A teacher said to her class: "Who was the first man?"
George Washington, a little boy shouted promptly1.
How do you make out that George Washington was the first Man? Asked the teacher, smiling indulgently2.
Because, said the little boy, "he was first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."
But at this point a larger boy held up his hand.
Well, said the teacher to him, "who do you think was the first man?"
I don't know what his name was, said the larger boy, "but I know it wasn't George Washington, ma'am, because the history book says George Washington married a widow3, so, of course, there must have been a man ahead of him."
Notes:
1. promptly 及時地,立即
2. indulgently 和藹地,寬容地
3. widow 寡婦
有個老師問班上的學(xué)生:“誰是第一男人?“
“喬治·華盛頓。”一個小男孩當(dāng)即叫道。
“你怎么知道喬治·華盛頓是第一男人呢?”老師問道,寬容地微笑著。
小男孩說:“因為他在戰(zhàn)時第一,和平時代第一,國人心中第一?!?
這時一個大點兒的男孩舉起手來。
“那么”,老師對他說,“你認(rèn)為誰是第一男人呢?”
“我不知道他的名字”,大點兒的男孩說,“但我知道不是喬治·華盛頓,老師。因為歷史書上說,喬治·華盛頓娶了一個寡婦,所以在他前面肯定還有一個男人。”
Useful link:
瑪莎·卡斯蒂斯,喬治·華盛頓的夫人,與華盛頓同年出生,父親也是一個大種植園主。16歲那年,父母把她嫁給一個年紀(jì)比她大一倍的富翁。幾年后,丈夫去世,瑪莎成了一個年輕而富有的寡婦。后來她遇見了華盛頓,兩人一見鐘情。1759年,兩人結(jié)婚。華盛頓不僅得到了一個年輕美貌的妻子,還獲得了一大筆財產(chǎn),這使他成了北美殖民地最富有的人之一。