Pretty speeches are not characteristic of the Briton. During the Boer siege of the British garrison in Ladysmith, a certain young Englishman, the heir to a dukedom, was among the relieving force that entered the town. His brother had been confined there, and as soon as possible the young men got together. They shook hands heartily, looked into one another's eyes, then turned their heads aside and resolutely gulped down something.
"I say," began the future duke, with a mighty effort. "Old Tom, the gardener, is dead." "Oh, I say!" * replied the other. Then they walked away together. Each knew that the other was glad to see him, but being a Briton was too manly to be more effusive.
英國人不怎麼喜歡多說漂亮話。雷地史密斯市英國駐軍遭波爾軍圍攻時，前來救援的軍隊之中，有一個年輕人，是某公爵爵位繼承者。他弟弟隸屬被圍的駐軍。援軍入城之後，這兩個年輕人抽得空閑，就馬上見面。他們熱情握手，望着對方的眼睛，然後轉過頭，喉頭一顫，硬嚥下激動的感情。
那未來公爵好不容易才說出一句話：「告訴你，園丁湯姆老頭去世了。」他弟弟說：「啊，去世啦！」然後他們一起走開，彼此都知道對方很高興看見自己，但身為英國人，他們要有男兒氣概，不會輕易流露強烈感情。
* I say二字合用，常用來表示驚訝，或只是說來引起對方注意，有如中文的「喂」。