clerk售货员，tape卷尺，plasma 等离子
笑话原文】
A Small Trick
All I wanted was to pay for some batteries, but none of the clerks in the electronics store seemed interested in helping me. I got an idea, and pulled a tape measure out of my pocket. I stepped over to one of the giant plasma screen TVs and started to measure it. Faster than you can say high definition, a young man came running over.
“May I help you?” he asked breathlessly.
“Yes,” I said. “I’d like to buy these batteries.”
中文译文】
一个小花招
我只是要付钱买电池。但是电器店里的职员似乎没有一个对此感兴趣。我有一了一个主意。我从口袋里掏出一条软尺，走到一个巨大的等离子电视机前，开始量尺寸。一个年轻人迅速跑过来，比说完“高清晰度”这四个字的速度还快。
他问：“有什么能帮您的呢?”他上气不接下气地说。
“有啊”我说，“我想买些电池。”
词汇讲解】
1.clerk售货员。总结一下clerk所代表的各种职位：(旅馆)接待员;办事员、文书;书记员;(议会中的)高级职员;教堂执事、见习修道士、神智人员;学者。
2.tape卷尺。tape还可以做动词，有“用胶布固定”的意思：tape a note to the door用胶布把一张字条粘贴在门上。Tie her and tape her up.把她绑起来，用胶布封住她的嘴。
3.step over走过，迈过。Step over the water, kids.孩子们，迈水过来。Will you step over to my office after work?下班后到我办公室来一趟好吗?
4.giant特大的。a giant photograph巨幅照片。也可以作名词，指“巨人”：a literary giant大文豪;an oil giant大石油公司
5. measure测量/权衡/调节/斟酌：measure one’s words斟酌词句;measure one’s foe估量自己的敌人。也可作名词，是“尺寸”的意思：one’s waist measure腰围尺寸。
6.breathless气喘吁吁的。Running up stairs very fast made him breathless.飞快跑上楼梯使他上气不接下气。“沉闷的、令人窒息的”：a breathless evening无风而沉闷的夜晚;breathless air in the attic阁楼里令人窒息的空气
