书城外语课外英语-智力谜语(双语版)
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第10章 字母篇(5)

提示四加五(four and five)当然是九。

谜底:Nine.

If your uncle’s sister is not your aunt,what relation is she to you?

提示如果你舅舅的姐姐不是你的阿姨,那么她只能是你的妈妈。

谜底:Your mother.

In the list of English monarchs,who came after Mary?

提示有首英语儿歌Mary and Her Little Lamb(玛莉和她的小羊羔),羊羔总是跟着(come after)玛莉走。这个小女孩玛莉跟英国的玛莉女王(1662~1694)毫无关系。

谜底:Her little lamb.

In what book do ducks look up words?

提示表示“词典”的英语词是dictionary,给鸭子查字用的词典就成了ducktionary。

谜底:A ducktionary.

Name six things smaller than the mouth of an ant.

提示牙齿长在嘴里,当然比嘴小。

谜底:Six of his teeth.

On what boats do some students travel?

提示scholarship是“奖学金”的意思,其中的ship是名词后缀,跟ship(船)没有什么关系。这里是戏言而已。

谜底:On scholarships.

On what side of a house does the maple tree grow in Maine?

提示缅因州的槭树长在屋子的哪一面?不论在美国的缅因州(Maine)还是在什么别的地方,不论是槭树(maple)还是什么别的树,树木总是长在屋外的,至于前后左右就不一定了。

谜底:The outside.

Regardless of how clever you are,what thing will you always overlook?

提示overlook的字面意义是“向下看”,比喻意义是“忽视”。你看自己的鼻子总得向下看。

谜底:Your nose.

Should you eat your soup with your right or left hand?

提示你应该用右手还是用左手喝汤(Should you eat your soup with your right or left hand)?话虽这么说,其实你是用汤匙(spoon)喝汤。

谜底:Neither,you should use a spoon.

There is something lighter than a feather that you can’t hold even 10minutes.What is it?

提示要憋气(hold your breath)的话,十分钟就足以打破吉尼斯世界记录了。

谜底:Hold your breath.

W

What always speaks the truth but remains silent?

提示镜子(mirror)不会说话,但是能照出人的真面目。

谜底:A mirror.

What animal always goes to bed with its shoes on?

提示马钉着马掌(horseshoe),什么时候都不会脱下来。

谜底:A horse.

What animal can you make from noughts and crosses?

提示nought就是0,cross就是X,ox是“牛”的意思。

谜底:An OX.

What animal do you look like when you have a bath?

提示bare(裸体的)跟bear(熊)是同音异义词。

谜底:A little bear.

What animal hides in the grape?

提示这是个字谜。ape(类人猿)是单词grape(葡萄)的一部分。

谜底:An ape.

What animal needs to be oiled?

提示squeak既指老鼠的“吱吱”叫声,又指未经润滑的铰链等的“嘎吱”响声。老鼠会发出squeak的声音,所以它也得加油(be oiled)。

谜底:A mouse——it squeaks.

What animal took the most luggage into the Ark and what animal took the least?

提示trunk的一个意思是“象的鼻子”,另一个意思是“箱子”;comb 的一个意思是“鸡冠”,另一个意思是“梳子”。

谜底:The elephant took his trunks,whereas the rooster only had a comb.

What ant is the youngest?

提示这是个字谜。ant(蚂蚁)是单词infant(幼儿)的一部分。

谜底:An infant.

What are a banker’s favourite vowels?

提示I,O,U三个元音组成单词IOU,意思是“借据”(由I owe you 的读音缩略转义而成)。

谜底:IOU.

What are pilots’favourite biscuits?

提示plain biscuits的意思是“单纯的饼干”,plain(单纯的)和plane (飞机)是一对同形异义词。

谜底:Plain biscuits.

What are spider webs good for?

提示spider webs(蜘蛛网)对spider(蜘蛛)有用,这是不容置疑的

谜底:Plain biscuits.

What are the best shoes to wear in a sinking boat?

提示pumps的一个解释是“水泵”,另一个解释是“网球鞋”。在下沉的船(sinking boat)上,最需要的是水泵(pumps)。

谜底:Pumps.

What are the little white things that bite?

提示bite的基本意思是“咬”。牙齿能“咬”,这是显而易见的。但是,谜面“What are the little white things that bite?”给人的第一印象是“咬人的小东西是什么”。

谜底:Teeth.

What are the signs of iron deficiency?

提示iron deficiency的通常解释是“缺铁”,但是iron又作“熨斗”解;所以,iron deficiency又作“熨斗熨得不够”解,其症状是衣服起皱(crumpled clothes)。

谜底:Crumpled clothes.

What can have hundreds of limbs but can’t walk?

提示limb的一个意思是“肢干”,另一个意思是“大树枝”。

谜底:A tree.

What is the saddest piece of clothing?

提示blue jeans的意思是“蓝色的牛仔服”,blue作为形容词又作“忧郁的”解。所以,蓝色的牛仔服成了最伤心的衣服。

谜底:Blue jeans.

What are the largest ants in the world?

