"My friend, I say I had some trouble." A man said to his friend, "Yesterday I had words with my wife. After that she punched¹ the door and rushed out angrily with the word that she would live with her mother. Please help me. Is this a promise or a threat?""Do you think there are differences between the two?" his friend asked."Yes, quite a lot. If it is a promise, that means that my wife is sure to be with her mother, and if a threat, that my mother-in-law will move and live with us."

“听我说，朋友，我遇上麻烦了。”一个男人对他的朋友说，“昨天我和妻子吵了一架，她怒气冲冲地摔门走了，并宣称说她要和她母亲住在一起。你替我想想，这是许诺，还是威胁呢？”“这两者有什么区别吗？”朋友问。“不，区别太大了。如果它是承诺的话，那就是说它肯定是要和她妈妈一起住；要是威胁呢，那就意味着我岳母要搬到我家来住。”