7 replies to this topic

[MaLing]

A wife's clandestine lover comes to her home to meet her while her husband is out. She pushes her little son in a wardrobe. Suddenly the husband comes back, the wife quickly pushes the lover in the wardrobe too.

Son, 'It is very dark here.'
Lover, 'Yes, it is.'
Son, 'Would you be interested to buy a baseball?'
Lover, 'Oh, no, sorry, I should not.'
The son says with an extorting and cunning voice, 'Yes, I believe you would be very indeed.'
After the lover weighs his current situation, he knows that he has no alternatives, 'All right, how much?'
Son, ' Two hundred dollars.'
The Lover is surprised but still pays the money.

Next week, the wife meets her lover again at home, and, as before, pushes her son in the wardrobe, and, as last time, her husband suddenly comes back. Once more, she pushes the lover in the wardrobe.

Son, 'It is very dark here.'
Lover, 'Yes, it is.'
Son, 'Would you be interested to buy a baseball glove?'
Lover, 'How much would that be this time?'
Son, 'Three hundred.'
The lover pays the money unwillingly.

Next week, the husband says to his son, 'Let us go to the park to play baseball, take your baseball and glove.'
Son, 'I have sold them.'
Husband, 'How much were they?' He assumes that his son has exchanged them with a little money for food etc.
Son, 'Five hundred.'
Husband, 'What? That was too greedy. Go, I take you to the church to confess and beg forgiveness from God.'

They arrive in the church. The son walks into the confessional, sits down, and pulls the curtain.

Son, 'It is very dark here.'
Priest, 'Do not impose this trick on me again, it is useless here.'

[zamiel]

Er.. I think this one loses quite a bit in the translation.

[MaLing]

So you have heard this before?
Or my expression in English is bad?
Which parts are not clear? So that I can rectify them.

[zamiel]

Um, yeah, tiz quite an old one. The translation is acurate, its just the choice of words etc.


A married woman is having an affair. Whenever her lover comes over, she puts her nine year old son in the closet. One day the woman hears a car in the driveway and puts her lover in the closet, as well.
Inside the closet, the little boy says, "It's dark in here, isn't it?

"Yes it is," the man replies.

"You wanna buy a baseball?" the little boy asks.

"No thanks," the man replies.

"I think you do want to buy a baseball," the little extortionist continues.

"OK. How much?" the man replies after considering the position he is in.

"Twenty-five dollars," the little boy replies.

"TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS?!" the man repeats incredulously, but complies to protect his hidden position.

The following week, the lover is visiting the woman again when she hears a car in the driveway and, again, places her lover in the closet with her little boy.

"It's dark in here, isn't it?" the boy starts off.

"Yes it is," replies the man.

"Wanna buy a baseball glove?" the little boy asks.

"OK. How much?" the hiding lover responds, acknowledging his disadvantage.

"Fifty dollars," the boy replies and the transaction is completed. The next weekend, the little boy's father says, "Hey, son. Go get your ball and glove and we'll play some catch."

"I can't. I sold them," replies the little boy.

"How much did you get for them?" asks the father, expecting to hear the profit in terms of lizards and candy.

"Seventy-five dollars," the little boy says.

"SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS?! That's thievery! I'm taking you to the church right now. You must confess your sin and ask for forgiveness, the father explains as he hauls the child away.

At the church, the little boy goes into the confessional, draws the curtain, sits down, and says "It's dark in here, isn't it?"

"Don't you start that crap in here now," the priest says.

P.S Joke not meant to offend anyone.

[MaLing]

Ahhh, it seems that this joke is of English origin, and it is translated to Chinese, and I heard the Chinese version and just reversed it back to English. There are not many differences between the versions, so my translation is not too bad then.

This joke must be very popular. Let me try to look for another one to post again...

Edited by MaLing, 06 October 2006 - 07:44 AM.

[shawn_nee]

Yeah as in most languages, translations kinda lose meaning or change how funny it is. I've heard this one, but the last part is more "The son goes in the booth, and the Voice says "It's kinda dark in here".... And the little boys jaw drops.....


Your translations are good MaLing, it's more the way they were translated. You used more gramatical, or more a formal english. To be best it really needed more of english slang in it.

[zamiel]

Yup. Jokes in English are normally written informally which adds to the "experience" as jokes aren't often told formally if you get my drift?

[MaLing]

Yes, I get the meanings from both of you. It is because all my English was learnt in schools, which taught formal style one. In my daily life, I do not use English, so I do not know too much slang or 'everyday English', but next time I will try.

Shawn, your story is a good one as well.