故事一：训练的士兵们
The soldiers had been marching up and down in the square for an hour while their officer shouted orders ， and they were all tired ， hot and unhappy .
翻译：军官喊着口令，士兵们在操场上来回操练步伐已经一个小时了，他们都又累又热，很不高兴。
They were marching towards a big building ， when they suddenly realized that the officer had not left himself enough time to give the order to turn round or to stop ， so they were going to march straight into the wall .
翻译：他们正向一座高大的建筑走去时，突然发现军官已经来不及发出口令让他们转身或者立定了，于是他们打算一直面对墙走去。
The soldiers smiled happily as each of those in the front line decided at the same time to walk straight ahead . There was a loud noise as they hit the wall one after another .
翻译：当前排的士兵都同时决心一直向前走去时，士兵们全都高兴地笑了起来。当他们一个接一个地撞到了墙上时，发出了很大的响声。
But before any of them had time to smile again ， the officer shouted ， If you men had been in a really straight line ， I would have heard only one sound when you hit that wall ！
但是在士兵们还没有来得及再次笑出来时，军官喊叫开了：“如果你们这些家伙确实是走在一条直线上，你们撞到墙上时我应该只听到一个响声！”
故事二：去买老鼠笼，但别说是抓老鼠的
Mrs Williams is proud of her house because it is always clean and tidy . But one day ， while she was sweeping the carpets ， she saw a little mouse run across her dining-room floor ！ She had always told other people that mice are found only in dirty houses ， so she was terribly ashamed when she saw a mouse in her own house .
翻译：威廉斯太太为自己的家感到十分骄傲，因为她的家总是很干净、很整齐。但是有一天，正当他打扫地毯时，她看见一只小老鼠在餐厅的地板上跑过！因为她总是告诉别人老鼠只是在肮脏的屋子里才有，所以她在自己的家里看见老鼠时感到非常羞愧。
She quickly called her daughter and said to her ， A terrible thing has happened ！ I saw a mouse in our dining-room a few minutes ago . We must catch it at once ！ Go down to the village shop and buy a mouse-trap -but ， whatever you do ， don tell anybody what it is for ！
翻译：他迅速把自己女儿叫来，对她说：“糟了！刚才我在餐厅里看见了一只老鼠。我们必须马上捉到它！快到村里的商店里去买一个老鼠笼子--但无论如何，不要告诉别人是买它干什么的！”
