Q: How many feet are in a yard?
A: It depends on how many people are standing in it.
因为yard和foot都有两个意思,所以这个问句也就有了两种理解方式:
1)一码有几英尺?
2)一个院子里有几只脚?
(yard: 1 码(=3英尺);2 院子(=court- yard);foot:1 脚;2 英尺。)
Q: Do you know how long cows should milked?
A: Same way as short cows.
此问句可以有两种读法:1)...how(怎样)long cows should be milked?和2)...How long(多久)cows should be milked? 而回答问题的人则是按照第一种读法进行回答的。那么应该怎样给个儿高的奶牛挤奶呢?当然和给个儿矮的奶牛挤奶的方法一样了。
Q: What question can you never answer 'yes' to?
A: 'Are you asleep?'
这句话可能还有其他答案,不过这一个肯定是经典之一。因为绝对没有人在睡着后还能回答“你睡着了吗?”这个问题的。
Q: When were the Middle Ages?
A: Between the ones that came before and the ones that came after.
Middle Ages本来是指欧洲历史上的中世纪(约AD500——AD1500年)。但答案却巧妙运用了middle(中间的)的含义:中间的年代就是处于以前年代和以后年代之间的年代。
Q: Why were the Middle Ages called the Dark Ages?
A: There were more knights in those days.
Dark Ages本来是指欧洲中世纪早期的“黑暗时代”,而Middle Ages(中世纪)正是以骑士(knights)著称的时代。答案借助了knights和nights(夜晚)读音相同的特点,而且night和dark也相互呼应,非常巧妙。
Waiter: Would you like black coffee?
Diner: What other colors do you have?
看来这位客人挺喜欢开玩笑的。当服务生问他是否要喝清咖啡(black coffee)时,他却问道,你这还有其他颜色的咖啡吗?black coffee是指不加牛奶(或奶油的)咖啡;英语中还有white coffee之称,指的是加牛奶(或奶油)的咖啡。
Q: Why do elephants have trunks?
A: Because they don't have pockets to put things in.
为什么大象有鼻子呢,因为它们没有口袋装东西。这好象有些所答非所问。其实,回答者是利用了trunk的多义形式。因为trunk既可以是“象鼻”,又可以指“皮箱”,所以回答者为了增加幽默效果而采用了“皮箱”的意思来回答。仔细想想,也蛮有道理的。