8．我们真的不知道(1)
杰克去大学(university)里学习(study)历史(history)，但在第二学期(term)末，他的历史考试不及格(he failed his history exam)．同时他还被告知将被开除(dismiss)。然而(however)．杰克的父亲(father)决定去拜访那位历史学教授，请求教授让(let)杰克继续(continue)下一年的学业。
“他是个不错的男孩(boy)。”杰克的父亲(father)说，“请原谅(pardon)他吧！如果这次您能让他通过(pass)，我确信(I'm sure)他明年一定会大有长进(improve a lot)；而且会在年终时真正地(really)很出色地通过考试。”
8. We Really Don't Know (2)
“No, no, that's quite impossible!”replied the professor immediately.“Do you know, last month I asked him when Napoleon died, and he didn't know!”“Please, sir, give him another chance”said Jack's father.“You see, I'm afraid we don't take any newspapers in our house so we even don't know that Napoleon was ill recently.”
8．我们真的不知道(2)
“不，不行，那是完全不可能的(quite impossible)。”教授立即(immediately)回答(reply)，“您知道吗，上个月我问他拿破仑是什么时候去世(die)的，可他居然不知道！”
“先生，请再给他一次机会(give him another chance)吧。”杰克的父亲说道，“您要知道，恐怕(I'm afraid)是因为我们家里没有报纸(newspaper)。因此我们甚至连拿破仑近来(recently)病了(ill)都不知道。”