|
Sometimes Chinese do not call a person by his name， but by his number in the family. In Chuzhou there was a minor official everyone called Fang 3， because he was his parents third son. 有时侯中国人称呼人时，不用他的名字，而用他在家里的排行。在滁州，有一个小官吏，每个人都叫他方三，因为他是父母的第三个儿子。 Fang 3 was a nice man. Everyone liked him. One day he went to the Hou farm to collect taxes. 方三是一个善良的人。每个人都喜欢他。一天他去侯家收税。 Brother Hou， I have to ask you to pay this years taxes. I know nobody likes to pay tax， but I have to report to my boss. 侯兄弟，我是来请你交税的。我知道没人愿意交税，但是我还得向自己的上司交代啊。 Hou 2 very politely said， Fang 3， you must know that this years harvest was terrible. We simply dont have anything to pay you with. Could you possibly give us ten days or half a month? Maybe we can gather some firewood to sell and get some money to pay our taxes to the Emperor. 侯二很客气地说，方三，你也知道，今年的收成特别差。我们真的没有东西可以交啊。你能给我们十天半月的时间吧?也许我们能砍些柴来卖掉，搞点钱交税给皇上了。 Fang 3 paused to consider. Hou 2 told his wife to prepare a meal for their guest. Just as Mrs. Hou walked out the door with the butcher knife， Fang caught a glimpse of a woman in brown standing outside the door begging him to be kind. | 
