Diễn viên hài kịch ở vườn thú
English Ẩn / hiện bản dịch
The Comedian at the Zoo
An unemployed comedian visited a zoo and tried to earn some money by performing as a street entertainer. Just as a crowd began to gather, a zoo employee grabbed him and took him into an office.
The employee explained that one of the zoo's most popular attractions, an ape, had died of cholera the previous day. Management feared visitor numbers would fall, so they offered the comedian a job: dress up as the ape and occupy its enclosure until they could find a replacement. Naturally, he agreed.
The next morning he put on the ape costume and entered the enclosure before the zoo opened. From his very first shift, he thought the job was wonderful. He could play, be funny, and do whatever he liked to draw visitors. His creativity had far more freedom than it had in the theater company, and his audience was much bigger too.
Eventually, however, visitors grew bored with the 'ape,' and he grew tired of swinging on ropes all day. He noticed that the lion next door was attracting more attention. Determined not to lose his audience, he climbed onto the roof, crawled across, and swung over the lion's enclosure.
This naturally infuriated the lion, but the crowd loved it. At closing time, the manager praised his inventive way of entertaining the visitors. He continued swinging over the lion for many days. The crowds grew, and his pay rose day by day.
Then one day, carried away by his own performance, the 'ape' lost his grip and fell into the lion's enclosure. He was terrified. The lion crouched, ready to pounce. In a panic, he ran around the enclosure with the lion close behind.
Finally he shouted, "Help! Help me!" But the lion was faster. It sprang at him and knocked him flat on his back. As he stared up at its angry face, he suddenly heard it hiss:
"Shut up, you idiot, or you'll get us all fired!"
Từ vựng trong truyện
- unemployed: thất nghiệp
- enclosure: chuồng, khu nuôi thú có rào
- replacement: con hoặc người thay thế
- infuriated: làm vô cùng tức giận
- lost his grip: tuột tay
- pounce: vồ
- fired: bị sa thải