职业赌徒
A professional gambler
During the Great Depression,there was a man who walked into a bar one day. He went up to the bartender and said,“Bartender,I'd like to buy the house a round of drinks.”
The bartender said,“That's fine,but we're in the middle of the Depression,so I'll need to see some money first.”
The guy pulled out a huge wad of bills and set them on the bar. The bartender can't believe what he's seeing. “Where did you get all that money?” asked the bartender.
“I'm a professional gambler,” replied the man.
The bartender said,“There's no such thing! I mean,your odds are fifty-fifty at best,right?”
“Well,I only bet on sure things,” said the guy.
“Like what?” asked the bartender.
“Well,for example,I'll bet you fifty dollars that I can bite my right eye,” he said.
The bartender thought about it. “Okay,” he said.
So,the guy pulled out his false right eye and bit it. “Aw,you screwed me,” said the bartender,and paid the guy his $50.
“I'll give you another chance. I'll bet you another fifty dollars that I can bite my left eye,” said the stranger.
The bartender thought again and said,“Well,I know you're not blind,I mean,I watched you walk in here. I'll take that bet.” So,the guy pulled out his false teeth and bit his left eye.
“Aw,you screwed me again!” protested the bartender.
“That's how I win so much money,bartender. I'll just take a bottle of your best scotch in lieu of the fifty dollars,” said the man.
With that,the guy went to the back room and spent the better part of the night playing cards with some of the locals.
After many hours of drinking and card playing,he stumbled up to the bar. Drunk as a skunk,he said,“Bartender,I'll give you one last chance. I'll bet you five hundred dollars that I can stand on this bar on one foot and piss into that whiskey bottle on that shelf behind you without spilling a drop.”
The bartender once again pondered the bet. The guy couldn't even stand up straight on two feet,much less one. “Okay,you're on,” he said.
The guy climbed up on the bar,stood on one leg,and began pissing all over the place. He hit the bar,the bartender,himself,but not a drop made it into the whiskey bottle.
The bartender was ecstatic. Laughing,the bartender said,“Hey pal,you owe me five hundred dollars!”
The guy climbed down off the bar and said,“That's okay. I just bet each of the guys in the card room a thousand bucks each that I could piss all over you and the bar and still make you laugh!”
职业赌徒
经济大萧条时期。有一天,有个男人走进一家酒吧,对调酒师说:“调酒师,我想为在座的所有客人每人买一杯酒。”
调酒师说:“当然可以,不过现在正处于经济萧条时期,我需要先看到你带有足够的现金才行。”
那人从口袋里掏出一大迭钞票放到吧台上。调酒师简直不敢相信自己的眼睛,就问:“你这些钱都是从哪儿弄来的?”
“我是一个职业赌徒。”男士回答。
“这不可能。我的意思是,在赌场你赢的机会最多也就五五开,不是吗?” 调酒师说。
“那当然,不过我只打我必赢的赌。”男士说。
“比如呢?”调酒师问道。
“唔,例如,我可以和你赌50美元:我能够用自己的牙咬到自己的右眼睛。”他说。
调酒师想了一下,就说:“那就来吧!”
于是,那个人将他右边的假眼抠了出来,用嘴咬了一下。
调酒师说声“靠!我上当了!” ,就给了他50美元。
那陌生人又说道:“我会再给你一次机会的。我再和你赌50美元:我可以用我的牙咬到我的左眼。”
调酒师想了想说道:“哼!你又不是盲人,我的意思是说,我可是看着你走进这个酒吧的。这一把我和你赌定了!”
话刚出口,那家伙就从嘴里一把将假牙掰了下来,咬了左眼睛一下。
“靠!我又上当了!”调酒师几乎是抗议地叫出声来。
“这就是我赢了这么多钱的办法,小伙子!不过这次你也不用给我50元了,我只拿走一瓶威士忌就算了!”那人说道。
那个人拿了酒,就来到酒吧的后房,整个晚上的大部分时间都在和当地人打牌。
边喝边玩好几个小时之后,那个人又摇摇晃晃地来到吧台前,醉醺醺的样子,都快站不住了,他对调酒师说:“小伙子,我再给你最后一个机会。我和你赌500美元:我可以用一只脚站在这张吧台上撒尿,我能够把尿射到你身后酒架上的那个空瓶子里,而且保证不洒一滴到瓶子外边。”
调酒师再一次认真想了想:这家伙现在就是用两只脚都站不直,更别说用一条腿了……于是说:“好!那你就开始吧。”
只见那人爬到吧台上,来个金鸡独立,就开始撒尿。尿撒得到处都是:吧台上、调酒师身上和他自己身上,就是没有一滴尿到酒瓶里去。
小伙子简直开心死了,大笑着说:“老兄,这次你可欠我500块钱了。”
那家伙从吧台上爬了下来,说:“没问题。我刚和棋牌室里的每个人都赌了一千块钱,说我敢往你身上和吧台上撒尿,并且还能让你大笑!”
Two attorneys
Two attorneys went into a diner and ordered two drinks. Then they brought out sandwiches from their briefcases and started to eat. The owner marched over and told them,“You can't eat your own sandwiches here!”
The attorneys looked at each other,shrugged their shoulders and then exchanged sandwiches.
两个律师
两个律师走进一个餐厅点了两杯饮料,然后从手提箱中拿出三明治开始吃起来。餐厅老板走过来说道:“你们不能在这里吃自己的三明治。”
两个律师对看了一眼,耸耸肩,然后交换了手中的三明治。
单词&词组
professional [prE5feFEnl] n.内行的,有经验的
screw over sb. 欺骗或玩弄(某人的)感情、金钱等
attorney [E5tE:ni] n.代理人,律师
skunk [skQNk] n. 讨厌鬼;使惨败
piss [pis] n.小便
ecstatic [eks5tAtik] adj.狂喜的人;狂
march [mB:tF] n.进军,行进;齐步走
exchange [iks5tFeindV] n.交换;交流
知道不知道
1929年10月29日是美国历史上最黑暗的一天。“黑色星期二”是股票市场崩盘的日子,“经济大萧条”(Great Depression) 也正式开始。失业率攀升到最高点。贺柏特·胡佛 (Hebert Hoover)总统试图控制危机,但是却无能为力。1932年,罗斯福获选为美国总统,他推动了“新政”(New Deal) 以解决美国的经济危机。国会也配合通过设立“工作改进组织” (Works Progress Administration,WPA),负责为美国人民提供工作机会。美国于1941年加入第二次世界大战后,经济大萧条也随之结束。