The former Prime Minister, Mr. Wentworth Lane, was defeated in the recent elections. He is now retiring from political life and has gone abroad. My friend, Patrick, has always been a fanatical opponent of Mr. Lane's Radical Progressive Party. After the elections, Patrick went to the former Prime Minister's house.

前首相溫特沃茲·萊恩先生在最近的大選中被擊敗。他現(xiàn)在退出了政界，去了外國。我的朋友帕特里克，一直是萊恩先生的激進(jìn)黨的反對者。大選結(jié)束后，帕特里克去了前首相的住處。

When he asked if Mr. Lane lived there, the policeman on duty told him that since his defeat, the ex-Prime Minister had gone abroad. On the following day, Patrick went to the house again. The same policeman was just walking slowly past the entrance, when Patrick asked the same question. Though a little suspicious this time, the policeman gave him the same answer.

當(dāng)他問萊恩先生是否住在這里時(shí)，值班的警衛(wèi)告訴他自從敗選后，前首相就出國了。第二天，帕特里克又去了。昨天那位警衛(wèi)正從門口緩緩走過，當(dāng)帕特里克問了相同的問題時(shí)，雖然這一次很懷疑，但他還是說了同樣的答案。

The day after, Patrick went to the house once more and asked exactly the same question. This time, the policeman lost his temper. 'I told you yesterday and the day before yesterday,' he shouted, 'Mr. Lane was defeated in the elections. He has retired from political life and gone to live abroad!"
'I know,' answered Patrick, 'but I love to hear you say it!'

第三天，帕特里克又來了，問了警衛(wèi)同樣的問題。這次，警衛(wèi)蚌埠住了，“我昨天和前天都跟你講了，”他大喊道，“萊恩先生敗選后就退出政界出國了！”

“我知道”，帕特里克答道，“我就喜歡聽你說這些！”