2000年高考英语全国卷 - 阅读理解B

The easy way out isn’t always easiest. I learned that lesson when I decided to treat Doug my husband of one month to a special meal. I glanced through my cookbook and chose a menu which included homemade bread. Knowing the bread would take time I started on it as soon as Doug left for work. As I was not experienced in cooking I thought if a dozen was good two dozen would be better so I doubled everything. As Doug loved oranges I also opened a can of orange and poured it all into the bowl. Soon there was a sticky dough covered with ugly yellowish marks. Realizing I had been defeated I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldn’t have to face Doug laughing at my work. I went on preparing the rest of the meal and when Doug got home we sat down to Cornish chicken with rice. He tried to enjoy the meal but seemed disturbed. Twice he got up and went outside saying he thought he heard a noise. The third time he left I went to the windows to see what he was doing. Looking out I saw Doug standing about three feet from the rubbish bin holding the lid up with a stick and looking into the container. When I came out of the house he dropped the stick and explained that there was something alive in our rubbish bin. Picking up the stick again he held the lid up enough for me to see. I felt cold. But I stepped closer and looked harder. Without doubt it was my work. The hot sun had caused the dough to double in size and the fermenting yeast made the surface shake and sigh as though it were breathing. I had to admit what the “living thing” was and why it was there. I don’t know who was more embarrassed by the whole thing-Doug or me.
简单的方式并不总是最容易。当我决定请结婚一个月的丈夫道格吃一顿特别的晚餐时，我认识到了这一点。我浏览了一下食谱，选择了一份包括自制面包的菜单。面包需要时间，道格一去上班我就开始制作。因为我没有烹饪经验，我想如果做一打比较好的话，两打会更好，所以我把所有的物品都加倍。道格喜欢橘子，所以我打开了一罐橘子，把它们全部倒进碗里。很快有了一个粘糊糊的面团，满身是难看的黄色斑点。我意识到失败了，我就把面团扔在外面的垃圾桶里，我不想让道格嘲笑我的作品，我继续准备剩下的饭菜。道格到家后，我们坐下来吃康沃尔鸡肉饭。他试着享受这顿饭，但似乎很不安。他两次站起来，走了出去，说他好像听到了一种声音。他第三次离开时，我走到窗户前，想看看他在干什么。向外看，我看到道格站在离垃圾桶大约三英尺远的地方，用一根棍子把盖子举起来，朝容器里看。当我走出房子时，他扔下棍子，解释说垃圾桶里有活物。他又拿起棍子，把盖子举得足够高，让我看。我觉得有一丝寒意。我走上前，看得更仔细，毫无疑问，这是我的作品。炎热的太阳让面团大小增加了一倍，发酵的酵母让表面不停地抖动，就好像它们在呼吸。我不得不解释那“活物”是什么，它为什么会在那里。整件事情我不知道谁更尴尬——道格还是我。