飲食笑話：8、 West Hill Farm 西山農場

8. West Hill Farm

Henry was an office worker in a big city. He worked very hard and enjoyed travelling on holidays. He usually went to the seaside, but one day he saw an ad in a newspaper which said, "Enjoy country life, spend a few days on West Hill Farm; good food, fresh air, horse riding, walking, fishing, cheap and interesting." "This sounds like a good idea," he thought, "I'll spend a month there this holiday, I think I can enjoy horse riding, walking and fishing."

He wrote to the farmer and said he would spend the whole July there. Then on the first day of July, he went to the Farm. But four days later, he returned home.

What was wrong with the West Hill Farm? His best friend John asked, "Didn't you enjoy the country life?"

The country life was very good, Henry said, "but there was another problem." "Oh, what?"

Well, he said, "on the first day a sheep died, and we had roast mutton1 for dinner." "What's wrong with that?" John asked, "Fresh meat is the best."

I know, but on the second day a cow died, and we had roast beef for dinner. "Sounds great!" "You don't understand," Henry said, "on the third day a pig died and we had roast pork2 for dinner."

You can have different meat every day, John said loudly, "but you are complaining3!" "Let me finish," Henry said, "on the fourth day a farmer died, and I didn't dare to stay for dinner!"

Notes:

1. mutton 羊肉

2. pork 豬肉

3. complain 抱怨

西山農場

亨利是大城市中的辦公室職員。他工作非常辛苦，并且喜愛假期旅游。他通常去海邊度假。一天，他看到報紙上的一則廣告說：“享受鄉(xiāng)村生活，花幾天在西山農場；精美的食物，新鮮的空氣，騎馬，散步，釣魚，便宜而有趣?！薄斑@聽起來是個好主意，”他想，“假期我要在西山農場待一個月，可以享受一下騎騎馬、散散步、釣釣魚的生活?！?

他寫信給了農夫，說他要在那里度過整個七月。七月的第一天，他去了西山農場。但四天后，他回到了家。

“西山農場怎么了？”他最好的朋友喬治問道，“你不喜歡鄉(xiāng)村生活嗎？”

“鄉(xiāng)村生活非常好”，亨利說，“但有另一個問題?！薄芭叮鞘裁?？”

“哦”，他說，“第一天一只綿羊死了，我們晚餐吃了烤羊肉?！薄澳怯惺裁磫栴}嗎？”喬治說，“新鮮肉是最好的?！?

“我知道，但第二天一只牛死了，我們以烤牛排作為晚餐?！薄奥犉饋砗馨??！薄澳悴幻靼住?，亨利說，“第三天一頭豬死了，我們晚餐吃了烤豬。”

“你每天都有不同的肉吃”，喬治大聲說：“但你還在抱怨！”“讓我說完?！焙嗬f，“第四天一個農夫死了，我不敢留下來吃晚飯了?！?

（陳順琪　譯）

?Useful link:

如今，美國農場經營者家庭最重要的收入來源是農場外的工作或生意，很多農場主家庭平均收入的80％來自農場以外。農場規(guī)模越小，經營者越可能以農場外工作為主要職業(yè)；農場規(guī)模越大，經營者越可能將經營農場作為主要職業(yè)，但即使是大農場主家庭也可能有成員全職或部分時間從事非農場工作。