:“什么車?有沒(méi)有手排擋?有沒(méi)有磁帶艙?”
“是1982年產(chǎn)豐田車,”他回答說(shuō),“四速,還有,是的,有磁帶艙。”我甚是高興,又問(wèn)是什么顏色的。
“哦,”他很不舒服地說(shuō),“你指哪一部分?”