26-THE JOKE THAT WORKS EVERY TIME

THE JOKE THAT WORKS EVERY TIME I was passing out slices of pizza when suddenly I heard a strange noise coming from the kitchen. No, I'm not sure if you could call it noise exactly. It was sort of a mixture of music and noise. I noticed that many of the guests were listening, too. I headed for the kitchen to

每次我分发披萨的时候，突然听到厨房里传来一种奇怪的声音。 不，我不确定你是否可以称之为噪音。 那是一种音乐和噪音的混合。 我注意到许多客人也在听。 我朝厨房走去

investigate. I threw open the door and gasped. The strange sounds were coming from my cousin! Yes, Trap was standing over the sink, drumming on the pots with a big spoon. He turned the tap water on and off with his tail as he hopped about to the BEAT. At the same time, Benjamin was banging on the big garbage can with a broomstick and a large fork. Just then, the guests began to crowd into the kitchen. "This is where the real party is!" Trap shouted. One rat grabbed a spoon and began banging on a pot. Another rat began to dance. Soon all of the guests were

调查。我猛地打开门，倒吸了一口气。 那奇怪的声音是从我表弟那里传来的!是的，特拉普正站在水池边，用一把大勺子敲打着锅。 他一边跳来跳去，一边用尾巴打开和关闭水龙头。 与此同时，本杰明正在用一把扫帚和一把大叉子敲打那个大垃圾桶。 就在这时，客人们开始涌进厨房。 “这才是真正的派对!”陷阱喊道。 一只老鼠抓起勺子，开始敲锅。 另一只老鼠开始跳舞。 很快，所有的客人都来了

laughing and dancing about the kitchen. It was quite a sight. Thea grabbed her camera and began snapping away. The only one who did not seem to be having fun was Count von Ratoff. He stood off to the side watching the others with a gloomy look in his eyes. Trap stared at the sad count. "Just watch this! I'll bet I can lift his spirits. No one can resist my jokes," he boasted. "Especially

在厨房里又笑又跳。 那真是一幅壮观的景象。西娅抓起相机开始拍照。 唯一不高兴的是冯·拉托夫伯爵。 他站在一旁看着其他人，眼里带着忧郁的神情。 特拉普凝视着悲伤的伯爵。 “看这个!”我打赌我能让他振作起来。 没人能抗拒我的笑话。” “特别是

The Joke That Works Every Time!" He strolled over to Count von Ratoff. "Have you heard the latest bat joke?" he said. Suddenly, the room became DEADLY QUIET. All of the guests glared at Trap. He whispered into the count's ear. It was so quiet you could hear a whisker drop. I held my breath. The count did not move a muscle for a few seconds. Then his fur began to quiver. A strange gurgling noise rose from his throat. It sounded as if he were gargling. He began to roll on the floor, holding his stomach in his paws. He was having a laughing fit! I let out a sigh of relief. We would live! The guests stared, amazed, then they, too, began to giggle. Trap puffed up his fur. "I told you," he smirked. "It works every time!"

每次都有效的笑话!”他向冯·拉托夫伯爵走去。 “你听说过最新的蝙蝠笑话吗?”他说。 突然间，房间变得死寂。 所有的客人都怒视着特拉普。 他对着伯爵的耳朵低声说。 安静得连一根胡须掉下来的声音都能听见。 我屏住了呼吸。伯爵有几秒钟一动也不动。 然后他的皮毛开始颤抖。 一种奇怪的咯咯声从他的喉咙里冒了出来。 听起来他像是在漱口。 他开始在地板上打滚，用爪子捂着肚子。 他在大笑!我松了一口气。 我们会活下去!客人们目瞪口呆，然后他们也开始咯咯地笑起来。 特拉普把他的皮毛鼓起来。“我告诉过你，”他傻笑着说。 “每次都管用!”