【读点笑话学英语】The Preacher Buys a Parrot

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传教士买鹦鹉
A preacher is buying a parrot.
一个传教士在买鹦鹉。
"Are you sure it doesn't scream, yell, or swear?" asked the preacher.
“你确信它不会尖叫，大叫或诅咒别人吗？”传教士问。
"Oh absolutely. He's a religious parrot," the storekeeper assures him.

“噢，绝  对不会。它是一只虔诚的鹦鹉。”店主向他保证。
"Do you see those strings on his legs? When you pull the right one, he recites the lord's prayer, and when you pull on the left he recites the 23rd Psalm."

“你看见它腿上的那些细绳了吗？当你拉动右边这根，它会背诵天主经；当你拉动左边那根，它会背诵赞美诗。”
"Wonderful!" says the preacher, "but what happens if you pull both strings?"

“太棒了！”传教士说，“但是如果我同时拉动两根绳子，会发生什么呢？”
"I fall off my perch, you stupid fool!" screeched the parrot.

“我会从树干上掉下去，你这个笨蛋！”鹦鹉尖声说道。
这个笑话中出现了三个含有“大喊”、“大叫”意思的词语：scream，yell 和 screech。

scream 指“因痛苦、恐惧、惊奇、快乐等而发出尖叫声”，如：
She screamed when she saw the child fall. 当她看见那个孩子跌倒时，她尖声叫了起来。

yell 多指求援、鼓励时的呼叫，也可指因外界因素刺激而发出尖厉声音。如：
yell the team to victory 用喊声鼓励运动队取胜

screech 指“发出尖锐刺耳的声音”，如：
The car screeched to a halt. 车子发出尖嘎声停了下来。