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It has never been explained why university students seem to enjoy practical jokes more than anyone else. Students specialize in a particular type of practical joke: the hoax. Inviting the fire brigade to put out a nonexistent fire is a crude form of deception which no self-respecting student would ever indulge in. Students often create amusing situations which are funny to everyone except the victims.
When a student recently saw two workmen using a pneumatic drill outside his university, he immediately telephoned the police and informed them that two students dressed up as workmen were tearing up the road with a pneumatic drill. As soon as he had hung up, he went over to the workmen and told them that if a policeman ordered them to go away, they were not to take him seriously. He added that a student had dressed up as a policeman and was playing all sorts of silly jokes on people. Both the police and the workmen were grateful to the student for this piece of advance information.
The student hid in an archway nearby where he could watch and hear everything that went on. Sure enough, a policeman arrived on the scene and politely asked the workmen to go away. When he received a very rude reply from one of the workmen, he threatened to remove them by force. The workmen told him to do as he pleased and the policeman telephoned for help. Shortly afterwards, four more policemen arrived and remonstrated with the workmen. As the men refused to stop working, the police attempted to seize the pneumatic drill. The workmen struggled fiercely and one of them lost his temper. He threatened to call the police. At this, the police pointed out ironically that this would hardly be necessary as the men were already under arrest. Pretending to speak seriously, one of the workmen asked if he might make a telephone call before being taken to the station. Permission was granted and a policeman accompanied him to a pay phone. Only when he saw that the man was actually telephoning the police did he realize that they had all been the victims of a hoax.
【New words and expressions】 生词和短语
●practical joke n. 恶作剧
●specialize n. 专门研究
●hoax n. 骗局，戏弄
●deception n. 欺骗，骗局
●self-respecting adj. 自重的
●indulge v. 使沉迷
●pneumatic adj. 气动的
●drill n. 钻
●seriously n. 认真地，真诚地
●silly adj. 无意义的，无聊的
●advance adj. 预先的，事先获得的
●archway n. 拱形门楼
●remonstrate v. 规劝，告诫，抗议
●ironically adv. 讽刺地
●permission n. 许可
●grant v. 同意，准予
参考译文
谁也弄不清为什么大学生好像比任何人都更喜欢恶作剧。大学生擅长一种特殊的恶作剧--戏弄人。请消防队来扑灭一场根本没有的大火是一种低级骗局，有自尊心的大学生决不会去做。大学生们常常做的是制造一种可笑的局面，使大家笑上一场，当然受害者是笑不出来的。
最近有个学生看见两个工人在学校门外用风钻干活，马上打电话报告警察，说有两个学生装扮成工人，正在用风钻破坏路面。挂上电话后，他又马上来到工人那儿，告诉他们若有个警察来让他们走开，不要把他当回事，还对工人说，有个学生常装扮成警察无聊地同别人开玩笑。警察与工人都对那个学生事先通报情况表示感谢。
那个学生躲在附近一拱形的门廊里，在那儿可以看见、听到现场发生的一切。果然，警察来了，不礼貌地请工人离开此地；但其中一个工人粗鲁地回了几句。于是警察威胁要强行使他们离开。工人说，悉听尊便。警察去打电话叫人。一会儿工夫，又来了4个警察，规劝工人离开。由于工人拒绝停下手中的活，警察想夺风钻。两个工人奋力抗争，其中一个发了火，威胁说要去叫警察。警察听后讥讽地说，这大可不必，因为他俩已被逮捕了。其中一个工人装模作样地问道，在被带往警察局之前，是否可以打一个电话。警察同意了，陪他来到一个投币地电话前，当他看到那个工人真的是给警察挂电话，才恍然大悟，原来他们都成一场骗局的受害者。
重点词汇
■hoax n. 骗局，戏弄(mischievous trick played on sb for a joke)
相关短语：play a hoax on sb. 戏弄某人
play a trick on sb. 戏弄某人
play a joke on sb. 开某人玩笑
Eg: The boy student is thinking how to play a hoax on his classmate.
v. 欺骗，戏弄(deceive sb as a joke) 常用短语：hoax sb into doing sth
Eg: I was hoaxed into believing their story. 我被骗相信了他们的谎话。
■deception n. 欺骗，受骗(deceiving or being deceived)
比较：
deception 无关紧要的骗局，并不是故意的欺骗
Eg: She referred to the pills as sweet, so the harmless deception made it easy for her child to take them.
deceit （故意的）欺骗(deliberately leading sb to believe or accept sth that is false, usually so as to get sth for oneself)
Eg: She won her promotion by deceit. 她以欺骗手段谋得提拔。
fraud 对公众的欺骗行为，多指官方的欺骗或财政舞弊(act of deceiving sb illegally in order to make money or obtain goods)
Eg: Thousands of frauds are committed every year. 每年有几千起诈骗犯罪。
trickery 欺骗（语气上严厉）,着重有步骤地诡计来谋取私利。
Eg: He had gained control of the company by trickery.
■indulge v. 使沉迷(to allow oneself to enjoy sth)
常用短语：indulge oneself in sth. 沉迷于...... == be indulged in
Eg: He indulged himself in smoking and drinking.
He was indulged in smoking and drinking.
v. 纵容, 放任，迁就(to allow oneself / sb to have whatever one / he likes or wants)
Eg: She indulges her only son.
