<MSGID_1=3A3634=2F12.0_240477a6@fidonet.org>
From: alexander koryagin <koryagin@erec.ru>

Hi, mark lewis!
I read your message from 23.09.2013 11:20

  ak>> Yesterday, a Polish customs station was paralyzed by a
  ak>> Russian truck loaded with matreshka dolls.
  ml>
  ml> one needs to know what matreshka dolls are for this one to make
  ml> sense and be funny...

Do you think that there are many people who don't know what a matreshka 
doll is? IMHO, it is as well-known as vodka. ;-)

  ak>> "Daddy, do you believe in hosts?"
  ak>> "No, son, they don't exist."
  ak>> "But the housemaid said they exist."
  ak>> "Oh! Pack your things, and we're leaving in a jiffy!"
  ak>> "Why?"
  ak>> "We haven't any housemaids."
  ml>
  ml> ??this one is good 
  ml>
  ak>> It's difficult to search for Bin Laden in Afghanistan.
  ak>> Especially if he  is not there. (A new Chinese wisdom from
  ak>> Alex Ko )"/>
  ml>
  ml> ??the use of "search for" in this one is not right... one can
  ml> always and easily search for something where it may or may not
  ml> be... instead "find" should be used...
  ml>
  ml>    It's difficult to find Bin Laden in Afghanistan. Especially
  ml>    if he is not there.

Yes, probably it sounds clearer.
Although, for speaking practice, I can note that if we derive this 
phrase from the original one (about a cat and a dark room) we can find 
out that it is indeed a difficult task to search for anything in the 
complete darkness. So we have two difficulties:

1. Searching in the darkness (for something) is a difficult business.
2. It is an especially difficult business if the something we a looking 
for is absent in the dark room, where we are searching.

Translating it for Afghanistan we can note, that searching in Afghan 
mountains is a very difficult business itself. And it is a especially 
difficult business if the subject of searching is not there.

Bye, mark!
Alexander Koryagin
fido7.english-tutor 2013
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