我年龄不是个秘密
My age is not a secret
2012年，我在网络上讲授不同的英文课程，比如《日常口语》、《新概念》和《时文翻译》等，自我感觉良好，因为我太喜欢教导别人学习英语了。真心帮助别人能提高英语水平和能力，我非常开心。同时我也觉得自己有点用处，心里就美滋滋的。
In 2012, I gave various English courses online, say, "Daily Dialogs in English", "New Concept English" Series and "Translation for Latest Social Issues", etc., and I rested kindof satisfied or content in doing so just like a dog with two tails. At the same time, I could devote my remaining energy to others with alacrity.
这年夏天的某个早上，我讲完《阎成席口语天天练》第108课，有些口干舌燥，但兴致依然高涨，干脆留点时间和在线学员朋友进行一些交流，帮助他们矫音和练习口语会话。
On a summer morning that year, I finished talking about Lesson 108 of "Andrew Yan's Daily Oral English Practice" with mouth parched and tongue scorched, yet I remained in high spirits, so I just gave the online students some time for an exchange of ideas to help them correcting their pronounciation or practicing English conversations.
突然间，有位女生抢麦并问我：“阎老师，能冒昧地问个私密问题吗？”
All of a sudden, a young lady got the chance to talk with Mike, "Hi, Mr. Yan, May I venture to ask you a private question?"
我笑着说：“我当然不介意呀，我喜欢你们的各种问题呀！说出来听听。”
I said with a smile, "Sure, never mind about it. I love your questions and spit it out, please. "
女生直截了当就问：“老师，从声音上判断，你听起来好年轻哟！我想问你今年多大岁数了？”
The lady bluntly asked, "Sir, judging from your voice, you sound quite young! So I'd like to know how old you are."
我哈哈大笑起来，我的年龄不保密，不过我倒是想跟他们开个玩笑。
I burst into laughter. My age was no secret. However, I wanted to play a trick on them anyway.
我一本正经地说：“至于我的年龄嘛，请猜猜看。”
Playing it straight, I yelled, "Why not guess it?"
女生说：“你的声音听起来好年轻呀。我猜你二十刚出头，对吗，老师？”
The girl said, "You sound so so young, So I guess you are twentysomething, right, sir?"
我用英文脱口而出：“I'm just 25 years old, but the other way around (我今年刚好25岁，不过得倒过来)。”
I blurted out in English, “I'm just 25 years old, but the other way around."
女生说：“我猜对了嘛，你才25岁，刚好比我大两岁。老师，你结婚了吗？”
The girl broke in, "I am quite right. You are just 25, only 2 years older than I am. Sir, are you married?"
我有点着急了，赶紧解释说：“嗨，亲爱的小姐，请搞清楚‘but the other way around’的确切意思，好不好。
At that moment, I got into a flap, hastening to explain, "Hi, young lady, Please figure out the true meaming of 'but the other way around', Ok?"
我又费了好大功夫解释并举例说明“the other way around”的用法。
It took me much more time to explain “the other way around” away with more examples.
我可以感受到这个女生是多么的尴尬了，她一定知道了我的实际年龄，也一定知道原来阎老师是个糟老头子。
The girl must have been quite embarrassed and she certainly knew my actual age, and so did she know what a chinchy old guy Andrew Yan was.
