Анекдот - Проверка

He decided to stage a test (он решил устроить проверку; stage — подмостки, сцена; to stage — инсценировать, осуществлять).
One day, as Sarah read the paper (когда Сара читала газету), he stood a distance behind her chair (он встал на /некотором/ расстоянии от ее кресла /to stand-stood-stood/) and said, in a conversational voice (негромким: «разговорным» голосом; conversation — разговор), «Can you hear me? (ты можешь меня слышать)»
Silence (тишина).
He moved towards her (он продвинулся поближе к ней). He was now 6 feet away (он был в 6 футах от нее). «Can you hear me?» Still silence (опять: «все еще» тишина).
Finally, he moved directly behind her chair (наконец он продвинулся прямо к ее креслу: «позади ее кресла») and bent over (и нагнулся /через/, перегнулся /to bend-bent-bent/), just inches from her ear (всего лишь в нескольких дюймах от ее уха), «Can you hear me?»
Sarah replied, «For the third time (в третий раз), Maurice, Yes I can!»

• Версия на Английском без подсказок

  Maurice and Sarah were getting old and Maurice felt his wife was losing her hearing.
  He decided to stage a test. One day, as Sarah read the paper, he stood a distance behind her chair and said, in a conversational voice, "Can you hear me?" Silence.
  He moved towards her. He was now 6 feet away. "Can you hear me?" Still silence.
  Finally, he moved directly behind her chair and bent over, just inches from her ear, "Can you hear me?"
  Sarah replied, "For the third time, Maurice, Yes I can!"