胡敏讀故事記托福詞匯054：流星 The Meteor
Once upon a time, there was a crab who lived in a crack on the side of a creek. One day, he and his daughter crawled to the bank to apply for credit.
從前，一條小溪的裂縫里住著一只蟹。一天蟹和他女兒一起爬到銀行去申請信用貸款。
The manager of the bank was credulous individual named Mr. Fish. Mr. Fish invited the crab and his daughter into his cozy office. “Here are some crayons to keep your daughter busy,” said Mr. Fish. “Now, what can I do for you?”
銀行經理稱“魚先生，”是個輕信的人。魚先生把蟹和他女兒請進他舒適的辦公室。“這里有些彩筆，讓你女兒畫著玩吧。”魚先生說，“說吧，我能幫你做什么?”
“I would like to apply for some credit,” said the crab. “Here are my credentials.”
“我想申請些信用貸款。”蟹說，“這是我的信用證。”
“Your prior creditor, Mr. Frog, told me that you still haven’t paid his back.” said Mr. Fish.
“可你從前的債權人青蛙先生告訴我你還沒有還清他的帳。”魚先生說。
“But this is an emergency,” said the crab. “A meteor crashed into my home. It created a large crater and crammed us into a small corner. I need the credit to buy stones and glue to fix my house.”
“但這次很緊急，”蟹說，“一顆流星墜落下來，把我們家砸了個大坑，把我們擠進了一個小角落里。所以我需要貸款買石頭和膠來修房子。”
“Ha ha ha,” laughed the crab. “You and I share the same creed, so I would like to believe you. But I can’t give credence to your still story.”
“哈哈哈，”魚先生大笑起來，“我們有共同的信仰，所以我愿意相信你。但我不會相信你愚蠢的故事。”
“Okay,” relied the crab. “By the way, the meteor also caused some worms to lose their homes. I crafted a small box for you and filled it with worms.”
“好吧，”蟹說道，“順便問一句，流星墜地還使一些蚯蚓流離失所。這是我為你精心制作的小盒子，里面裝滿了好多蚯蚓。”
“You know how I crave worms,” said Mr. Fish, as he grabbed one that was creeping away.
“你知道我是多么渴望得到蚯蚓啊!”魚先生一邊說，一邊迅速抓住一個正在往外爬的蚯蚓。
“There’s more where that came from,” said the crab.
“那里還有很多呢!”蟹說。
“Really?” said Mr. Fish. “You are a crafty customer. I know there’s no meteor and that you just want to build another room for your cramped house. But I’ll give you the credit this time.”
“真的嗎?”魚先生說，“你是個機靈的顧客。我知道根本沒有流星墜地。你就是想再建一個大房間以取代你那狹窄的舊屋子。不過這次會貸款給你的。”
“Great, shall we shake on it?” asked the crab, extending his sharp pinchers.
“好極了!讓我們?yōu)榇宋帐职?”蟹說著，伸出了他尖尖的雙螯。
“No, thanks,” said Mr. Fish. “I’d rather not.”
“不，謝謝了。”魚先生說，“我才不與你握手呢。”
Words:
cozy adj. 舒適的
crab n. 蟹
crack n. 裂縫，裂紋，缺點;v.破裂，裂紋
craft n. 手藝;容器;v.巧手制作
crafty adj. 靈活的，巧妙的，機靈的
cram vt. 填塞;匆忙準備(考試)
cramped adj. 狹窄的
crash n. 撞碎;n.碰撞，墮落
crater n. 火山口;彈坑，坑，隕石坑
crave vi. 渴望，渴求;vt. 渴望得到
crawl vi. 爬，爬行
crayon n. 彩色筆，粉筆，粉筆畫，蠟筆畫
credence n. 信任，相信
credential n. 憑證，文憑
credit n. 學分;信譽，信用，榮譽;聲望;貸方，銀行貸款;vt. 認…，把…歸給，歸于
creditor n. 債權人
credulous adj. 輕信的，易信的
creed n. 信仰，信條
creek n. 小溪，小河
creep vi. 慢慢行進;爬行
