As a fluid-dynamics engineer, I was invited to give a lecture at a classified meeting attended by military officials. To break the ice, I began my talk with a joke. Several days later, at a restaurant, I ran into a naval officer who had heard my speech. “Would you mind repeating that joke here?” he asked. “That way it won't be considered confidential anymore, and I can tell it to others.”
作為一個流體動力學工程師,我應邀到一個由軍事要員參加的機密會議上講課。為了活躍氣氛,我先講了一個笑話。過了幾天,我在餐館里碰到一個聽了我的課的海軍軍官。他問我:“你能不能在這里再把那個笑話講一遍?這樣,這個笑話就不是保密的,我就可以去說給別人聽了?!?