■seriously adv. 严肃地，认真地，真诚地(in a serious way)
常用短语：take sb / sth seriously 郑重对待，认真对待
Eg: When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously. (NCE3 lesson 1)
在本课中，seriously出现了两次，已用蓝色字体在课文中标出，其中一次就是上述短语的应用。
■silly adj. 无意义的，无聊的，傻的，糊涂的(not showing thought or understanding)
比较：
foolish 愚蠢的，笨的，不明智的，人及言行缺乏良好的判断力(showing lack of good sense or judgment)
Eg: I remonstrated him not to do anything foolish.
silly 无意义的， 无聊的，无知的
Eg: Being called silly is not compliment. / Don't play such a silly hoax.
stupid 愚蠢的，不聪明的，没有判断力的(showing lack of good judgment; slow to learn or understand things; not intelligent or clever)
Eg: His son is as stupid as all. / What a stupid thing to do!
dull 头脑迟钝的，愚笨的(slow in understanding; stupid)
Eg: She is a dull girl.
■advance adj. 预先的，先头的( done or provided in advance; going before others)
Eg: make an advance booking, ie reserve a hotel room, a seat in a theatre 预定旅馆房间，戏票
n. 前进，推进(常用单数)，进步，改善(forward movement; improvement)
Eg: The enemy's advance was halted. 敌人的推进被阻止了。
Recent advances in medical science 医学的新发展
常用短语：in advance 事先，预先 Eg: The rent must be paid in advance.
v. 前进，推进，进步，进展(move, come or go forward; make progress)
Eg: Our troops have advanced two miles. 我们的部队前进了两英里。
Has civilization advanced during this century? 文明在本世纪进步了吗？
■archway n. 拱形门廊(也写作arch，当然，arch还有其它的意思)
联想：arcade 有拱廊的街道
Eg: The expensive shops in a famous arcade near Piccadilly were just opening. (NCE3 lesson 6)
■remonstrate v. 对......提出抗议，抱怨(make a protest or complaint about sb / sth)
常用短语：remonstrate with sb; remonstrate against sth
Eg: I remonstrated with him about his rudeness. 我对他的粗鲁不礼提出抗议。
remonstrate against cruelty to children 抗议对孩子的虐待
■permission n. 许可，允许，同意(act of allowing sb to do sth; consent)
Eg: You have my permission to leave. 我准许你离开。
They entered the area without permission. 他们没有得到允许就进入了那个地区。
with your kind permission, ie if you will allow me. 如果您允许的话
■grant v. 同意，准予，答应给予(to agree to give or allow what is asked for)
常用短语：give / grant sb. permission 准予许可
Eg: They granted him permission to go. 他们准许他走。
The minister granted journalists an interview. 部长答应会见记者。
v. 承认(...是真的)(agree or admit (that sth is true)，用于正式场合)
Eg: I grant he has been ill, but that does not excuse him. 我承认他一直生病，但这并不能成为原谅他的借口。
常用短语：take sb / sth for granted 视为理所当然，想当然，认为真实
Eg: He never praises his wife. He just takes her for granted. 他从不赞扬他妻子，认为她本该如此。
I take it for granted you have read this book. 我真的以为你读过这本书。
n. 授予之物(尤指政府拨款、补助金、助学金)
Eg: award sb a research grant 授予某人一笔科研津贴
Vocabulary exercise:
Choose the one word or phrase that best completes the sentence.
1. The authorities have him permission to build a house on the land he bought.
a. permitted b. presented c. allowed d. granted
2. They never seem to give us enough warning of local road works.
a. advance b. forward c. before d. progressive
3. I often think that jokes can be cruel.
a. practice b. practical c. impractical d. practicable
4. It's difficult to Bob seriously: He's always telling jokes.
a. think b. have c. hear d. take
5. We are sure the critic was speaking when he called the painting ‘the work of a genius'.
a. ominously b. gratefully c. ironically d. naively
6. The team manager remonstrated his team members about their behavior.
a. at b. for c. to d. with
7. They have just a very silly joke on their friend.
a. done b. had c. made d. played
8. Occasionally he indulges a glass of whisky.
a. in b. to c. on d. with
Answer:
1d granted 2a advance 3b practical 4d take
5c ironically 6d with 7d played 8a in
简要分析：
1. 正确答案：give / grant sb. permission 固定搭配，表示"准予、许可"
2. 正确答案：advance adj. 前面的，预先的 advance warning 表示"警报、事先警告"
forward可以用于形容词、副词、动词、名词，用于形容词有一个意思"位于前面的"与advance有些类似，不过它表示空间位置。Eg: The forward part of the train is for first-class passengers only.
progressive
① adj. 进步的，累进的，递增的，前进的，循序渐进的 Eg: a progressive disease, ie one that gradually increases in its effect 继续恶化的疾病 Her condition is showing a progressive improvement. 她的状况愈来愈好。
② n. 进步分子，进步人士
3. 正确答案：practical joke 固定搭配，表示"恶作剧"
我们来看看practical, impractical, practicable三个词的一些用法：
practical adj. concerned with practice and action rather than theory: 实际的，实践的 Eg: practical experience, skills 实践经验，实际技术
impractical adj. not sensible, useful or realistic: 不切实际的，不实用的，不现实的 Eg: It was impractical to think that we could build the house in one month.
practicable adj. that can be put into practice; workable: 可做的，可用的，可实行的 Eg: a practicable scheme, solution, suggestion 可行的计划、解决方案、建议
4. 正确答案：take sb / sth seriously 固定搭配，表示"郑重对待，认真对待"
5. 正确答案：ironically adv. 讽刺地，说反话地
ominously adv. 有预兆地，不祥地 Eg: The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car. (NCE3 lesson 39)
naively adv. 天真地 gratefully adv. 感激地
6. 正确答案：remonstrate with sb about sth 或者 remonstrate against sth 表示"对...提出抗议，抱怨"
7. 正确答案：play joke on 开...的玩笑
8. 正确答案：indulge oneself in sth. 沉迷于...... == be indulged in
