plead
vi.1.恳求，请求
2.申诉，答辩，辩护
vt.1.为……辩护
2.提出……为理由（或借口）
plight
n.困境，苦境
pluck
vt.1.拔，摘，采
2.拔除……的毛
3.弹，拨，弹奏
vi.(at)拉，拽，拉扯
n.勇气，胆量，决心
plum
n.李子，梅子
a.待遇好的
plumber
n.管子工，水暖工
plume
n.1.（升上空中的）一缕（烟、尘土等）
2.羽毛，羽饰
plump
a.丰满的，胖乎乎的
vi.1.(down)扑通倒（或坐）下，蓦地摔下
2.(for)选定
vt.1.使扑通倒（或坐）下，蓦地摔下
2.(up)轻轻拍打使（枕头等）变得鼓起来
plunder
vt.劫掠……的财物，掠夺
n.1.劫掠物，赃物
2.劫掠，抢夺
pneumonia
n.肺炎
poignant
a.令人痛苦的，辛酸的，惨痛的
poise
n.1.稳重，镇定
2.（优美）姿势，姿态
3.平衡，平稳
vt.使平衡，使平稳，平稳地拿
poke
vt.1.戳，捅
2.用……戳（或捅），把……戳向
3.伸出，突出
vi.伸出，突出
n.戳，捅
poke about/around
搜索，探问
poke fun at
拿……开玩笑，取笑
poke one's nose into
探问，干预
polar
a.1.地极的，近地极的
2.磁极的
3.正好相反的，截然对立的
polyester
n.聚脂（纤维），涤纶
ponder
v.思索，考虑，沉思
pony
n.矮种马，小马
popcorn
n.爆玉米花，炒苞米
pope
n.[常the P_]（天主教）教皇，罗马主教
porcelain
n.瓷，瓷器
porch
n.门廊
pore
n.毛孔，细孔
vi.(over)仔细阅读，审视


The Lucky Plumber
　　The plumber had always been lucky at games. But the day he went to the carnival with the polar bear it all came to a poignant end. It started when he was poking about looking for a game to play. He had already done the pony ride, eaten popcorn, and plucked a plum from a tall tree using a feather to won a porcelain doll of the Pope. But now he was pondering if he could win a guessing game to win the polyester jacket that the game host was wearing as he sat on his porch.
　　When he decided to try the host began to poke fun at him that he would lose his poise and not be able to guess his weight. And he was right. The plumber was wrong with his guess. He pleaded for a second chance and even paid to guess again. When he guessed wrong again a plump woman with a bright orange plume on her hat stepped in to try as well. The plumber poked her in the side and told her not to poke her nose into other peoples business. He was still playing and she wasn't going to plunder the prize that he thought was his!
　　But the plumber just could not win the guessing game. When he finally acknowledged his plight, the pores on his skin were all worn out from sweating so much! I hear he was never the same again and that he died of the pneumonia he caught that night a few weeks later. Some people just can't stand being down on their luck.

幸运的水暖工
　　这个水暖工玩游戏时一贯幸运，但是那天他和北极熊一起去参加欢庆会时，他的运气令人痛苦地结束了。他到处探问有什么游戏可玩的时候坏运气就开始了。他已经玩过骑矮种马、吃爆玉米花、用一跟羽毛从一棵大树上摘李子以赢取教皇的瓷娃娃，但是现在他正在思考他是否能够在这次猜谜游戏中获胜以赢得坐在门廊里的游戏主持人穿的那种涤纶夹克。
　　当他决定试一下的时候，主持人跟他开了个玩笑，说他会失去平衡并猜不出他的体重。他还真说对了，水暖工猜错了。他请求再给他一次机会，他甚至愿意掏钱只要让他再试。在他再次猜错的时候，一位丰满的、帽子上插着一根鲜艳的橙黄色羽毛的妇女走近来也要试一下。水暖工在她侧面捅了一下并告诉她不要干预别人的事，他说他还在玩，她不要抢走他认为属于他的奖品！
　　但是水暖工就是赢不了这次猜谜游戏。等他终于承认自己的困境时，他皮肤上的毛孔因为出汗太多都坏掉了！我听水他再也没能重振雄风，几个星期之后他死于那天晚上得的肺炎。有些人就是不能忍受不走运。