触电的蛇

触电的蛇 Lesson 53 Hot snake 触电的蛇 At last firemen have put out a big forest fire in California. Since then, they have been trying to find out how the fire began. Forest fires are often caused by broken glass or by cigarette ends which people carelessly throw away. 消防队员们终于扑灭了加利福尼亚的一场森林大火. 从那时起, 他们一直试图找出起火 的原因. 森林火灾时常由破碎的玻璃或人们随手扔掉的香烟头引起. Yesterday the firemen examined the ground carefully, but were not able to find any broken glass. They were also quite sure that a cigarette end did not start the fire.This morning, however, a fireman accidentally discovered the cause. 昨天, 消防队员仔细查看了地面, 但未能发现碎玻璃. 他们还十分肯定火灾也不是由烟 头引起的. 然而今天上午, 一个消防队员偶然发现了起火的原因. He noticed the remains of a snake which was wound round the electric wires of a 16, 000-volt power line. In this way, he was able to solve the mystery. The explanation was simple but very unusual. A bird had snatched up the snake from the ground and then dropped it on to the wires. The snake then wound itself round the wires. When it did so, it sent sparks down to the ground and these immediately started a fire. 他发现了缠绕在16,000 伏高压线上的一条死蛇. 就这样, 他解开了起火之谜. 解释很简 单, 却异乎寻常. 一只鸟把蛇从地上抓起来,然后把它扔到了电线上. 于是蛇就缠住了几 根电线. 当它这样做时, 把火花送到了地面, 这些火花立刻引起了一场大火. Lesson 53 Hot snake 触电的蛇 At last firemen have put out a big forest fire in California. Since then, they have been trying to find out how the fire began. Forest fires are often caused by broken glass or by cigarette ends which people carelessly throw away. Yesterday the firemen examined the ground carefully, but were not able to find any broken glass. They were also quite sure that a cigarette end did not start the fire.This morning, however, a fireman accidentally discovered the cause. He noticed the remains of a snake which was wound round the electric wires of a 16, 000-volt power line. In this way, he was able to solve the mystery. The explanation was simple but very unusual. A bird had snatched up the snake from the ground and then dropped it on to the wires. The snake then wound itself round the wires. When it did so, it sent sparks down to the ground and these immediately started a fire. 消防队员们终于扑灭了加利福尼亚的一场森林大火. 从那时起, 他们一直试图找出起火 的原因. 森林火灾时常由破碎的玻璃或人们随手扔掉的香烟头引起. 昨天, 消防队员仔 细查看了地面, 但未能发现碎玻璃. 他们还十分肯定火灾也不是由烟头引起的. 然而今 天上午, 一个消防队员偶然发现了起火的原因. 他发现了缠绕在16,000 伏高压线上的 一条死蛇. 就这样, 他解开了起火之谜. 解释很简单, 却异乎寻常. 一只鸟把蛇从地上抓 起来,然后把它扔到了电线上. 于是蛇就缠住了几根电线. 当它这样做时, 把火花送到了 地面, 这些火花立刻引起了一场大火. Lesson 54 sticky fingers 粘糊的手指 After breakfast, I sent the children to school and then I went to the shops. It was still early when I returned home. The children were at school, my husband was at work and the house was quiet.So I decided to make some meat pies. 早饭后, 我送孩子们上学, 然后就去了商店. 我回到家时, 时间还早. 孩子们在上学, 我 丈夫在上班, 家里清静得很. 于是我决定做些肉馅饼. In a short time I was busy mixing butter and flour and my hands were soon covered with sticky pastry. At exactly that moment, the telephone rang. Nothing could have been more annoying. I picked up the receiver between two sticky fingers and was dismayed when I recognized the voice of Helen Bates. 不一会儿我就忙着调拌起了黄油和面粉, 很快我的手上就沾满了粘粘的面糊. 恰恰在此 时, 电话铃响了. 没有什么比这更烦人了. 我用两个沾满面糊的手指捏起了话筒. 当我 听出是海伦?贝茨的声音时, 非常丧气. It took me ten minutes to persuade her to ring back later. At last I hung up the receiver. What a mess! There was pastry on my fingers, on the telephone, and on the doorknobs. I had no sooner got back to the kitchen than the doorbell rang loud enough to wake the dead. This time it was the postman and he wanted me to sign for a registered letter! 我用了10 分钟的时间才说服她过会儿再来电话. 我终于挂上了话筒. 真是糟糕透了!我 的手指上、电话机上以及门的把手上, 都沾上了面糊. 我刚回到厨房, 门铃又响了起来, 响声足以把死人唤醒. 这次是邮递员, 他要我签收一封挂号信! Lesson 54 sticky fingers 粘糊的手指 After breakfast, I sent the children to school and then I went to the shops. It was still early when I returned home. The children were at school, my husband was at work and the house was quiet.So I decided to make some meat pies. In a short time I was busy mixing butter and flour and my hands were soon covered with sticky pastry. At exactly that moment, the telephone rang. Nothing could have been more annoying. I picked up the receiver between two sticky fingers and was dismayed when I recognized the voice of Helen Bates. It took me ten minutes to persuade her to ring back later. At last I hung up the receiver. What a mess! There was pastry on my fingers, on the telephone, and on the doorknobs. I had no sooner got back to the kitchen than the doorbell rang loud enough to wake the dead. This time it was the postman and he wanted me to sign for a registered letter! 早饭后, 我送孩子们上学, 然后就去了商店. 我回到家时, 时间还早. 孩子们在上学, 我 丈夫在上班, 家里清静得很. 于是我决定做些肉馅饼. 不一会儿我就忙着调拌起了黄油和面粉, 很快我的手上就沾满了粘粘的面糊. 恰恰在此时, 电话铃响了. 没有什么比这更烦人了. 我用两个沾满面糊的手指捏起了话筒. 当我听出是海伦?贝茨的声音时, 非常丧气. 我用了10 分钟的时间才说服她过会儿再来电话. 我终于挂上了话筒. 真是糟糕透了!我的手指上、电话机上以及门的把手上, 都沾上了面糊. 我刚回到厨房, 门铃又响了起来, 响声足以把死人唤醒. 这次是邮递员, 他要我签收一封挂号信!