One of my students could not take my college seminar final exam because of a funeral. No problem, I told him. Make it up the following week. That week came, and again he couldn't take the test due to another funeral. "You'll have to take the test early next week," I insisted. "I can't keep postponing it."　　"I'll take the test next week if no one dies," he told me. By now I was suspicious.

　　"How can you have so many people you know pass away in three weeks?"

　　"I don't know any of these people," he said. "I'm the only gravedigger in town."

　　我的一个学生因为要出席葬礼不能参加学校的中段考。 “没问题”，我告诉他，“之后一周补考”。到了那周，他又不参加考试，因为他要参加另外一次葬礼。 “那你就下周初再考”， 我坚持说。“我不能老是往后延”。

　　“我下周可以考，如果下周没人死的话，”他跟我说。

　　听到这个，我有点怀疑了。

　　“你认识的人里面在三个星期之中有那么多会去世吗？”

　　“这些人我一个都不认识”，他说。“镇上就我一个挖坟的”。