English Original
English names differ from Chinese names in that many people share the same first name.
Common male names include James, Dan, Mark, Peter, William, and David. Common female names include Hannah, Amy, Lizz, Donna, Leah, and Lucy.
At our garden centre, there were two men named William, both around the same age. One worked in the fish department, and the other worked with sundries.
One afternoon, a lady approached me and asked, "Do you know where my husband is?"
"What's your husband's name?" I inquired.
"William!" she replied.
"William? I don't think so," I said, surprised.
"Yes, definitely!" she insisted.
I was taken aback. Do English men change wives often? I wondered. Just a month ago, I had met William's wife, their daughter, and two grandsons by the fish pond. The woman before me was a stranger. Unbelievable! William seemed like a good man; he couldn't possibly get a new wife every month. How could I believe this? I had to be sure.
"No, I don't think you are William's wife. I know his wife, and she is much taller than you."
"Yes, I am William's wife, without a doubt! Should I go home and fetch our marriage certificate?"
"That won't be necessary. Which department does your husband work in?" I asked, trying to clarify the details.
"Sundries. Outdoor sundries," she said.
"Oh, I see! Your husband isn't the one with the fish; he's the one with the pots," I suddenly understood.
"What? My husband is a pot?" she misunderstood.
"No, not at all. Everything's clear now," I reassured her.
I glanced toward the sundries section and saw her husband bending down to pick up a large pot.
"Over there! Look at that big pot. Your husband is right there."
It felt as triumphant as Columbus discovering a new continent. I finally breathed a sigh of relief!
中文翻译
英国人的名字与中国人不同，许多人共享相同的名字。
常见的男性名字有詹姆斯、丹、马克、彼得、威廉、大卫等。常见的女性名字有汉娜、艾米、莉兹、唐娜、利亚、露西等。
在我们的园艺中心，有两位名叫威廉的男子，年龄相仿。一位在鱼类部门工作，另一位负责杂物部门。
一天下午，一位女士走过来问我：“你知道我丈夫在哪儿吗？”
“您丈夫叫什么名字？”我问道。
“威廉！”她回答。
“威廉？我觉得不是吧，”我惊讶地说。
“是的，绝对是！”她坚持道。
我吃了一惊。难道英国男人经常换妻子吗？ 我心想。就在一个月前，我还在鱼塘边见过威廉的妻子、他们的女儿和两个孙子。我面前的这位女士却是个生面孔。难以置信！威廉看起来是个好人；他不可能每个月都换一个妻子。我怎么能相信呢？我必须确认一下。
“不，我觉得你不是威廉的妻子。我认识他的妻子，她比你高得多。”
“我当然是威廉的妻子，千真万确！需要我回家把结婚证拿来给你看吗？”
“那倒不必。您丈夫在哪个部门工作？”我问道，试图弄清细节。
“杂物部。户外杂物部，”她说。
“哦，我明白了！您丈夫不是管鱼的那位，他是管花盆的那位，”我突然恍然大悟。
“什么？我丈夫是个花盆？”她误解了。
“不，不是那个意思。现在都清楚了，”我安慰她。
我朝杂物区望去，看见她的丈夫正弯下腰拿起一个大花盆。
“在那边！看那个大花盆。您丈夫就在那儿。”
那一刻的感觉，就像哥伦布发现了新大陆一样。我终于松了一口气！