cause
What is the chief cause of divorce? Marriage.
离婚的主要原因是什么？结婚

ceiling
Mrs. Pink Fly: How’s the new baby?
Mrs. Blue Fly: Very restless. I had to walk the ceiling all night with him.
粉红色苍蝇夫人：新婴儿怎么样？
蓝色苍蝇夫人：很不安生，我不得不整晚上带着他在天花板散步。

What room has no sides, no walls, no doors, and no ceilings?
A mushroom.
什么房子没有边，没有墙，没有门，没有顶？
蘑菇。

celebrate
场景再现：一家跨国公司的美国雇员问英国雇员：
You guys are working on the fourth of July? I can't believe it! Don't you celebrate it?
你们在7月4日还工作？简直不敢相信！你们不庆祝（国庆）吗？
注：7月4日是美国的国庆日，这些骄傲的美国人还以为别的国家都和他们一样在7月4日庆祝国庆。
活学活用：你翘着鼻子说：Today is my birthday. Don’t you celebrate it?
今天是我生日，你们不庆祝吗？

cent
Teacher: Davy, if you had one dollar in one pocket and 75 cents in the other pocket, what would you have?
Davy: My hands in my dad’s pockets!
老师：Davy，如果你一个口袋里有1美元，另一个口袋里有0.75美分，你一共有多少？
Davy：我的手放进爸爸的口袋了。
注：他爸爸钱也不多。

center
Copernicus, when will you understand that you are not the center of the world?
哥白尼，什么时候你才能明白你不是世界的中心？
注：老师在问哥白尼。哥白尼老觉着太阳是世界的中心。

century
Can you tell me something about the great scientists of the 18th century?
They’re all dead.
你能告诉我一些十八世纪的伟大科学家的事儿吗？
他们都死了。

certain
Ivy: You broke up with Harry? You told me he had that certain something.
Rose: He did, but he spent it.
Ivy：你和Harry分手了？你跟我说过他确实有些东西。
Rose：他确实有过，但他花光了。

Did you hear about the politician[政治家] who promised[许诺] that, if he was elected[当选], he'd make certain that everyone would have an above average income?
一个政治家许诺如果他当选他保证每个人收入都在平均线以上,你听说过吗？
注：美国总统候选人在竞选时总是做出各种承诺，说如果能选他当总统，他要为老百姓做所多少多少事情，下面的句子是讽刺他们吹过了头——怎么可能每个人的收入都在平均线以上呢？

A lady of a “certain age” means certainly aged.
“一定年纪”的女士肯定是上了年纪。
注：“certain age”（一把年纪）是”aged”（上了年纪）的委婉说法。

certainly
It will save you a great deal of money, because you will most certainly never go to India after reading it.
这本手册会给你省很多钱，因为你读完后你肯定不会去印度了。
注：这本旅游宣传手册写得太糟糕了，人们读了以后都不想去了。

Baby snake: Mom, are we poisonous?
Mama snake: We most certainly are! Why?
Baby snake: I just bit my tongue!
小蛇：妈妈，我们有毒吗？
蛇妈妈：我们当然有毒，怎么了？
小蛇：我刚咬了我舌头！
 
chair
场景再现：脑筋急转弯：
How do you make a hot dog stand?
Take away its chair.
怎样使热狗站着？
拿走它的椅子。

What has four legs and a back but can’t walk?-----  A chair
什么东西有四条腿一个背但不能走？——椅子。
注：back：后背；椅子背

Let’s have a group meeting on Friday.
Dan: Okay. I’ll bring a table.
Fran: I’ll bring a lamp.
Ann: That’s great. Now who’ll chair our committee?
我们星期五开个小组会吧。
Dan：好，我带张桌子来。
Fran：我带盏灯来。
Ann：很好，现在谁担任会议主席（谁为会议带把椅子来）。
注：chair：椅子；担任（会议等）主席。

What if the chair wins the debates?
如果椅子赢了辩论怎么办？
注：美国总统竞选时候选人要进行面对面的辩论，卡特和里根竞选时，卡特说里根如果不敢来辩论，他就只好和椅子辩论了，里根这么反驳。

chance
If there is a 50 percent chance of success, that means a 75 percent chance of failure.
如果有50%成功的可能性，就意味着有75%失败的可能性。
注：人们一般容易倾向乐观。

场景再现：他住进了一家旅馆，房间冰冷冰冷的，他问：
Is there any chance of a fire?”he asked.
“Oh, no,” said the landlady, “there’s a bucket of sand in every room.”
“有可能生火（着火）吗？”
女房东说“不可能，每个房间里都有一桶沙子”。
注：女房东理解成：如果着火怎么办？

change
Husband: Honey, let’s not fight anymore about this. I agree with you.
Wife: Oh yeah? Well, I’ve changed my mind.
丈夫：亲爱的，我们别再为这事吵架了，我同意你得了。
妻子：你真得同意了？我已经改变主意了。
注：妻子拿着丈夫玩儿。

Teacher: What’s your favorite state?
Student: Missssippi.
Teacher: Spell it.
Student: I changed my mind. I like Ohio much better.
老师：你最喜欢的州是哪个？
学生：Misssippi
老师：拼写出来 。
学生：我改变主义了，我更喜欢Ohio州。
注：Missippi拼写太难了。

Why is an empty purse always the same?
Because there’s no change in it.
为什么空钱包老是一样的？——里面没有变化（零钱）
注：purse：女士用小钱包。

Doctor: Nurse, how is that little boy doing, the one who swallowed ten quarters?
Nurse: No change yet.
医生：护士，那个小男孩刚吞下10个硬币（二角五分），现在怎么样了？
护士：还没有变化（没有零钱了）
注：Change:变化；零钱。