The Secret of a Long Life
I am Peter Brown. I am a writer with an important magazine. The other day I saw a white-haired man sitting on the chair in front of his house. I could see the wrinkles (皱纹) in his face and neck, and his wrinkled hands. Articles on the secrets of living to an old age are always popular with our readers, so I decided to write a story and discover the secret of this man's long life. As I went near him, I said:
"Sir, would it be okay if I talked with you for just a moment?"
"Not at all. Actually, it would make me very happy. I get very bored sitting here, even for a short time. Until a little while ago, I lived a full and active life without a moment's rest. "
"Well, they say that a lot of activities help one to live a long time. "
"That's true, very true. I still feel very well, although my step has slowed down a little. "
The conversation continued in that way for a while. Although I tried to be very thoughtful about getting information from older people, it seemed to me that it would now be all right to begin to ask some polite questions.
"Would it be okay if I smoked?"
"Not at all. "
"I'd offer you one, but I suppose you probably don't smoke, or drink, or..."
"You're wrong! I've always smoked a great deal. And until a little while ago, I went dancing every night. And as for alcoholic drinks..."
"Do you mean to say that you've done these things all your life?"
"Of course. Why does that surprise you so much?"
"I've always been told that doing those things is bad for the health. "
"Nonsense!"
"I suppose that you have another secret...a lot of fruit...vegetables...a lot of exercise in the fresh air..."
"Don't be silly! I hate exercise in the fresh air, and I don't like any kind of vegetable. "
"This is unbelievable!"
"What do you mean, unbelievable? What are you talking about?"
"It's just that I can't understand how you've been able to live like that and to have lasted so long. Tell me, how old are you?"
"Me? I'm twenty-eight. Why?"
