Tom is smart and friendly. Several months ago, he moved to a town in a foreign country because of work. He liked the local people and the life there. But there was only one problem: he had trouble understanding the sayings that local people used in their daily conversations.
One day, they invited Tom to a party. When they were chatting, Tom overheard someone say,"Don't count your chickens before they are hatched(孵化)"Misunderstanding the words, Tom laughed and said, "Who will count chickens? They are everywhere!" The room was silent for a moment. Then people started laughing loudly.
That made Tom embarrassed(尴尬的), but he didn't stop trying. At the end of the party, an old man looked out of the window and said, "It's raining cats and dogs outside. I guess we need to stay here a little longer." Tom began to worry about the animals. He advised, "Shall we go out and save them?"This led to a burst of(一阵)laughter again.
Tom felt a little foolish and decided to learn more about these sayings. He spent the next few weeks learning them from the locals. "These sayings are more than just words, they are a part of their culture and life,"Tom thought.
At the next party, Tom wanted to try one more time. When people were discussing the plan for their yearly festival, he said, "Let's not put all our eggs in one basket." This time, he used the saying correctly. The local people agreed with him. Tom felt a sense of achievement(成就). He not only learned the sayings, but also understood better about the local culture.
