building a bridge

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A man rubsFROTTE a magic lamp and a genieGÉNIE APPARAÎT appears.

“You get one wishVŒU,” says the genie.

The man thinks and says, “I’m scaredJ’AI PEUR of travelling by planeAVION. I wish for a bridgePONT from California to Hawaii so I can drive there.”

The genie rolls his eyesLEVA LES YEUX AU CIEL. “Do you have any idea what you’re asking? That’s thousands of milesDES MILLIERS DE KILOMÈTRES of ocean. It would take structural engineering beyond beliefAU-DELÀ DE TOUTE IMAGINATION — billions of tons of concreteDES TONNES DE BÉTON and steelACIER. Come on, man, wish for something else.”

The man nodsHOCHA LA TÊTE and says, “All right, then. I wish to understand women… what makes them tickCE QUI LES FAIT FONCTIONNER.”

The genie pauses, swallows hardAVALA SA SALIVE AVEC DIFFICULTÉ, and asks,

“Do you want two lanes or fourDEUX VOIES OU QUATRE on that bridge?”

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Vocabulary

Roll one’s eyes: to show disbelief or irritation.

Beyond belief: so extreme that it is hard to imagine.

She rolls her eyesLEVA LES YEUX AU CIEL at the suggestion.

The cost was beyond beliefAU-DELÀ DE TOUTE IMAGINATION.

Grammar

The joke mainly uses present simple for narration and modal verbs for hypothetical requests.

Present simple (narrative present): A genie appears and says.

Modal verb “would”: It would take structural engineering beyond belief.

Synonyms & Alternatives

Wish: desire, request.

Scared: frightened, afraid.

Mini Dialogue

Daniel: I’m scaredAI PEUR of speaking in public.

Imogen: That’s beyond beliefAU-DELÀ DE TOUTE IMAGINATION — you’re brilliant at it!

Daniel: I wish I could understand what makes audiences tick.

Imogen: Start with two jokes, not four.

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