讀故事記單詞第十六篇

　　WORDS

　　prospective a.預期的，未來的，可能的

　　prosper vi.興旺，繁榮，成功

　　Protestant n.新教徒 a.新教徒的

　　prototype n.原型

　　proverb n.諺語，俗語，格言

　　provocative a.1.挑釁的，煽動的，刺激的 2.挑逗的

　　proximity n.接近，鄰近

　　prudent a.審慎的，小心謹慎的

　　prune n.1.洋李，李子 2.修剪，修整 3.刪除，削減

　　pry vi.窺探，刺探，打聽 vt.1.撬動，撬開，撬起 2.費力地得到，使勁分開

　　psychiatrist n.精神科醫生，精神病專家

　　pudding n.布丁

　　puddle n.(雨)水坑，泥潭

　　puff vi.1.喘氣，喘息 2.一口一口地抽煙(或噴煙) 3.噴著煙(或蒸汽)移動 vt.1.邊噴邊吸(煙)，抽(煙) 2.噴出，使一陣陣吹(或噴)

　　n.1.(抽)一口煙，(空氣、煙霧等的)一股

　　2.喘氣，喘息

　　puff out 使膨脹，使腫脹

　　puff up 腫起，腫脹，傲慢，自負，趾高氣揚，盛氣凌人

　　pulp n.1.果泥，菜泥，醬 2.果肉，瓜瓤，植物的肉質部分 3.紙漿 4.低級書刊? a.低級的 vt.使成漿狀

　　pumpkin n.南瓜

　　puppet n.1.木偶 2.傀儡，受人操縱的人(或集團)

　　puppy n.小狗，幼犬

　　purge vt.清洗，清除，使凈化 n.1.清洗，清除異己 2.瀉藥

　　purify vt.1.使純凈，提純 2.使純潔

　　To Be a Protestant

　　Dr. Hill was a psychiatrist who was puffed up with his own ideas. He was sure that there was something provocative about Protestants and their desire to purge themselves of their sin. What he would never know, however, was that they were as harmless as puppies and only interested in purifying their own hearts so that they could worship God. They believed that they would only prosper with a pure heart and that their prototype was Jesus Christ.

　　Dr. Hill didn't believe any of that. He believed that the proverbs they all foolowed were pulp and that they were all the puppets of their leaders. And as Dr. Hill's proximity to these people increased, he was sure that his prying to expose the truth was the most prudent thing he had ever done in his life.

　　Finally he decided that he would pretend he was a prospective believer and attend one of the Protestant's most frequent rituals: a potluck*. Dr. Hill puffed, however, when he saw all of the food present. There was turkey, hot dogs, spaghetti, vegetable dishes, prune and pumpkin pies, and cake and pudding. He would surely puff out if he ate everything he wanted. And, as he ate the food and was overcome with the friendliness of the Protestants a puddle of tears formed at his feet. He didn't care what or who they believed in, he was going to become a Protestant just because of their potlucks! *potluck　便飯，便餐，此處指參加聚餐的人每個人各帶一味菜肴供共享的百樂餐。

　　當個新教徒

　　希爾博士是個精神病專家，他很為自己的觀點感到得意。他認為新教徒以及他們凈化靈魂、不做壞事的想法頗具煽動性。但是，他永遠都不知道的是，他們像小狗一樣不會傷害人，他們只對純潔他們的心靈感興趣以便他們能夠崇拜上帝，他們相信只有心靈純潔才能興旺發達，他們的原型是耶穌基督。

　　希爾博士可不信這些東西。他認為他們都遵循的那些格言其實很低級，他們都是些領導者手下的木偶。隨著希爾博士越來越接近這些人，他相信他費盡心思揭開真相是他一生當中做得最小心謹慎的一件事。

　　最后他決定化裝成一個可能會信教的人參加一次新教徒最常舉行的意識：百樂餐。但是當他看到所有食物時，希爾博士喘了一口氣：有火雞、熱狗、意大利面條、蔬菜、李子南瓜餅、蛋糕和布丁。如果他想吃什么就吃什么，他肯定會膨脹起來。他吃著東西，感到自己被新教徒們的友情所包圍，腳下的淚水形成了水坑。他才不在乎他們信仰什么或者信仰誰，他準備當個新教徒，就因為他們的百樂餐！