古德明《征服英语》之英语军事故事，古德明，香港英语教育作家，他开了一个《征服英语专栏》，在专栏中专门用英语写了世界近代史上的军事小故事，用英语讲述历史中那些惊心动魄的战争。

防不胜防

As the Allied troops advanced through Italy in 1943, there were surprises in store for them. British soldiers once came upon a highly desirable billet abandoned by the Germans, its front door invitingly half-open. Entering through a window to avoid the likely booby trap, they approached the front door from inside and found attached to it the expected explosive charge set to go off when the door was moved. They left the house and tied a string to the outside knob of the front door, taking cover in a slit trench across the road. When they were all in the slit trench, they pulled the string. The slit trench exploded, killing them all.

一九四三年，盟军在意大利推进，颇有出奇之遇。有一次，英兵行经一所军人临时宿舍，是德军遗下的，看来非常舒适，前门半开，似邀行客。英兵担心落入陷阱，从窗口爬进房子，走近前门，发觉门后果然系炸药，安排好门一动就会爆炸。英兵退出房子，用长绳把前门向外一面的圆形把手绑，到马路另一边的散兵坑躲藏，待大伙儿都进了坑之后，才拉动绳子。散兵坑随即爆炸，把他们都炸死了。

【解说】 Booby trap 直译是「呆子陷阱」，军事上习惯译作「诡雷」，指隐藏而一触即发的爆炸品；军事以外，则指捉弄人的陷阱，例如： I didn't notice the booby trap, and the empty box balanced on top of the half-open door fell on my head when I pushed it （我没有留意到那机关，一推半开的门，门上放的空盒就掉在我头上）。

编辑:Liuxuepaper.Com