[J-58]
Eloquent Orator
滔滔的演讲者
At a graduation
ceremony of Yale
University, a local parish
pastor was called in to pinch-hit, as the invited guest speaker failed to show up. To show his
eloquence, the pastor seized on the school name “Yale” and expounded on Youth, America, Liberty, and Ecology,
spending a good thirty minutes on each letter. Two hours later, the auditorium
was almost empty. When the pastor had finished his preaching, he found a
student praying in a corner. He went forward and asked, “Why are you praying so fervently, young man?”
“I'm thanking God that our school name is not Massachusetts
Institute of Technology,” replied the student.
[译注]
在耶鲁大学的毕业典礼时，一个当地教区的牧师被请进来代打，因为邀请的贵宾主讲人没有出现。为了表现他的言语滔滔，牧师抓住学校的名称
“Yale” 而阐述年轻、美国、自由，和生态，每个字母都花了好个三十分钟。两小时后，礼堂里几乎都没人了。当牧师布道完的时候，看到一位学生在某角落祈祷着。他走向前问说：「年轻人，你为何这么热诚地在祷告？」
「我感谢上帝我们的校名不是麻省理工学院。」那学生回答。
注：1. ceremony (典礼)， parish (教区)， pastor (本堂牧师)， pinch-hit (代打)， eloquence (言语流利动人)，expound (阐述)， auditorium (礼堂)，fervently (热诚地)。
2. 麻省理工学院的英文名有34个字母，如果每个字母都花半小时去阐述，就要花17小时。
[复习填充]
At a graduation c_____ of Yale
University, a local parish
pastor was called in to p_____, as the invited guest speaker failed to show __.
To show his eloquence, the pastor seized __ the school name “Yale” and ex_____ on Youth, America, Liberty, and Ecology,
spending a good thirty minutes on each litter. Two hours later, the au_____
was almost empty. When the pastor had finished his preaching, he found a
student praying in a corner. He went forward and asked, “Why are you praying so f______, young man?”
“I'm thanking God that our school name is not Massachusetts
Institute of Technology,” replied the student.