中文里的四声,可谓是西方人的天敌.初到北京的英国留学生踏近饭馆开口就将包子说成报纸,服务小姐还真耐心解释:"马路对面卖报纸,日报,晚报一应惧全.想吃饺子,遗憾的是冲口而出的却是"轿子",听得侍者如坠云雾之中.尤令女侍者莫名其妙甚至气愤的是,他居然要求"红烧屁股",并声称这是他最喜爱的一道中国菜.见女侍者脸色不悦甚至恼怒起来,洋学生急忙将菜单指给她看.女侍者这才明白他想吃的是"红烧排骨".

The four tone in Chinese, may be westerners' natural enemy. British foreign student to reach Beijing step on nearly restaurant open one's mouth, speak steamed stuffed bun newspaper right away for the first time, it is explained that the stewardess is still very patient: "Sell the newspaper opposite to the road, the daily, evening paper one should be feared completely." Want to eat dumplings, it's a pity what said unthinkingly is "Sedan chair". Listen to if waiter fall cloud and mist.What made the waitress baffled and even angry is particularly, he demands to braise the buttocks in soy sauce, claim this is his favorite Chinese cuisine. See a waitress is unhappy and even getting angry, foreign students show her the menu in a hurry. The waitress just understands what he wanted to eat is the spareribs with brown sauce in this.

一位初到北京的英国外交官,临阵磨枪讨教了几句汉语,便练起来.当中方官员客气地告诉他为他准备了一顿便饭时,这位英国外交官望着满桌山珍海味吃惊道:"如果说这是一顿便饭,那可真正是一餐｀大便饭＇了."

One British diplomat to reach Beijing for the first time, sharpen one's spear only before going into battle, ask for advice odd of Chinese, practise. In the middle when square officers tell him to prepare a potluck for him courteously, this British diplomat looks at startled dish of all kinds of delicacies of all over desk: "If this is a potluck, it is really ｀a meal stool meal＇. "