4.  Horoscope.
Ben:  Hey, what's new?
Kitty:  Not much.  Just sitting here eating some Chinese food.  Is that the paper?  Why don't you open it and tell me my horoscope9?
Ben:  Ok, wait a minute … let's see.  I'm a Taurus, and it says, “Mars is in the third house, and is soon to eclipse Venus”.  I don't know what that means, but then it says, “Your charm and drive will win others over to your way of thinking.  Remember to be positive.”  Sounds good to me.
Kitty:  What about Gemini?  What's the prediction?
Ben:   “Since Mercury10 has crossed paths with Jupiter, your fortunes are falling.  Bad luck will follow you today, and you will lose that which you value.  Be careful.”
Kitty:  That sounds bad!  I'm really worried, what should I do?  Maybe I should go home and stay in the rest of the day.
Ben:  But we have a date tonight!  You can't stay at home because of a stupid horoscope.
Kitty:  But those things are dangerous!  I'm not going out if it means bad luck.
Ben:  That's silly.  They don't mean anything.  Here, give me one of those fortune cookies11 you're eating.  Let's see what it says.  “Sunshine will follow your feet if you let it.”  See, that sounds good to me.  It's ridiculous12 to let a horoscope control your life.
Kitty:  I don't know.  I've had days that seem to fit with my horoscope's predictions, but then there are days that it doesn't work.  I really don't know.
Ben:  Does this mean we're still on for tonight?
Kitty:  I guess so.
Ben:  Good. 

【译文】
——嗨，有什么新鲜事？
——没有什么。只不过是坐在这儿吃一些中国菜。那是报纸吗？为什么你不打开它，告诉我我的星位呢？
——好的，等会儿……让我看一下。我是金牛座，上面说，“火星在第三座房子里，很快将吃掉金星。”我不知道这是什么意思，但上面还说，“别人因为你的魅力和推动力也会转到你的思维方式上来。记住要积极一些。” 我看很好。
——双子座呢？预言是什么？
——“墨丘利神已经穿过木星的轨道，你的运气正在下落。今天坏运将跟着你，你会失去你认为重要的东西。小心。”
——听起来很坏！我真担心，我该怎么做？或许我应该回家，今天呆在家里不再出门。
——但是我们今晚有个约会！你不能因为一个荒唐的星象呆在家里。
——但这些事情是危险的！如果它意味着坏运，我就不会出去。
——那样做是愚蠢的。它们没有任何意义。 喂，把你要吃的那些签饼给我一个。看它说什么。“如果你愿意，阳光将跟随着你的脚步。”看到了吗，我看挺好的。让一个星象控制你的生活真是荒谬。
——我不知道。我已经有好几天似乎和我的星象预言相符合，但有几天又不相符合。我真的不知道。
——这就是说今晚我们仍继续吗？
——我想是。
——很好。

5.  The Missing Floor
Some Russian students are spending their summer in Philadelphia, visiting historic sights.  They are checking into a hotel.
Boris:  We'd like a room with two beds, please.
Clerk:  A double?  Let's see ... I can put you in room 1405.  It faces the river and has a wonderful view.
Alexis:  That will be fine.  Since we're going to be fourteen stories above the ground, I think we should definitely have a room with a view. (Later, Alexis returns from a walk.)
Alexis:  Boris, I saw you sitting out on the balcony of our room.  I could see you from the street.
Boris:  That's quite a distance.  How could you tell who it was?
Alexis:  I recognized your bright red shirt.  But there's something strange.  We're in room 1405, right?  Well, when I saw you on the balcony, I counted upward.  I only got to thirteen.  We're on the thirteenth floor.
Boris:   No, I'm sure we're on the fourteenth floor.  The desk clerk said so.
Alexis:  I know!  I'll look out the window and count downward. (She counts.)  I still say we're only thirteen stories up.

【译文】
——我们想要一间双人房。
——双人房？让我看看……我可以把你们安排到1405房间。面对着江，风景很好。
——那太好了。既然我们将住在十四楼上面，我想我们当然应该挑个景色好的房间。
（后来，亚力克西斯散步回来。）
——鲍里斯，我看见你坐在我们房间外面的阳台上。我可以从街上看到你。
——那比较远。你怎么能分辨出是谁？
——我认出了你的那件大红的衬衫。但是有点怪。我们在1405房，是不是？不过，当我看见你在阳台上，我就往上数。我只数到了十三。我们在十三楼上。
——没有，我肯定我们在十四楼上。接待人员这样说了。
——我知道了！我会从窗户往外看，并往下数。（她数着。）我还得说我们只是在十三楼上面。

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