We didn't know Napoleon was ill 我们不知道拿破仑病了
英语笑话
Jack had gone to a university to study history, but at the end of his first year, his history professor failed him in his examinations, and he was told that he would have to leave the university.
However, his father decided that he would go to see the professor to urge him to let Jack continue his studies the following year.
He's a good boy, said Jack's father, "and if you let him pass this time, I'm sure he'll improve a lot next year and pass the examinations at the end of it really well."
No, no, that's quite impossible, replied the professor immediately. "Do you know, last month I asked him when Napoleon had died, he didn't know!"
Please, sir, give him another chance, said Jack's father. "You see, I'm afraid we don't take any newspaper in our house, so none of us even know that Napoleon was ill."
中文翻译
杰克到一所大学去学历史，可第一学年结束时，历史课教授没让他在考试中及格，学校让他退学。
然而，杰克的父亲决定去见教授，强烈要求让杰克继续来年的学业。
“他是个好孩子，”杰克的父亲说，“如果您让他这次及格了，我相信他明年会有很大进步，学期结束时，他一定会考好的。”
“不，不，那不可能，”教授马上回答，“你知道吗？上个月我问他拿破仑什么时候死的，他都不知道。”
“先生，请再给他一次机会吧。”杰克的父亲说，“你不知道，恐怕是因为我们家没有订报纸，所以我们连拿破仑病了都不知道。”
词汇点睛
urge [ɜːdʒ] v. 竭力推荐或力陈某事物
continue [kənˈtɪnju] v. 继续
improve [ɪmˈpruːv] v. 改进，改善
immediately [ɪˈmiːdiətli] adv. 立即，马上
语法分析
1. However, his father decided that he would go to see the professor to urge him to let Jack continue his studies the following year. 然而，杰克的父亲决定去见教授，强烈要求让杰克继续来年的学业。
解析 这句话的主干是his father decided，that引导的宾语从句作decided的宾语，在这个宾语从句中还有to引导的两个不定式结构，to urge him to let Jack continue his studies，表示go to see the professor的目的。
口语实践
A I heard Professor Smith is pretty strict with the grades.
B Oh, yeah? That isn't good. Now I'm really scared.
A Don't worry about it. Tests are just like that: you win some, you lose some.
A 我听说史密斯教授给分很严格的。
B 噢，是吗？这可不好，现在我真的害怕了。
A 不要担心。测试就是这样，有时你考得好，有时你考得不好。
★scared [skeəd] adj. 害怕的
笑话文化解读
AT（The Achievement Test，简称AT测验）学业成绩测验。这是美国大学入学考试委员会在1901年开发的一种成就测验，由教育考试服务处受托举办。其目的主要是测量学生在中学阶段对特定学科知识的掌握及运用这些知识的能力，以此为学生选择大学和入校后选择专业提供参考，也可结合其他数据，如学术评估测验成绩或中学成绩，预测学生未来在大学学习中的表现。因此，它是为入学竞争较激烈和水平较高的大学所采用的考试形式。学业成绩测验包括15门学科的考试，分为5组：（1）英语：包括文学、写作；（2）外国语：包括德语、法语、希伯来语、俄语、拉丁语、西班牙语；（3）历史与社会科学：包括美国史和社会科学、欧洲史和社会科学；（4）数学：包括数学I和数学Ⅱ；（5）科学：包括生物、化学、物理。其中，文学或写作、数学为必考科目，此外考生还要在外国语、历史与社会科学和自然科学中根据专业任选一门。整个测验由客观型多项选择题和写作构成，每科1小时，共计3小时。
