原文熟悉：

Simon’s beating his brains out絞盡腦汁的西蒙

Simon was an inveterate(根深的) fisherman, well known for exaggerating the size of the one that got away. But there came a day when he actually caught two enormous flounders(掙扎，比目魚) . He immediately invited a few friends over to dine, then tried to figure out how best to serve the fish. If I use both, he told his wife, it will seem ostentatious(招搖的) .

西蒙是個老練的漁夫。人們都熟知他愛吹噓跑掉的那條魚的尺寸。但有一天他確實抓了兩條極大的比目魚。他立刻邀請幾個朋友過來吃飯，然后著力搞清楚怎樣上魚。如果兩條一起上，他對妻子說，好像有點炫耀之嫌了。

Why not serve a piece of each? she suggested.

何不兩條魚各上一塊呢?他妻子建議道。

No, if I cut them up, nobody will believe I caught two giant flounders. Simon racked his brain. Then he had an idea.

不行，如果把兩條魚都切碎了，就不會有人相信我抓了兩條大比目魚了。西蒙絞盡了腦汁，終于想出了一個好辦法。

The guests were seated at the table when their host strode in with a platter(大盤子) , holding the biggest flounder they’d ever seen. Suddenly Simon stumbled and fell. Everyone cried out in dismay as the fish crashed to the floor, but Simon quickly brushed himself off.

客人已在餐桌邊就座完畢，這時主人大步地走進來，手里端著一個托盤，托盤上是一個他們所見過的最大的比目魚。突然西蒙被什么東西絆了一下摔倒了。所有的人都驚慌地叫了起來，因為魚在地板上摔得粉碎。但是西蒙迅速地擺脫了窘境。

Dear, he called out to his wife, bring in the other flounder!

親愛的，他對妻子喊道，把另一條魚端上來!

詞匯速遞：

1.inveterate /?n?v?t?r?t/ If you describe someone as, for example, an inveterate liar or smoker, you mean that they have lied or smoked for a long time and are not likely to stop doing it. 根深蒂固的

例：Nominalists accordingly adopt the opinion that substance is a spurious idea due to our inveterate human trick of turning names into things.我們人類有種根深蒂固的習慣，慣于把名稱變為實物，因此，唯名主義者才主張說，實體是一個虛假的概念。

2.exaggerate /?ɡ?z?d???re?t/ CET4 If you exaggerate, you indicate that something is, for example, worse or more important than it really is. 夸大

例:He thinks I’m exaggerating.他認為我在夸大其詞。

3.figure outIf you figure out a solution to a problem or the reason for something, you succeed in solving it or understanding it. 想出; 弄明白 [非正式]

例：It took them about one month to figure out how to start the equipment.他們用了大約一個月的時間才弄明白如何啟動這臺設備。

4.ostentatious /??st?n?te???s/ If you describe something as ostentatious, you disapprove of it because it is expensive and is intended to impress people. 鋪張的 [表不滿]

例：Obviously he had plenty of money and was generous in its use without being ostentatious.顯而易見，他有很多錢，花錢雖大方卻不擺闊。

5.stumble /?st?mb?l/ CET6 If you stumble, you put your foot down awkwardly while you are walking or running and nearly fall over. 踉蹌; 絆腳

例：He stumbled and almost fell.他絆了一下，差點兒摔倒。