bad taste
дурной вкусSection 59
New year's eve at the pub
One New Year's Eve Judy stood up at the local pub and said that it was time to get ready. At the stroke of midnight, she wanted every husband to be standing next to the one person who made his life worth living. Well, it was kind of embarrassing. The bartender was almost crushed to death.
the stroke of midnight
момент наступления полуночиkind of
to crush to death
задавить насмертьSection 60
New year's eve at the pub – 2
A man stumbles up to the only other patron in a bar and asks if he could buy him a drink.
«Why of course?» comes the reply.
The first man then asks, «Where are you from?»
«I'm from Ireland,» replies the second man.
The first man responds, «You don't say, I'm from Ireland too! Let's have another round to Ireland.»
«Of course,» replies the second man.
Curious, the first man then asks, «Where in Ireland are you from?»
«Dublin,» comes the reply.
«I can't believe it,» says the first man. «I'm from Dublin too! Let's have another drink to Dublin.»
«Of course,» replies the second man.
Curiosity again strikes and the first man asks, «What school did you go to?»
«Saint Mary's,» replies the second man. «I graduated in '62.»
«This is unbelievable!» the first man says. «I went to Saint Mary's and I graduated in '62, too!»
About that time in comes one of the regulars and sits down at the bar.
«What's been going on?» he asks the bartender. «Nothing much,» replies the bartender. «The O'Malley twins are drunk again.»
to stumble up
подходить, спотыкаясьpatron
постоянный посетительto graduate
заканчивать школуregular
постоянный посетительWhy of course?
А почему бы и нет?You don't say!
Не может быть!another round to Ireland
еще один раз (стаканчик) за ИрландиюWhat's been going on?
Что происходит?Section 61
The work crew
A fellow stopped at a rural gas station, and, after filling his tank, he paid the bill and bought a soft drink. He stood by his car to drink his cola and he watched while a man would dig a hole two or three feet deep and then move on. Then another man came along behind and filled in the hole. While one was digging a new hole, the other was about 25 feet behind filling in the old.
The men worked right past the fellow with the soft drink and went on down the road. «I can't stand this,» said the man tossing the can in a trash container and heading down the road toward the men.
«Hold it, hold it,» he said to the men. «Can you tell me what's going on here with this digging?»
«Well, we work for the county,» one of the men said.
«But one of you is digging a hole and the other fills it up. You're not accomplishing anything. Aren't you wasting the county's money?»
«You don't understand, mister,» one of the men said, leaning on his shovel and wiping his brow. «Normally there's three of us: me, Rodney and Mike. I dig the hole, Rodney sticks in the tree and Mike here puts the dirt back. Now just because Rodney's sick, that don't mean that Mike and me can't work and get paid.»
crew
бригада, командаrural
сельскийgas station
автозаправочная станцияtank
бакsoft
легкий, мягкий;cola
кока-колаto move on
двигаться дальшеto fill in
заполнять, засыпатьto toss
пихать, соватьtrash
мусор, отходыcontainer
контейнерcounty
округ, район, графствоto accomplish
завершать, заканчиватьto waste
тратить попустуto lean
склоняться, наклоняться, опиратьсяshovel
лопатаto wipe
вытиратьbrow
лобto stick
втыкать, вставлятьdirt
грязь, почва, земляto be sick
болетьto come along
идти следом, подходитьHold it!
Постой! Подожди!that don't mean
Section 62
Job applicants
A mathematician, an accountant and an economist apply for the same job. The interviewer calls in the mathematician and asks, «What do two plus two equal?»
The mathematician replies, «Four.»
The interviewer asks, «Four, exactly?»
The mathematician looks at the interviewer incredulously and says, «Yes, four, exactly.»
Then the interviewer calls in the accountant and asks the same question, «What do two plus two equal?»
The accountant says, «On average, four – give or take ten percent, but on average, four.»
Then the interviewer calls in the economist and poses the same question, «What do two plus two equal?»
The economist gets up, locks the door, closes the shade, sits down next to the interviewer and says, «What do you want it to equal?»
job
работа, рабочее место