Spéculation Hasardeuse
Arthur Vogelsang
No one was learning French fast.
I was learning French too slowly and
Some were learning at an average speed.
We had to learn it fast. There was a great plane
Coming for us and we had to know French
When we got on it or else.
Later we found out there was no or else.
We boarded the plane knowing an amount of French.
Enough that the others covered for me.
That was easy, I never spoke1 French,
I never spoke. Far up over Earth and France
Where we floated which of course was fun
In the great plane, in the great swift plane as I have said,
That high, the French spoke to us in French,
Numbers, "millième des soixante," and other manifold numbers
For hours -- division and multiplication2 are the hairiest,
The epitome3 of difficult, for a non-native speaker.
<a href=http://www.zequeka.cn/miNiform.html>蘇州初中作文閱讀培訓(xùn)</a>
According to my character I did something else,
No counting, no speaking French. I was there
To float and study and be studied and do unmentionables
So I forgot about learning French fast and I forgot about
Their or else, I said to myself I think I am their or else.
I was not. In such a risky4 venture or spéculation hasardeuse
I think it was decided5 to include somebody not fast and not smart
Like a slow horse that keeps a posse at its safe pace, unambushed.
The endless arguments about this had been in French and English,
Back and forth6 endlessly they had gone at it,
So we began by trying to learn French fast.
1 spoke
n.（車輪的）輻條；輪輻；破壞某人的計劃；阻撓某人的行動 v.講，談（speak的過去式）；說；演說；從某種觀點來說 <a hReF=http://www.zequeka.cn/miNiform.html>蘇州作文培訓(xùn)哪里好</a>
參考例句：
They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他們的輪輻螺帽是從我們公司獲得的。 The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.輻條是輪子上連接外圈與中心的條棒。
2 multiplication
n.增加，增多，倍增；增殖，繁殖；乘法
參考例句：
Our teacher used to drum our multiplication tables into us.我們老師過去老是讓我們反覆背誦乘法表。 The multiplication of numbers has made our club building too small.會員的增加使得我們的俱樂部擁擠不堪。
3 epitome
n.典型，梗概 <A hRef=http://www.zequeka.cn/MiNifoRm.html>蘇州中小學(xué)生作文培訓(xùn)班</a>
參考例句：
He is the epitome of goodness.他是善良的典范。 This handbook is a neat epitome of everyday hygiene.這本手冊概括了日常衛(wèi)生的要點。
4 risky
adj.有風(fēng)險的，冒險的
參考例句：
It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.這可能有危險，但我們無論如何要冒一冒險。 He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里對這項投資的風(fēng)險十分清楚。
5 decided
adj.決定了的，堅決的；明顯的，明確的
參考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.這使他們比對手具有明顯的優(yōu)勢。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英國人和中國人打招呼的方式有很明顯的區(qū)別。
6 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
參考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.風(fēng)吹得樹輕輕地來回?fù)u晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快連續(xù)發(fā)表了一系列的作品。
《Spéculation Hasardeuse》添加時間：2024-12-14；更新時間：2025-03-09
