每天读一篇英语小故事：In Harm’s Way

英语自学网

　　A new invention, called “Arm Yourself,” is in arcades in Japan. It is a
mechanical arm-wrestling machine. In the old days, fairs and carnivals usually
had a “Test Your Strength” contest that required a player to swing a small
sledge hammer as hard as he could to ring a bell and get a prize. The Japanese
invention also challenges a player’s strength. Players can set it to four
different levels: Baby, Girl, Man, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
        　　The mechanical arm operates at half-strength for the first 10 seconds:
“Baby,” for example, would be “Half-Baby,” or 50-percent full-strength, for 10
seconds initially.
        　　“This gives the human time to evaluate his mechanical opponent, and usually
allows him to win,” says the inventor. But after 10 seconds elapse, the
mechanical arm instantly achieves full strength, so that weak Baby suddenly
becomes strong Baby. “That comes as a surprise to the human,” said the inventor.
“If you watch the human compete, you will see a look of surprise come over his
face at the machine’s sudden burst of strength. It’s funny to see!”
        　　Unfortunately for some players, the look of surprise is followed by the
look of pain, as the steel and plastic arm breaks their flesh and blood arm! Two
players recently went to the hospital. The inventor said that he wouldn’t put a
warning sign on the machine.
        　　“It’s not the machine’s fault,” he said. “Humans often think that they’re
smarter, faster, and stronger than they actually are. I think it’s a good lesson
that they are learning. Many refuse to combat the machine at the Baby or Girl
level because they think that they’re equal to the Man or Arnold level. They
don’t know their limitations. They’re proud and foolish, and some of them have
to pay the price for their pride.”