Old Couple at McDonald's
 
To the world, you may just be somebody... but to somebody, you may be the world.

A little1 old couple walked slowly into McDonald's one cold winter evening. They looked out of place2 amid the young families and young couples eating there that night.

Some of the customers looked admiringly at them. You could tell what the admirers were thinking. "Look, there is a couple who has been through a lot together, probably for 60 years or more!"

The little old man walked right up to the cash register, placed his order with no hesitation and then paid for their meal.3 The couple took a table near the back wall and started taking food off the tray4. There was one hamburger, one order of French fries5 and one drink. The little old man unwrapped the plain hamburger6 and carefully cut it in half. He placed one half in front of his wife. Then he carefully counted out7 the French fries, divided them in two piles and neatly placed one pile in front of his wife. He took a sip of8 the drink, his wife took a sip and then set the cup down between them.

As the man began to eat his few bites of hamburger the crowd began to get restless9. Again you could tell what they were thinking, "That poor old couple. All they can afford is one meal for the two of them."

As the man began to eat his French fries one young man stood and came over to the old couple's table. He politely offered to buy another meal for the old couple to eat. The old man replied that they were just fine. They were used to10 sharing everything.

Then the crowd noticed that the little old lady hadn't eaten a bite. She just sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally taking turns sipping the drink.11

Again the young man came over and begged them to let him buy them something to eat. This time the lady explained that, no, they were used to sharing everything together.

As the little old man finished eating and was wiping his face neatly with a napkin the young man could stand it no longer12. Again he came over to their table and offered to buy some food.

After being politely refused again, he finally asked a question of the little old lady. "Ma'am, why aren't you eating? You said that you share everything. What is it that you are waiting for?"

She answered, "The teeth".13

1. little：矮小的。

2. out of place：不相称的，格格不入的。

3. 那个瘦小的老头径直走到点餐台，很干脆地点好餐然后付了款。cash register通常的意思是“现金出纳机”，此处指“餐厅的点餐台”。

4. tray：托盘。

5. French fries: = French fried potatoes，油炸土豆条，薯条。

6. unwrap: 打开……的包纸；plain: （食物等）素净的；the plain hamburger即麦当劳出售的普通汉堡。

7. count out: 逐一数出。

8. take a sip of: 抿一口，啜。

9. restless：静不下来的，这里指餐厅里的人忍不住悄悄议论。

10. be used to：习惯于某事。

11. 她只是坐在那儿瞧着她丈夫吃，轮到她的时候偶尔啜口饮料。

12. wipe：抹，擦净；neatly：干净利落地；napkin：餐巾，这里指餐巾纸；stand: 忍受。

13. 意思是老太太在等着老头用完假牙。