40_Who's_Who

40 Who's Who¶

It has never been explained why university students seem to enjoy practical jokes more than anyone else. Students specialize in a particular type of practical joke: the hoax. Inviting the fire brigade to put out a nonexistent fire is a crude form of deception which no self-respecting student would ever indulge in. Students often create amusing situations which are funny to everyone except the victims.

When a student recently saw two workmen using a pneumatic drill outside his university, he immediately telephoned the police and informed them that two students dressed up as workmen were tearing up the road with a pneumatic drill. As soon as he had hung up, he went over to the workmen and told them that if a policeman ordered them to go away, they were not to take him seriously. He added that a student had dressed up as a policeman and was playing all sorts of silly jokes on people. Both the police and the workmen were grateful to the student for this piece of advance information.

The student hid in an archway nearby where he could watch and hear everything that went on. Sure enough, a policeman arrived on the scene and politely asked the workmen to go away. When he received a very rude reply from one of the workmen, he threatened to remove them by force. The workmen told him to do as he pleased and the policeman telephoned for help. Shortly afterwards, 4 more policemen arrived and remonstrated with the workmen. As the men refused to stop working, the police attempted to seize the pneumatic drill. The workmen struggled fiercely and one of them lost his temper. He threatened to call the police. At this, the police pointed out ironically that this would hardly be necessary as the men were already under arrest. Pretending to speak seriously, one of the workmen asked if he might make a telephone call before being taken to the station. Permission was granted and a policeman accompanied him to a pay phone. Only when he saw that the man was actually telephoning the police did he realize that they had all been the victims of a hoax.

Words¶

practical /ˈpræktəkəl/ jokes /dʒoks/ 恶作剧
hoax /hoks/ 戏弄
deception /dɪˈsɛpʃən/ 欺骗
self-respecting /ˌsɛlfrɪˈspɛktɪŋ/ 自重的
indulge /ˌɪnˈdʌldʒ/ 沉迷
victims /ˈvɪktəmz/ 受害者
pneumatic /nuˈmætɪk/ 气动的
drill /drɪl/ 钻
silly /ˈsɪli/ 无聊的
archway /ˈɑrtʃˌwe/ 拱门
remonstrated /rɪˈmɑnˌstretɪd/ 告诫
ironically /aɪˈrɑnɪkli/ 讽刺的

Expressions¶

victim of a hoax 骗局的受害者
make a hoax call 打恶作剧电话
a form/kind of deception 一种欺骗
obtain money....by deception 靠欺骗获取钱财
It is silly to do … 做……很愚蠢
It’s silly of sb. to do 某人做……真傻
It’s silly for sb. to do 某人做……真傻
indulge in… 沉溺于……
advance information/planning/warning/booking/reservations/training/notice 预先的信息/计划/警告/预订/培训/通知
remonstrate with sb.(about sth. ) （就某事）规劝某人
remonstrate against sth. 抗议…
ask (for)/need/give permission 请求/需要/给予许可
be granted permission to do 获准做
take...for granted 把……视为理所当然
It has never been explained why... 从未解释过为什么……
practical jokes 恶作剧
specialize in 专攻
no self-respecting ... would do... 有自尊心的……不会做……
be funny to 对……来说好笑
tear up 撕毁
sb. added that 某人补充说……
be grateful (to sb. ) for sth. （对某人）因某事感激
do...by force 用武力做……
stop doing 停止做
sth. would hardly be necessary as... 作为……几乎没有必要
be under arrest 被逮捕
put sb. under arrest 逮捕某人
pretend to do 假装做
make a telephone call 打电话
Only when... did sb. realize that +句子只有……某人才意识到……