Sometimes It’s Hard to Know When to Stop

(Originally in English)

An old man went to the doctor and began to pour

out his problems. As the doctor asked more

about what was the matter with him, the old

man said, “Well Doc, after I get to the first,

I’m very, very tired. After the second, I feel

all in. After the third, my heart begins to

pound. After the fourth, I break out in a cold

sweat. And after the fifth, I’m so exhausted,

I feel like I’m going to die, right then

and there!”

“That’s incredible,” said the doctor,

“but how old are you?”

“Eighty-five,” the patient said. And the

doctor said, “Well, at 85, why don’t you

stop at the first?” The man said, “I can’t

stop: I live on the fifth floor!”

欲罢不能

一个老人去看医生，滔滔地讲述他的问题。医生进一步

询问他的症状，他说：「医生啊！我上第一层之后，

感到非常累！上了第二层，觉得快不行了！到第三层，

心跳加剧！到第四层，大冒冷汗！到第五层，筋疲力尽，

感觉当场就要死了！」 「真不可思议啊！」医生说：

「你今年几岁呢？」 「八十五」病人说。

医生说：「噢，八十五岁了！为什么你不一开始

就停下来？」老人回答：「我不能停下来，

我住在第五层楼啊！」