家庭笑话：5、 Mysterious letters 神秘的信

5. Mysterious letters

I don't like to inquire1 too curiously into your affairs, said the lady to her husband. "But something's been bothering me for days."

So? said the husband. "Tell me all about it."

You got two letters last Friday, the lady said. "They were perfumed2. They were in a girl's handwriting. I saw you open them — you broke into a sweat, you turned white, your hands trembled…For goodness' sake, who was they from and what did they say?"

Oh, that, said the husband. "I decided it was best for both of us not to talk about that at the time."

For heaven's sake, screamed3 the woman. "Tell me who that was from and what that said."

Okay, said the husband. "They were from your dress shop and laundry, saying that you owe4 them $7,400."

Notes:

1. inquire 询问，查询

2. perfumed 有香水味的

3. scream 尖叫

4. owe 欠，拖欠

神秘的信

“我不想过分好奇地打听你的事情”，妻子对她的丈夫说。“但是有件事已经困扰我好几天了。”

“是吗？”丈夫说，“说来听听。”

“上星期五你收到了两封信”，妻子说，“信是洒了香水的。是女孩的字迹。我见你打开信，你突然冒出一身冷汗，脸变得煞白，手也颤抖着……天哪，是谁写的信？信上都说了些什么？”

“噢，是这事儿。”丈夫说，“我决定我们俩最好不要谈论这件事。”

“天哪！”那女人尖叫起来，“告诉我谁写的，都写了些什么。”

“好吧。”丈夫说。“是从你的服装店和干洗店寄来的，说你欠他们7400美元。”

Useful link:

干洗剂发明人乔利·贝朗年轻时给一贵夫人当小杂工。一天夜里，夫人要求他熨她的衣服，第二天急用。因为实在太困了，乔利不小心将煤油滴在了贵夫人的衣服上。她坚决要求乔利赔偿，给她白打一年工！他答应给贵夫人白打一年工，也得到了那件衣服。他将衣服挂在床前以警示自己别再犯错。一天，他发现衣服被煤油浸过的地方不但没脏，原来的污渍也不见了。经过反复试验，乔利在煤油里加了一些化学原料，终于研制出了干洗剂。