A couple was celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. Their domestic tranquility had long been the talk of the town. A local newspaper reporter was inquiring as to the secret of their long and happy marriage.
“Well，it dates back to our honeymoon，”explained the man.“We visited the Grand Canyon and took a trip down to the bottom of the canyon by pack mule. We hadn’t gone too far when my wife’s mule stumbled. My wife quietly said，‘That’s once. ’”
“We proceeded a little further and the mule stumbled again. Once more my wife quietly said，‘That’s twice. ’”
“We hadn’t gone a half-mile when the mule stumbled the third time. My wife quietly removed a revolver from her pocket and shot the mule dead.”
“I started to protest over her treatment of the mule when she looked at me and quietly said，‘That’s once. ’”
1.golden wedding anniversary - 金婚纪念日（结婚50周年纪念）
2.domestic tranquility - 家庭和睦
3.local newspaper reporter - 地方报纸记者
4.inquiry - 调查，询问
5.secret - 秘密
6.honeymoon - 蜜月
7.Grand Canyon - 大峡谷
8.pack mule - 驮畜（此处指驮着行李的骡子）
9.stumbled - 绊倒
10.quietly - 安静地，平静地
11.revolver - 左轮手枪
12.shot the mule dead - 射杀了骡子
13.protest - 抗议
14.treatment - 对待方式
金婚纪念
一对老年夫妇正在举行他们的金婚纪念仪式。他们宁静的家庭生活一直以来为小镇的人所津津乐道。当地一家报纸的记者打算去探究一下关于他们长期幸福生活的秘密。
“好的，这要追溯到我们的蜜月旅行。”男人说，“我们参观了大峡谷，让骡子驮着我们到谷底进行旅行。还没有走多远，我妻子的骡子被绊了一下，这时她静静地说道：‘这是第一次。’
“我们没走多远，那头骡子又被绊了一下。我妻子再次静静地说道：‘这是第二次。’
“我们还没有走半英里路，骡子第三次被绊了一下。这时我妻子静静地从口袋里拿出一把左轮手枪，打死了那头骡子。
“我开始向她抗议她这种对待骡子的方式，这时，她看着我，静静地说道：‘这是第一次。’”
下一篇：高频情景口语对话：考试结束