小小說:誤送的留言條-A Note Wrongly Sent
誤送的留言條
【內容提示】
很久以來，Dr. Jackson 想在一家現代化的大醫院找一份永久性的工作。他終于如愿以償，得到一個他想要的職位。他和妻子搬到了新居。第二天，有人給他們送來一束美麗的鮮花，同時還有一張留言條，上面寫著：“深切的吊唁”。自然，Dr. Jackson很懊惱。于是，他打電話給花店問個究竟。請你接著續完故事，看看花店主人是如何答復他的。
【作文示范】
A Note Wrongly Sent
For a long time Dr. Jackson had wanted to get a permanent① job in a certain big hospital and at last he was successful. He was appointed② to the particular position which he wanted. Then he and his wife moved to the house which they were now to live in. The next day some beautiful flowers were delivered to them, with a note which said:“Deepest sympathy③”.
Naturally, Dr. Jackson was annoyed④ to receive such an extraordinary note, and telephoned the shop which had sent the flowers to find out what the note meant.
When the owner of the shop heard what had happened, he apologized to Dr. Jackson for having made the mistake.
“But what really worries me much more,” he added, “is that the flowers which ought to have gone to you were sent to a funeral ⑤, with a card which said: ‘Congratulations on your new position’”.
（選自1986年7月22日《上海學生英文報》）
【詞語解釋】
① permanent [＇p :m n nt] a. 永久的；持久的
② appoint [ ＇p&int] v. 任命；委派
③ sympathy [＇simp Ii] n. 同情；慰問；吊唁
④annoy [ ＇n&i] v. 使煩惱；使生氣
⑤ funeral [＇fju:n r l] n. 喪葬；葬禮
【寫法指要】
本文雖短，但寫得意味深長，含義深刻，可有多種理解：也許Jackson夫婦病入膏肓，被送到醫院等死；也許他們所住的房子的舊主人剛死；也許花店老板或別人與Jackson有仇等等。這是因為文章里有兩個關鍵詞可作雙關語解釋，這兩個詞是：1）permanent；2）sympathy。
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