English Original
Several international businessmen were on a conference cruise when the ship began to sink. "Go and tell those fellows to put on life jackets and jump overboard," the captain directed his first mate.
A few minutes later the first mate returned. "Those guys won't jump," he reported. "Take over," the captain ordered, "and I'll see what I can do."
Returning moments later, he announced, "They've gone."
"How'd you do it?" asked the first mate.
"I used psychology. I told the Englishman it was the sporting thing to do, and he jumped. I told the Frenchman it was chic; the German that it was a command; the Italian that it was forbidden."
"And how did you get the American to jump?"
"No problem," said the captain. "I told him he was insured!"
中文翻译
一艘会议游轮上载着几位国际商人，船开始下沉。船长命令大副：“去告诉那些人穿上救生衣跳船。”
几分钟后，大副回来了。“那些人不肯跳，”他报告说。“你来掌舵，”船长命令道，“我去看看怎么办。”
片刻之后，船长回来了，宣布道：“他们都跳了。”
“您是怎么做到的？”大副问。
“我用了心理学。我告诉英国人，这是有体育精神的行为，他就跳了。我告诉法国人这很时髦；告诉德国人这是命令；告诉意大利人这是被禁止的。”
“那您是怎么让那个美国人跳的呢？”
“没问题，”船长说。“我告诉他，他上了保险！”