胡敏读故事记托福词汇054：流星 The Meteor
Once upon a time, there was a crab who lived in a crack on the side of a creek. One day, he and his daughter crawled to the bank to apply for credit.
从前，一条小溪的裂缝里住着一只蟹。一天蟹和他女儿一起爬到银行去申请信用贷款。
The manager of the bank was credulous individual named Mr. Fish. Mr. Fish invited the crab and his daughter into his cozy office. “Here are some crayons to keep your daughter busy,” said Mr. Fish. “Now, what can I do for you?”
银行经理称“鱼先生，”是个轻信的人。鱼先生把蟹和他女儿请进他舒适的办公室。“这里有些彩笔，让你女儿画着玩吧。”鱼先生说，“说吧，我能帮你做什么?”
“I would like to apply for some credit,” said the crab. “Here are my credentials.”
“我想申请些信用贷款。”蟹说，“这是我的信用证。”
“Your prior creditor, Mr. Frog, told me that you still haven’t paid his back.” said Mr. Fish.
“可你从前的债权人青蛙先生告诉我你还没有还清他的帐。”鱼先生说。
“But this is an emergency,” said the crab. “A meteor crashed into my home. It created a large crater and crammed us into a small corner. I need the credit to buy stones and glue to fix my house.”
“但这次很紧急，”蟹说，“一颗流星坠落下来，把我们家砸了个大坑，把我们挤进了一个小角落里。所以我需要贷款买石头和胶来修房子。”
“Ha ha ha,” laughed the crab. “You and I share the same creed, so I would like to believe you. But I can’t give credence to your still story.”
“哈哈哈，”鱼先生大笑起来，“我们有共同的信仰，所以我愿意相信你。但我不会相信你愚蠢的故事。”
“Okay,” relied the crab. “By the way, the meteor also caused some worms to lose their homes. I crafted a small box for you and filled it with worms.”
“好吧，”蟹说道，“顺便问一句，流星坠地还使一些蚯蚓流离失所。这是我为你精心制作的小盒子，里面装满了好多蚯蚓。”
“You know how I crave worms,” said Mr. Fish, as he grabbed one that was creeping away.
“你知道我是多么渴望得到蚯蚓啊!”鱼先生一边说，一边迅速抓住一个正在往外爬的蚯蚓。
“There’s more where that came from,” said the crab.
“那里还有很多呢!”蟹说。
“Really?” said Mr. Fish. “You are a crafty customer. I know there’s no meteor and that you just want to build another room for your cramped house. But I’ll give you the credit this time.”
“真的吗?”鱼先生说，“你是个机灵的顾客。我知道根本没有流星坠地。你就是想再建一个大房间以取代你那狭窄的旧屋子。不过这次会贷款给你的。”
“Great, shall we shake on it?” asked the crab, extending his sharp pinchers.
“好极了!让我们为此握手吧!”蟹说着，伸出了他尖尖的双螯。
“No, thanks,” said Mr. Fish. “I’d rather not.”
“不，谢谢了。”鱼先生说，“我才不与你握手呢。”
Words:
cozy adj. 舒适的
crab n. 蟹
crack n. 裂缝，裂纹，缺点;v.破裂，裂纹
craft n. 手艺;容器;v.巧手制作
crafty adj. 灵活的，巧妙的，机灵的
cram vt. 填塞;匆忙准备(考试)
cramped adj. 狭窄的
crash n. 撞碎;n.碰撞，堕落
crater n. 火山口;弹坑，坑，陨石坑
crave vi. 渴望，渴求;vt. 渴望得到
crawl vi. 爬，爬行
crayon n. 彩色笔，粉笔，粉笔画，蜡笔画
credence n. 信任，相信
credential n. 凭证，文凭
credit n. 学分;信誉，信用，荣誉;声望;贷方，银行贷款;vt. 认…，把…归给，归于
creditor n. 债权人
credulous adj. 轻信的，易信的
creed n. 信仰，信条
creek n. 小溪，小河
creep vi. 慢慢行进;爬行
