飛來橫禍

人生的眾多不幸中，最讓人沮喪的莫過于身體的傷害了。受了傷，當(dāng)然痛苦不堪，但看看那些疼愛你的人，他們一定不會好受。雖然倒霉，但你一定會慶幸，因?yàn)閺闹心銜吹秸l最愛你，誰最關(guān)心你。有了愛的力量，糟糕的日子總會挺過去的!

Chuck: Mum， what happened? We got here as quick as we could. Sam is parking the car.

Mother: I’m OK. The doctors said I’m going to be fine. It’s the mailman you should be worried about. ①I gave him a piece of my mind. I think I left him pretty upset.

Father: The mailman? What does he have to do with anything?

Mother: Well， I was stepping out of the post office and crossing the street when ②he came tearing down the street on his bike and mowed me down. I was wearing those new shoes I bought—the super high ones…

Father: I told you they were too high.

Mother: So， of course， I tripped on the shoes and fell forward and he rode right over my legs. Letters went flying into the air， I was screaming and abusing him. ③In his defense， he was 1)awfully 2)apologetic.

Chuck: Were you hurt?

Mother: Yes. Both my legs are broken.

Father: Oh， no! I can’t believe it. Oh， this has got to be the worst day ever.

Mother: Oh， come on， it’s not that bad. Look， we still have each other and our health. I’ll have to be off work and off my feet for six weeks， but we’ll make it through.

Father: No， there is something else I need to tell you both. I lost my job today.

Mother: What?

Chuck: What happened?

Father: They had to make changes and that meant I was no longer needed. But it’s OK， ④I’ve already lined up a new job. Sam helped me out.

Chuck: I have something to tell you guys， too. I got a letter from college today. I didn’t get in.

Mother: That’s OK， honey. You can try again next year. Get some work experience， then try again.

Chuck: Yeah， that’s what I plan on doing. I know a guy who has offered me some work in sales.

Mother: See， ⑤you are already falling on your feet. You know what? I might look into getting some part time work that I can do from home， seeing as ⑥I’ll be out of action for a few weeks. Maybe Sam can help me out?

Sam: (Entering) What did I miss?

Mother: Sam， do you think you could call your friend Harris to see if he can get me some work?

Sam: Not another one!

查克:媽媽，發(fā)生什么事啦?我們已經(jīng)盡快趕到這兒了。薩姆在停車。

母親:我沒事。醫(yī)生說我會好起來的。你還是擔(dān)心一下那個郵遞員好了。我剛才訓(xùn)了他一頓。我想他心里不大痛快。

父親:郵遞員?這跟他有什么關(guān)系嗎?

母親:嗯，我當(dāng)時(shí)走出郵局，正在過馬路，他騎著自行車順著馬路飛奔過來，把我給撞倒了。那時(shí)我穿著那雙新買的鞋——超高的那雙……

父親:早跟你說過那雙鞋太高了。

母親:所以，很自然地，我被鞋子絆了，然后向前倒去，而他就騎車從我雙腿上碾過。信件滿天飛。我尖叫著，不停地罵他。為了給自己開罪，他就不停地道歉。

查克:你受傷了嗎?

母親:是啊。我的兩條腿都斷了。

父親:噢，不!真不敢相信!噢，今天真是倒霉透頂了。

母親:噢，別這樣，沒那么壞。聽著，我們還有家人和健康呢。我不得不停下工作休息6周來養(yǎng)好腳傷，不過我們會挺過去。

父親:不，有些事情我必須讓你倆知道。我今天失業(yè)了。

母親:什么?

查克:發(fā)生什么事了?

父親:他們得作出調(diào)整，那意味著他們不再需要我了。但沒關(guān)系，已經(jīng)有一份新工作等著我了。薩姆幫我找的。

查克:我也有事要告訴你們。今天我收到大學(xué)的來信了。我沒被錄取。

母親:沒關(guān)系的，親愛的。下一年你可以再試。拿點(diǎn)工作經(jīng)驗(yàn)，然后再申請。

查克:對，我正準(zhǔn)備這樣做。我認(rèn)識一個人，他給我提供了銷售方面的工作。

母親:看啊，你已經(jīng)開始走運(yùn)啦。知道嗎?由于我有好幾周行動都不方便，我可能會找些能在家里干的兼職工作。也許薩姆能幫幫我?

薩姆:(進(jìn)門)我錯過什么了嗎?

母親:薩姆，你能打電話給你朋友哈里斯，看看他能不能幫我找份

工作嗎?

薩姆:可別再來啦!

Smart Sentences

① I gave him a piece of my mind. 我剛才訓(xùn)了他一頓。

give sb. a piece of one’s mind: give sb. frank and severe criticism(嚴(yán)厲責(zé)備，直言)。例如:

How inconsiderate! I’ll certainly give him a piece of my mind.

考慮得太不周詳了，我得去好好說說他。

② He came tearing down the street on his bike and mowed me down. 他騎著自行車順著馬路飛奔過來，把我給撞倒了。

mow sb. down:hit sb.(把某人撞倒)。例如:

The boys were running so fast that they almost mowed the kitten down on their way out.

那幫孩子跑得很快，在出去的時(shí)候差點(diǎn)把小貓撞翻了。

③ In his defense， … 為了給自己開罪，……

in sb.’s defense/in defense of sb.: to speak for sb. (為某人說話，為某人辯護(hù))。例如:

I have to say something in her defense.

我得為她說幾句話。

④ I’ve already lined up a new job. 已經(jīng)有一份新工作等著我了。

line up: arrange sth. to be ready(準(zhǔn)備好某事)。例如:

We have lined up two bands for Mr. Kennedy’s birthday party.

我們已經(jīng)為肯尼迪先生的生日聚會準(zhǔn)備好了兩支樂隊(duì)。

⑤ You are already falling on your feet. 你已經(jīng)開始走運(yùn)啦。

fall on sb.’s feet: always successful or lucky(運(yùn)氣好)。例如:

He has good looks and charm， and always falls on his feet.

他長得帥，又瀟灑，運(yùn)氣總是不錯。

⑥ I’ll be out of action for a few weeks. 我有好幾周行動都不方便。

out of action: cannot work or be used or function(失去作用，不能活動)。例如:

Yao Ming will be out of action for weeks because of his knee injury.

姚明因?yàn)橄ドw受傷，有好幾個星期都不能上場了。