童言笑话：4、 A gentleman 绅士

4. A gentleman

Dick was seven years old, and his sister, Catherine, was five. One day their mother took them to their aunt's house to play while she went to the big city to buy some new clothes.

The children played for an hour, and then at half past four their aunt took Dick into the kitchen1. She gave him a nice cake and a knife and said to him, "Now here's a knife, Dick. Cut this cake in half and give one of the pieces to your sister, but remember2 to do it like a gentleman."

Like a gentleman? Dick asked. "How do gentlemen do it?"

They always give the bigger piece to the other person, answered his aunt at once.

Oh. said Dick.

He thought about this for a few seconds. Then he took the cake to his sister and said to her, "Cut this cake in half, Catherine."

Notes:

1. kitchen 厨房

2. remember 记得

绅　士

迪克七岁，他的妹妹凯瑟琳五岁。一天，妈妈把他们带到姨妈家去玩，自己就到大城市去买些新的衣服。

孩子们玩了一个小时，在四点半的时候，姨妈领着迪克走进了厨房。她交给迪克一块精美的蛋糕和一把刀子，并对他说：

“喏，迪克，给你刀子，把这块蛋糕一分为二，给你妹妹一块。不过，你得记住要做得像一个绅士那样。”

迪克问：“像一个绅士？绅士怎样做呢？”

他姨妈马上回答说：“绅士总是把大的一块让给别人。”

迪克说了一声“噢”。

他对此想了一会，然后，他把蛋糕拿给妹妹，并对她说：“凯瑟琳，你来把这块蛋糕切成两块吧。”

Useful link:

“绅士”源于17世纪中叶的西欧，由充满侠气与英雄气概的“骑士”发展而来，后在英国盛行并发展到极至。绅士风度倡导传统文化与自我存在的价值观，追求品味与人性化的生活方式，代表西方经济发展的一种新社会思潮，是中上层阶层男士所追求的一种社会风尚：出类拔萃，风度不凡。着装考究，举止文雅，尊重女性，尊重人格，继承与发扬传统文化，追求与建造生活质量，彰显男人的刚毅、坚韧、含蓄、深沉与宽宏大量的人格之美。