美國人說的 God\'s country 是什麽意思？

 

按照字麵意義，God's country 應譯為 ‘上帝之國’。但在美國人嘴裏，God's country 的意思與字麵意義卻相差十萬八千裏，或者說是風馬牛不相及，真正意義是：農村地區／鄉村地區＝ A rural area: country, countryside.

比如內華達等人口稀少的州，除了拉斯維加斯，其他地帶都可稱作God's country。

美國就有拿 God's country 開涮的一個著名笑話，每個老美讀了這則笑話，無不哈哈大笑。請欣賞，我們也笑笑。

Golden Phones In Church

A man in Topeka , Kansas decided to write a book about churches around the country.
He started by flying to San Francisco and started working east from there.

Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and making notes.

He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule（門廳） wall and was intrigued（有趣的） with a sign,  which read "Calls: $10,000 a minute." Seeking out the pastor he asked about the phone and the sign. The pastor answered that this golden phone is, in fact, a direct line to heaven and if he pays the price he can talk directly to GOD.

The man thanked the pastor and continued on his way. As he continued to visit churches in Seattle , Dallas , St. Louis , Chicago , Milwaukee , and around the United States , he found more phones, with the same sign, and the same answer from each pastor.

Finally, he arrived in Kentucky , upon entering a church in Corbin,  K.y. , behold（注意到） - he saw the usual golden Telephone. But THIS time, the sign read "Calls: 35 cents."

Fascinated（被強烈地吸引住了，被雷倒了）, he asked to talk to the pastor,
"Reverend(牧師), I have been in cities all across the country and in each Church I have found this golden telephone and have been told it is a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to GOD, but in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads only 35 cents a call. Why?"

The pastor, smiling benignly（和藹地）, replied, "Son, you're in Kentucky now...... You're in God's Country, It's a local call."