A British regiment was drawn up① for church parade at Malta, but as the church was being repaired, it could not accommodate them all. The colonel quickly decided on his course of action.
"Sergeant major," he exclaimed, "tell all the men who don't want to go to church to fall out②." A large number of the men quickly and gladly availed themselves of the privilege.
"Now, sergeant major," said the colonel, as soon as the movement had ceased, "dismissed all the men who did not fall out, and march the others off to church - - they want it most!"
馬爾他一英國軍團列隊準備往教堂校閱，但教堂當時正在修葺，容不下所有士兵。軍團上校稍一沉吟，就決定該怎麼辦。
他喊道：「軍士長，叫所有不想去教堂的人離開隊伍。」大批士兵馬上高高興興，離隊而出，不放棄這權利。
上校待不想去者都離隊之後，說道：「軍士長，把沒有離隊者解散，然後叫其餘的人列隊到教堂去。最應該去教堂的，正是他們。」
①To draw up是「使……排列成隊」，例如：The students were drawn up into three rows（學生排成三行）。
②To fall out指「離隊」或「解散」，反義詞是to fall in，例如：The officer ordered his men to fall in / fall out（軍官下令士兵列隊／解散）。