As a rookie(新手) in the Atlantic City Police department, I was assigned(指派) to walk around the streets. Everyday I meet some children who had become separated from(分离) his parents or lost their way.

One afternoon, I saw a small boy standing alone, obviously(显然地) lost. I tried to gain his confidence(信任) - I took him to the nearest ice-cream shop and bought him a box of ice cream. But for a long time the boy's parents didn't come up. So I want to call for a patrol car to take him to police station. I told the small boy to stay while I went to the call box. When I returned, he was not there.

Within minutes, the car arrived, and one of the policemen asked me where the child was. I felt stupid; it's humiliating(丢人的) to say you've lost a lost child. But I told the officers what had happened and gave a description(描述) of the boy. "What did you treat him?" asked one of the men.

"A box of ice-cream. Why?"

"Because," answered the officer, "that kid lives only a few blocks(节区) from here, and you are the fifth one to buy him ice-cream!"

我是新泽西州大西洋城警察局的一名新警察。我被指派在街上巡逻，几乎每天都能碰上与父母走散的孩子。

一天下午，我发现一个小孩独自站在那里，显然是迷了路。我先是设法取得他的信任-我带他到附近的冰淇淋摊给他买了一盒冰淇淋。过了很长时间，也没看见他父母的影子，所以我就准备打电话叫辆巡逻车将他送回总部去。我告诉他站在那里别动，我去电话亭打电话。当我回来时，却发现他不知道到哪儿去了。

警车很快来了。一名警察问我小孩在哪里。我感觉自己傻极了，说自己弄丢了一个迷路的小孩，该多丢人啊!但我还是告诉了警察们所发生的一切，并描述了一下小孩的长相。"你请他吃了什么?"一名警察问。

"一盒冰淇淋。怎么啦?"

"因为，"那名警察说，"那个小孩住的地方离这儿只隔几个街区。而你大概是新警察中帮他买东西吃的第五个傻瓜蛋!"