The Shortcut

抄近道

A truck driver was driving cargo from the outback to the coast. His load was comprised of many types of ore. He needed a huge truck to carry its bulk to a ship waiting at a pier on the country's eastern coast. At the border between two counties, he'd have to pay a tariff on the cargo. However, he could keep his money if he avoided the station at the border. He worried about getting in trouble for not paying the tariff, but the thought of extra money outweighed this concern.

一个卡车司机正把货物从内地运到海岸。他的货物是许多种矿石。他需要一辆巨大的卡车把货物运到一艘停泊在该国东海岸码头的轮船上。在两个县的边界处，他必须为货物支付关税。然而，如果他避开了边境的车站，他就可以省下这笔钱。他担心因为不付关税而惹上麻烦，但想到能省下的钱，他也就不担心了。

He took out his road map. To his surprise, it depicted a small road that had a dual advantage. It not only avoided the border station but also was a shorter route to the coast. He decided to take the shortcut.

他拿出路线图，令他惊讶的是，图上花了一条具有双重优势的小路。它不仅避开了边境站，而且是一条通往海岸的较短路线。他决定抄近路走。

However, along his journey, he soon ran into problems. First, he had to cross a small wooden bridge. His truck weighed too much for the bridge. It was analogous to an elephant trying to stand on a tree branch. The bridge started to break as the truck crossed, and the trailer tilted to the right. Fortunately, the truck made it safely across, but most of the ore fell into the river below.

然而，他很快就在途中遇到了一些问题。首先，他必须通过一座小木桥。他的卡车太重了，过不去桥。这就好比大象试图站在树枝上。卡车过桥时桥开始断裂，拖车向右倾斜。幸运的是，卡车安全通过了，但是大部分矿石掉进了下面的河里。

Next, it was a very hot day. The thermometer read over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The truck's engine became too hot, so the driver parked it in the shade of a grove of trees until it cooled down.

此外，当天非常炎热。温度计显示温度超过华氏100度。卡车的发动机太热了，所以司机把它停在一片树荫下，直到它冷却下来。

Later, he took a wrong turn.He stopped and took out his binoculars. He scanned his surroundings and eventually discovered a landmark that led him back to the proper route.

后来，他转错了弯。他停下来，拿出望远镜，环视四周，终于发现了一个路标，指引他回到了正确的路线。

Finally, he arrived at the pier, but the ship wasn't there. When he asked about the ship's whereabouts, a man said that it had left thirty minutes ago. He had not fulfilled his duty. He realized then the paradox of the shortcut. The shortest route can be the longest, and vice versa, a long route may be the fastest.

最后，他到了码头，但是船不在那里。当他问起那艘船的下落时，一个人说船三十分钟前就离开了。他没有履行他的职责。他意识到了捷径的悖论：最短的路线可能是最长的，反之亦然，较长的路线可能是最快的。

单词表

analogous adj.类似的

binoculars n. 双筒望远镜

bulk n. 体积

comprise v. 包含

depict v. 描述

dual adj.双的

Fahrenheit n. 华氏温度计

fulfill v. 履行

grove n. 小树林

ore n. 矿

outback n. 内地

outweigh v. 比…重

paradox n. 悖论

pier n. 码头

shortcut n. 捷径

tariff n. 关税表

thermometer n. 温度计

tilt v. 倾斜

vice versa adv. 反之亦然

whereabouts n. 下落

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