InTheAir

　　Mattandhiswifelivedinthecountry.Mattwasverystingy(吝啬)andhatedspendingmoney.Onedayafair(集市)cametothenearbytown.

　　“Let’sgotothefair,Matt,”hiswifesaid,“Wehaven’tbeenanywhereforalongtime.”

　　Mattthoughtaboutthisforawhile.Heknewhewouldhavetospendmoneyatthefair.Atlasthesaid,“Allright,butI’mnotgoingtospendmuchmoney.We’lllookatthings,butwewon’tbuyanything.”

　　Theywenttothefairandlookedatallthethingstobuy.ThereweremanythingsMatt’swifewantedtobuy,buthewouldnotletherspendanymoney.

　　Then,inanearbyfield,theysawasmallairplane.

　　“Funflight!”thenoticesaid,“$10for10minutes.”

　　Matthadneverbeeninanairplaneandhewantedtogoonafunflight.However,hedidn’twanttohavetopayforhiswife,aswell.

　　“I’veonlygot$10,”hetoldthepilot.(飞行员).“Canmywifecomewithmeforfree?”Thepilotwasn’tsellingmanytickets,sohesaid,“I’llmakeabargainwithyou.Ifyourwifedoesn’tscreamorshout,shecanhaveafreeflight.”

　　Mattagreed,andgotintothesmallairplanewithhiswife.

　　Thepilottookoffandmadehisairplanedoallkindsofthings.Atonemomentitwasflyingupsidedown.

　　Whentheplanelanded,thepilotsaid,“O.K.yourwifedidn’tmakeasound.Shecanhaveherridefree.”

　　“Thankyou,”Mattsaid.“itwasn’teasyforher,youknow,especially(尤其)whenshefellout.”

　　赏析：夸张是指借助艺术想象,以现实生活为基础,抓住描写对象的某些特征加以夸张,以突出事物本质.夸张的修辞手法往往能造成幽默的效果.这种修辞手法在我国的相声段子里面非常普遍,在外国的幽默故事中也随处可见.

　　这则幽默就是用夸张的手法讽刺了一位极其吝啬的男人.吝啬鬼在世界文学作品中并不少见,中国古有多点了一根灯草就不能安然死去的严监生,外国有临死前瞪着发金光的眼睛想夺取金色十字架的葛朗台.

　　吝啬是落后的生活方式、不健康的封建思想在人脑海中的根深蒂固.它不独存在于哪个制度,哪个社会.即便在享受现代物质文明----乘飞机旅行的今天,我们的主人公麦栋夫妇,为了那可怜的10美元,也会置生命安全于不顾,“宁死不叫”.他们的这种小气跟他们所享受的现代文明形成了极大的一个反差.

　　作者在文章的最后运用了夸张的修辞手法“itwasn’teasyforher,youknow,especiallywhenshefellout”.一切显得那样的不尽情理,一切又似乎是那样的合情合理：一旦一个社会的精神文明不能赶上他的物质文明时,就有可能会产生一些变态的东西.

　　读之此,我们就不难体会我们国家为何一再强调两个文明一起抓了