一名妇女经常光顾一家小古董店，但几乎从不买什么东西，却总是对商品和价格吹毛求疵。对于那妇女的粗暴抱怨，经理和她的銷售员总是应付了事，但是有一天她做得太过分了。“为什么你们店里总是不能得到我想要的东西？”那名妇女指责说。

职员脸上带着微笑，沉着地回答道：“也許是因为我们太有礼貌了。”

Too Polite

A woman who frequented a small antique shop rarely purchase anything, but always found fault with the merchandise and prices. The manager and her salesclerk took the woman's grumpy complaints in stride, but one day she went too far. Why is it I never manage to get what I ask for in your shop demanded the woman.

A smile on her face, the clerk calmly replied, Perhaps it's because we're too polite.

模仿

一个男孩放学回家时，觉得肚子痛。“来，坐下，吃点点心，”妈妈说，“你肚子痛是因为肚子是空的。吃点东西就会好的。”

一会儿，男孩的爸爸下班回家了，说是头痛。

“你头痛是因为你的脑袋是空的，”他那聪明的儿子说，“里面装点东西，就会好的。”

Imitation

A schoolboy went home with a pain in his stomach. ＂Well, sit down and eat your tea,＂ said his mother. ＂Your stomach's hurting because it's empty. It'll be all right when you've got something in it.＂

Shortly afterwards Dad come in from the office, complaining of a headache.

＂That's because it's empty,＂ said his bright son. ＂You'd be all right if you had something in it.＂