Once, late at night, an Englishman came out of his room into the corridor of a hotel and asked the servant to bring him a glass of water. The servant did as he was asked. The Englishman re-entered his room, but a few minutes later he came into the corridor again and once more asked the servant for a glass of water. The servant brought him another glass of water.

Every few minutes the Englishman would come out of his room and repeat his request. After a half-hour the astonished servant decided to ask the Englishman what he was doing with the water. "Nothing," the Englishman answered imperturbably, "It's simply that my room is on fire."

曾经有一个英国人半夜从房间里出来，来到旅店的走廊上，向旅店的服务员要了一杯水。服务员拿来了水，英国人就回到了房间，可几 分钟之后他又走了出来，向服务员又要了一杯水。服务员又拿了一杯。英国人每隔几分钟就走出房间，不断地要水。

半个小时之后，这位惊讶不已的服务员打算问问 房客要水做什么，英国人泰然自若地回答：“没什么，只不过是我的房间里起火了。”