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有个女孩去市场上想找一份仆人的工作。最后，一位长相滑稽的老绅士雇用了她，把她带回家里。到家后，他对女孩说有些东西要教她，因为他给家里的每一样东西都起了特殊的名字。 他问女孩："你怎么称呼我？" "老爷或者先生，只要你喜欢，怎么称呼都行。”她说。 老绅士说："你必须叫我‘大老爷’。你管这个东西叫什么？”他指着床问。 “床或者睡椅，叫什么都行，只要你喜欢，老爷。" “这样叫不对，那是我‘夜晚的刑具、那你又怎么称呼这个?”他指着自己的裤子问道。 “马裤或者长裤，或叫别的也行，只要老爷喜欢。” “你以后得叫它‘爆竹'。那你管她叫什么？”他指了指猫。 “小猫或猫咪，只要老爷喜欢，叫什么都行。” "你以后得叫她‘白脸猿猴’。” “那这个呢？”老人指着火问，"你管它叫什么？” "火苗或者火焰，随便什么都行，只要老爷喜欢。” "以后你得管它叫‘炙热的小公鸡’。那这个呢?”他指着水，继续问。 “水或者湿的东西，随便什么都行，只要老爷喜欢。” “这样叫不对，它是‘池中的液体’。你怎样叫这个？”老绅士 指房子问。 "房屋或者村舍啊，或者别的你喜欢的都行。” “你得管它叫‘高顶山’。" 当天夜里，女仆把老绅士从睡梦中叫醒，她大惊失色，浑身打颤：“我的大老爷啊！快从你‘夜晚的刑具’上起来，穿上你的爆竹吧。‘炙热的小公鸡’落到了‘白脸猿猴’尾巴上，赶快打一些 ‘池中的液体’浇灭它，否则整座‘顶山都要被灸热的小公鸡吞没啦！” Master of All Masters A girl once went to the fair to hire herself as a servant. At last a funny-looking old gentleman engaged her, and took her home to his house. When she got there, he told her that he had something to teach her, for that in his house he had his own names for things. He said to her, “What will you call me?” “Master or mister, or whatever you please, sir. ’， says she. He said，”You must call me 4 master of all masters5. And what would you call this?’，pointing to his bed. “Bed or couch, or whatever you please, sir. ’， “No, that’s my ‘barnacle’. And what do you call these?” said he, pointing to his pantaloons. “Breeches or trousers, or whatever you please, sir.” “You must call them 4 squibs and crackers5. And what would you call her?” pointing to the cat. “Cat or kit, or whatever you please, sir.，’ “You must call her * white-faced simminy’must.” “And this now,” showing the fire, “what would you call this?” “Fire or flame, or whatever you please, sir.” “You must call it ‘ hot cockalorum ’，and what this?” he went on, pointing to the water. “Water or wet，or whatever you please，sir. ’’ “No，‘pondalorum’ is its name. And what do you call all this?” asked he as he pointed to the house. “House or cottage, or whatever you please, sir.” “You must call it ‘ high topper mountain’.” That very night the servant woke her master up in a fright and said, “Master of all masters, get out of your barnacle and put on your squibs and crackers. For white-faced simminy has got a spark of hot cockalorum on its tail, and unless you get some pondalorum high topper mountain will be all on hot cockalorum.” |