提示这是个字谜。ant(蚂蚁)是单词giant(巨人)的一部分。

谜底:Giant.

What are you likely to find in a boy’s sock?

提示袜子(sock)里当然是脚(foot)。

谜底:A foot.

What band can’t play music?

提示band是“乐队”的意思,而rubber band是“橡皮筋”。

谜底:A rubber band.

What band does every wife have?

提示这是个字谜。band(乐队)是husband(丈夫)的一部分。

谜底:A husband.

What bean isn’t as good as it used to be?

提示bean(豆)和been(be的过去分词)是同形异义词。hasbeen 作“过时的人物,不再时兴的东西”解。

谜底:A hasbeen.

What bet can never be won?

提示这是个字谜。bet(打赌)是alphabet(字母表)的一部分。

谜底:The alphabet.

What book has the most stirring chapters?

提示stirring的一个意思是“激动人心的”,另一个意思是“(炒菜时)搅动的”。烹调书(a cook book)正适合。

谜底:A cook book.

What bow can never be tied?

提示这是个字谜。bow(弓)是rainbow(虹)的一部分。

谜底:A rainbow.

What breed of dog has no tail?

提示这是个字谜。dog(狗)是hot dog(热狗,面包夹香肠)的一部分。

谜底:A hot dog.

What burns to keep a secret?

提示sealing wax(蜂蜡)用于封信封,从而可以说keep a secret(保守秘密)。

谜底:Sealing wax.

What cakes do children dislike?

提示cake的一个意思是“糕点”,另一个意思是“块”,例如:a cake of soap(一块肥皂)。

谜底:Cakes of soap.

What can a cook make with the letter“Y”?

提示这是个字谜。cook(厨师)加上字母Y就变成cooky(家常小甜饼),是cookie的一个变体。

谜底:A cooky.

What can a man be that a woman can’t?

提示只有男人(man)才能当父亲(father)。

谜底:A father.

What can be done to prevent sickness the night before a trip?

提示怎样才能防止旅行的前一夜得病呢(prevent sickness before a trip)?谜底“早一天出发”只不过是一句戏言,但是没有错。

谜底:Leave a day earlier.

What can children do that adults can’t?

提示什么事情只有孩子才能做而成人做不到呢?只有孩子才能长大(grow up),成人不能再长大了。

谜底:Grow up.

What can fall down and never get hurt?

提示雪(snow)落下来(fall down)当然不会受伤(get hurt)。

谜底:Snow.

What can fall on a lake yet not make ripples in the water?

提示月光(moonlight)落在湖面上(fall on a lake)当然不会引起涟漪(make a ripple)。

谜底:Moonlight.

What can make a cow fly?

提示这是个字谜。cow(母牛)加上字母R就变成crow(乌鸦)。

谜底:The letter “R”,because it makes a cow into a crow.

What can never be made right?

提示be made right有两个意思,一个是“纠正”,另一个是“变成右”。左耳(your left ear)当然变不成右耳。

谜底:Your left ear.

What can you change without touching it?

提示短语change your mind是“改变主意”的意思。

谜底:Your mind.

What can you do if you can’t sleep on an empty stomach?

提示sleep on an empty stomach的正常意义是“空着肚子睡觉”,谜面作“趴着睡觉”解的话,那么谜底就是“仰着睡觉”(sleep on your back)。

谜底:Sleep on your back.

What can you hold without touching?

提示短语hold your breath的意思是“屏住呼吸”。

谜底:Your breath.

What can you make but not use?

提示短语make a mess的意思是“弄得一团糟”。

谜底:A mess.

What can you make that can’t be seen?

提示短语make a noise的意思是“发出吵闹声”。

谜底:A noise.

What can you put into a barrel to make it lighter?

提示把桶(barrel)里装的东西拿走一些,挖出个空洞(hole),桶也就变轻了。

谜底:A hole.

What can you serve but not eat?

提示网球(tennis ball)比赛中的“发球”叫做serve the ball。

谜底:A tennis ball.

What cat can’t chase mice?

提示这是个字谜。cat(猫)是单词caterpillar(毛虫)的一部分。

谜底:A caterpillar.

What causes the death of a lot of people?

提示coughing(咳嗽)和coffin(棺材)的读音接近。

谜底:Coffin.

What causes trouble if it stops smoking?

提示谜面里的smoking不理解为“抽烟”而理解为“冒烟”,就得出谜底“烟筒”(a chimney)。

谜底:A chimney.

What changes a vegetable into a fruit?

提示这是个字谜。pea(豌豆)是一种蔬菜(vegetable),加上字母R 后就变成pear(梨),成为一种水果。

谜底:The letter “R”,because it changes a pea into a pear.

What coat is always wet when you put it on?

提示coat的最常用义是“衣服”,而a coat of paint(一层涂料)中的coat是“层”的意思。

谜底:A coat of paint.

What colours can be used for the sun and the wind?

提示rose既是动词rise(升起)的过去式,又是名词“玫瑰”;blew是动词blow(吹)的过去式,它的同音异义词blue是“蓝色的”意思。

谜底:The sun rose and the wind blue.

What comes into a room uninvited but is usually welcome?