2015考研英语阅读英文原刊《经济学人》：美国式幽默

　　2015考研英语复习正是强化复习阶段，考研英语阅读在考研英语中占了40分，所以考研英语阅读是英语科目中重要的一项。新东方名师范猛老师曾建议过考研生需要坚持每天泛读10-15分钟的英文原刊。强烈推荐了杂志《经济学人》.杂志中的文章也是考研英语的主要材料来源.希望考研考生认真阅读，快速提高考研英语阅读水平。

　　American humour

　　美式幽默

　　Funny man

　　有趣的人

　　The talent of an American lyricist

　　一位富有天赋的美国抒情诗人

　　CALVIN TRILLIN made his reputation over fourdecades as the author of “US Journal” in the NewYorker, reporting extensively about serious andoften tragic subjects such as race relations andcrime. He was also among the first writers to grasp that American cuisine is a good way tounderstand the nation’s vigorous and various cultures. But Mr Trillin is incapable of resistingthe temptation of comedy. The jokes kept on welling up and Mr Trillin made a parallelreputation as a writer of funny stuff.

　　卡尔文.特里林作为《纽约客》美国日报作者享誉盛名四十余载，广泛的报道种族关系和犯罪这类严肃而悲痛的题材文章。他是首位发现美国烹饪是了解美国朝气而丰富文化的良好途径的作家之一。但是特里林无法抗拒喜剧的诱惑，创作出许多笑话。因此，他也因创作滑稽有趣的作品而享有同等声望。

　　He belongs to a tradition that included distinguished journalists such as Art Buchwald in theWashington Post, and Russell Baker at the New York Times. Each might regard the idea asrisible, but their ability to deflate the reputations of self-important politicians and men ofbusiness makes classy moralists of them.

　　他是一位传统派作家，还有华盛顿邮报和纽约时报著名的新闻记者阿尔特•布克沃尔德和拉塞尔贝克。每位想法独特有趣，而他们有能力减少高傲政客和商业人士的声望和影响力，因此他们可称为优秀道德家。

　　The title of this collection of his humorous writings is the first of many jokes. Mr Trillin makesfun of the arrival in the Port of Galveston, Texas, in 1908, from somewhere “near Kiev”, of hisfather and his Uncle Benny. Apparently, Jacob Schiff, an eminent German Jewish banker wasembarrassed by the poor, huddled masses from eastern Europe cluttering up New York at thetime and financed the detour to the south-west. The thought is rather appalling, but Mr Trillinmakes it work for him: “You can say what you want to about my Uncle Benny, but he nevermade his living as a money lender.”

　　幽默集锦是特里林第一部笑话作品。他取笑他的父亲和叔叔本尼从基辅附近的某个地方在1908年到达德克萨斯州加尔维斯顿。大批来自东欧的贫穷民众使纽约异常杂乱拥挤，杰出的德国犹太银行家雅各布.希夫很明显对此感到不安，并资助他们绕道去往美国西南部。这种想法非常令人震惊。但是特里林成功的为他开脱：你可以随便我评论我叔叔本尼，但是他从未以放贷人为生。

　　Although Mr Trillin graduated from Yale University(his father encouraged him to go east having readOwen Johnson’s 1911 tale, “Stover at Yale”), he wasbrought up in Kansas City, Missouri. This led him tofound the Missouri School of Poetry, with amembership of two—himself and T.S. Eliot, who wasborn in St Louis. In truth, he is more at home in theSchool of Ogden Nash of Rye, New York.

　　虽然特里林毕业于耶鲁大学(他父亲在读完欧文.约翰逊的1911故事《耶鲁的柴火》这本书后，鼓励他去东部)，但是他生长在密苏里堪萨斯城。这样，他与另一名成员创立了密苏里诗歌学派，另一名成员是生于圣路易斯的艾略特诗人。其实，他更多的还是待在纽约黑麦奥格登.纳什学校。

　　Mr Trillin describes himself as a “Deadline Poet” because of the rhyming verses he contributesregularly to the Nation. Happily, there are pages of them in this book. One sample, after aheadline in the New York Times: “SEC Accuses Goldman of Fraud in Housing Deal”:

　　特里林称他自己为“死线诗人”，因为他定期在《国家》上发布诗歌。庆幸的是，这本书里摘录了许多他的诗歌。如在纽约时报大标题文章“证券交易委员会指控高盛房屋交易诈骗”。

　　They’re doing God’s work, their CEO said.

　　They’re the kings of the Street.

　　They are regal.

　　So now we must ask if God ever knew

　　That some of his work was illegal.

　　他们正做的是上帝赋予的工作，他们的首席执行官说道。

　　他们是街道国王。

　　他们是帝王。

　　因此我们现在必须问问上帝

　　问他是否知道他的一些工作是非法行为。

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