Text:
When the Ambassador or Escalopia returned home for lunch, his wife got a shock. He looked pale and his clothes were in a frightful state.
'What has happened?' she asked. 'How did your clothes get into such a mess?'
'A fire extinguisher, my dear,' answered the Ambassador drily. 'University students set the Embassy on fire this morning.'
'Good heavens!' exclaimed his wife. 'And where were you at the time?'
'I was in my office as usual,' answered the Ambassador. 'The fire broke out in the basement. I went down immediately, of course, and that fool, Horst, aimed a fire extinguisher at me. He thought I was on fire. I must definitely get that fellow posted.'
The Ambassador's wife went on asking questions, when she suddenly noticed a big hole in her husband's hat.
'And how can you explain that?' she asked.
'Oh, that,' said the Ambassador. 'Someone fired a shot through my office window. Accurate, don't you think? Fortunately, I wasn't wearing it at the time. If I had been, I would not have been able to get home for lunch.'
Words & Expressions
*fantasy n. 幻想故事 /ˈfæntəsi/, an exciting and unusual experience or situation that you imagine happening to you, but which will probably never happen.
live in a fantasy world活在想象的世界
--Young children sometimes can’t distinguish between fantasy and reality.
--Memories can sometimes be pure fantasy, rather than actual recollections.
*in a frightful state 可怕的，令人吃惊的状态
state, the physical or mental condition that someone or something is in
state of: There are fears for the state of the country’s economy.
in a bad/terrible etc state: When we bought the house, it was in a terrible state.
somebody’s mental/physical/emotional state: Frankly, I wouldn’t trust his emotional state right now. She was in an extremely confused state of mind.
in no fit state to do something(=should not do something because you are not in a suitable condition)
*drily adv. 冷淡地，枯燥无味地 /ˈdraɪli/
--The official told me drily that there were "problems with the format".
*post v. 派任/发帖/知悉情况 n职位/帖子/柱/邮件等 eg.high post
--Keep me posted on your progress.
--A consultation paper has been posted on the Internet inviting input from users.
Pronunciation
*embassy /ˈembəsi/
*ambassador /æmˈbæsədər/
*got /ɡɒt$ɡɑːt/
*accurate ['ækjərət]
*definitely ['dɛfɪnətli]
*put /pʊt/ 谢谢文指出，这个单词原来一直都读错。不能发成/oʊ/