• 2021-04-14
    One night a Chinese student majoring in English sat on the steps of the foreign students’ residence and talked with two young male foreign students, one German and another American. They did not speak a word to her on their own initiative, but she asked many questions to get a conversation started. Every time they answered her with only one or two words. But she was determined to practice her English so she tried to keep the conversation going. “How do you spend your weekend?” she asked. The German boy answered immediately, “Fishing,” and the two boys looked at each other meaningfully. “Fishing?” She was really confused. “But where do you fish?” she asked. “Fishing has two meanings. One is the literal meaning. The other is just sitting here or walking on the street and waiting for some girls to come up to us.” Then they both burst out laughing. She was annoyed. She sat there silently and then suddenly stood up and walked away without saying goodbye. Question: What happened to the girl? Why did she leave without words suddenly?