胡敏讀故事記托福詞匯030：晚餐時的來客 The Dinner Guest
My new employer told me that they needed someone with my capabilities to lead their unpopular forest clearing campaign. They said I was the best candidate for the job. I was a canny negotiator and a very capable speaker. To me, it was just a matter of being candid with the resident natives. I would captivate them with money before telling them that we needed to deforest their land. Then, I could easily calculate and negotiate a reasonable price.
我的新雇主告訴我，他們需要一個像我這樣有能力的人去領(lǐng)導(dǎo)那項不太受歡迎的森林采伐工程。他們說我是最佳人選。我是個精明的談判者，又及其善于言辭。對于我來說，只需與當(dāng)?shù)鼐用裉拐\相待即可。我會先用錢迷惑住他們，然后再告訴他們我們要采伐森林。接下來，我可以很容易地計算出一個好價錢，再和他們談妥。
I got the job, rather easily I thought. The company directed me to travel into the wilderness by boat to canvass the resident natives. The night before the trip, I weighed myself. “Could the calibration on this scale the correct?” I said to myself. “I guess I better cancel my dinner plans. Otherwise the boat might sink.” But I knew that such a cancellation would make me too sad to travel, so I ate my usual meal.
我輕而易舉的爭取到這份工作。公司指示我坐船進(jìn)入一片荒野，去游說當(dāng)?shù)鼐用?。出發(fā)前的那個晚上，我稱了體重。“稱的刻度會不會不準(zhǔn)呢?”我自言自語道，“我想我還是取消晚餐計劃好了。否則，那船沒準(zhǔn)會沉。”但我知道取消晚餐只會讓我憂傷得無意出差，所以我一如平常地吃了晚飯。
The boat was capacious. The boat’s large canopy was made of green and brown canvas. It served as a nice camouflage for the boat. We floated down through the canyon for hours until we finally stopped. “You’ll travel by foot now, alone!” the boat captain said. He filled my water bottle to capacity and pointed the way with a strange smile.
船很寬敞，它的頂蓬是一塊綠褐色的帆布，算是這艘船不錯的偽裝。我們順流直下，漂了幾個小時才穿過大峽谷，最后船停了。“現(xiàn)在你得步行了，一個人!”船長說道。他將我得水瓶裝滿水，然后怪怪地笑著為我指路。
Not long after, I ran into a resident native. He led me deep into the forest where I met their chief. He smiled and said, “You’ve had a long trip. My family would love to have you for dinner.” Expection a feast, I replied, “I’d be honored.”
很快，我就遇上了一個當(dāng)?shù)厝?，他領(lǐng)著我往森林深處走去。在那里，我見到了他們的酋長。他微笑著說：“你經(jīng)歷了一番長途跋涉，我的家人會很高興與你共進(jìn)晚餐。”我料想會是一頓豐盛的晚宴，便回答到：“不勝榮幸。”
Well, I’ve been in captivity for several hours now, awaiting the feast. What a pity. I was prepared for everything but cannibalism.
哎，現(xiàn)在我已被囚禁好幾個小時，等待著那頓豐盛的晚宴。真可惜，我設(shè)想到了一切，除了同類相食的野蠻。
Words:
calculate vt. 計算，估計
calibration n. 校準(zhǔn);規(guī)定;刻度
camouflage n./v. 偽裝
campaign n. (政治或商業(yè)性)活動，競選活動;vi.競選;作戰(zhàn)
cancel vt. 取消
cancellation n. 取消
candid adj. 率直，坦白而誠實(shí)的
candidate n. 候選人
cannibalism n. 同類相食
canny adj. 精明的，節(jié)約的
canopy n. 天蓬，遮蓬
canvas n. 帆布，畫布
canvass v. 征求意見，游說拉票
canyon n. 峽谷
capability n. 能力
capable adj. 有能力的
capacious adj. 容量大的
capacity n. 容量，能力
captivate vt. 迷惑，迷住
captivity n. 囚禁，拘留
