古德明英語軍事小故事:防不勝防 (中英對照)
古德明《征服英語》之英語軍事故事,古德明,香港英語教育作家,他開了一個《征服英語專欄》,在專欄中專門用英語寫了世界近代史上的軍事小故事,用英語講述歷史中那些驚心動魄的戰(zhàn)爭。防不勝防
As the Allied troops advanced through Italy in 1943, there were surprises in store for them. British soldiers once came upon a highly desirable billet abandoned by the Germans, its front door invitingly half-open. Entering through a window to avoid the likely booby trap, they approached the front door from inside and found attached to it the expected explosive charge set to go off when the door was moved. They left the house and tied a string to the outside knob of the front door, taking cover in a slit trench across the road. When they were all in the slit trench, they pulled the string. The slit trench exploded, killing them all.一九四三年,盟軍在意大利推進(jìn),頗有出奇之遇。有一次,英兵行經(jīng)一所軍人臨時宿舍,是德軍遺下的,看來非常舒適,前門半開,似邀行客。英兵擔(dān)心落入陷阱,從窗口爬進(jìn)房子,走近前門,發(fā)覺門后果然系炸藥,安排好門一動就會爆炸。英兵退出房子,用長繩把前門向外一面的圓形把手綁,到馬路另一邊的散兵坑躲藏,待大伙兒都進(jìn)了坑之后,才拉動繩子。散兵坑隨即爆炸,把他們都炸死了。【解說】 Booby trap 直譯是「呆子陷阱」,軍事上習(xí)慣譯作「詭雷」,指隱藏而一觸即發(fā)的爆炸品;軍事以外,則指捉弄人的陷阱,例如: I didn't notice the booby trap, and the empty box balanced on top of the half-open door fell on my head when I pushed it (我沒有留意到那機(jī)關(guān),一推半開的門,門上放的空盒就掉在我頭上)。
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