An elderly woman lived on a small farm in Canada,just yards away from the North Dakota border. Their land had been the subject of a minor dispute between the United States and Canada for years. The now widowed woman lived on the farm with her son and three grandchildren.
One day,her son came into her room holding a letter.“I just got some news,Mom,”he said.“The government has come to an agreement with the people in North Dakota. They’ve decided that our land is really part of the United States. We have the right to approve or disapprove of the agreement. What do you think?”
“What do I think?”his mother said.“Sign it!Call them right now and tell them we accept!I don’t think I could stand another one of those Canadian winters!”
有位老妇人住在加拿大的一个小农庄里,离美国的北达科他州边境仅几码远。这块地方的归属很多年来一直是美国和加拿大争执的焦点。现在,这位寡居的老妇人和自己的儿子及三个孙子住在一起。
一天,她儿子手里拿着一封信来到她的房间里。“我刚得到一个消息,妈妈。”他说,“加拿大政府已经和北达科他州达成一致协议,他们同意把我们这个地方划归美国所有。但我们有权利对这个协议表示赞成或反对。您认为如何?”
“我认为如何?”他妈妈答道,“赶快签字!立即打电话告诉他们,我们同意!我再也不愿忍受加拿大这种见鬼的冬季了!”