Joe heard a rumor that his father, grandfather and great-grandfather had all walked on water on their 21st birthdays.

　　So, on his 21st birthday, Joe and his good friend Brian headed out to the lake. "If they did it, I can too!" he insisted.　

　　When Joe and Brian arrived at the lake, they rented a boat and began paddling. When they got to the middle of the lake, Joe stepped off  the side of the boat... and damn near drowned.

　　Furious and somewhat shamed, he and Brian headed for home.　

　　When Joe arrived back at the family farm, he asked his grandmother for an explanation. "Grandma, why can I not walk on water like my father, and his father, and his father before him?"

　　The feeble old grandmother took Joe by the hands, looked into his eyes, and explained, "That's because your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were born in January... you were born in July, dear."

Key  words：

　paddle　（v.）用槳划（船）　click  發音  

　drown　（v.）溺死　click 發音

　feeble　（adj.）虛弱的

　＊在美國，滿二十一歲是成年，可以進酒吧喝酒。

　＊元月份，寒帶地方的湖水已經結了冰。

＜譯文＞

　Joe 聽到一則傳言，
　他的爸爸、祖父、曾祖父都在 21歲生那天做了一件奇特的事，
　那就是生日當天可以行走在湖面上，
　所以他決定21歲那天要親身體驗看看。
　生日當天 Joe 跟他的朋友 Brian 很衝動的往湖邊的路上，
　Joe 很堅持的說：「我爸爸他們能做到的，我一定也行。」
　他倆到湖邊時後租了一艘小船，
　開始往湖的中心划去。
　到湖中心，Joe 就伸出腳往湖中踏出了第一步，
　可想而知，他差點就淹死了.......
　Joe忿怒中又有點不好意思，便和 Brian 回去。

　他回到家裡的農莊，請教祖母：

　「為何我不行跟爸爸、祖父、曾祖父他們一樣走在湖上？」
　年邁的老祖母握著 Joe 的手，看著他解釋說：

　「傻孩子，那是因為你的爸爸、祖父、曾祖父都是在一月出生的!!

　而你是出生在七月呀!!......」

＜譯者＞

　jamess
　剛自軍中退伍，畢業於文化
　現正每天苦Ｋ書中
　以朝夢想前進夢想成為 C.E.O（Chief  Executive  Officer）
　希望各位喜好英文的前輩幫忙 
　 e-mail： neogeo@pcmail.com.tw