Unsolved Mystery

Juan comes up to the Mexican border on his bicycle. He's got two large bags over his shoulders.
The guard stops him and says:"What's in the bags?"

"Sand," answers Juan.

The guard says:"We'll just see about that - get off the bike."
The guard takes the bags and rips them apart; he empties them out and finds nothing in them but sand. He detains Juan overnight and has the sand analyzed, only to discover that there is nothing in the bags.

The guard releases Juan, puts the sand into new bags, hefts them onto the man's shoulders, and lets him cross the border.

A week later, the same thing happens. The guard asks: "What have you got?"

"Sand," says Juan.

The guard does his thorough examination and discovers that the bags contain nothing but sand. He gives the sand back to Juan, who crosses the border on his bicycle.

This sequence of events is repeated every week for three years. Finally, Juan doesn't show up one day
and the guard meets him in a cantina in Mexico.

"Hey, Buddy," says the guard,"I know you are smuggling something. It's driving me crazy. It's all I think about. I can't sleep. Just between you and me, what are you smuggling?"

Juan sips his beer and says: "Bicycles."

Nghe cả bài

Grammar notes:

Cấu trúc:

- to get off: ra khỏi nơi nào đó

get off the bike

- to rip something apart: rạch, xé, tách cái gì đó (ra làm 2 mảnh), mổ xẻ ra...

The guard takes the bags and rips them apart: Anh biên phòng thu giữ những cái bao và rạch chúng ra.

- nothing but ...: Chẳng có gì ngoài....

nothing in them but sand: chẳng có gì trong đó ngoài cát

- to have something done: Việc gì của một người được thực hiện bằng cách thuê hay nhờ người khác chứ không phải do chính người đó làm.

He has the sand analyzed: Anh cho kiểm tra số cát đó (người khác kiểm tra chứ không phải anh tự làm)

- put something in to something/somewhere: đặt, để vật gì đó ở trên cái gì/đâu đó

puts the sand into new bags: để cát vào những cái bao mới

- show up: lộ mặt, xuất hiện

Juan doesn't show up one day: Đến một ngày Juan không xuất hiện nữa.

- drive someone crazy: làm ai đó tức điên lên

It's driving me crazy: Điều đó làm tôi phát điên.