Red shirt
Long ago, when sailing ships ruled the waves, a captain and his crew were in danger of being boarded by a pirate ship. As the crew became frantic, the captain bellowed to his first mate, "Bring me my red shirt!" The First Mate quickly retrieved the captain's red shirt, and the captain put it on and led the crew into battle against the pirate boarding party. Although some casualties occurred among the crew, the pirates were repelled.Later that day, the lookout screamed that there were two pirate vessels sending boarding parties. The crew cowered, but the captain, calm as ever, bellowed, "Bring me my red shirt!" And once again the battle was on. The captain and his crew repelled both boarding parties, and this time more casualties occurred. Weary from the battles, the men sat around on deck that night, recounting the day's occurrences when an ensign looked to the captain and asked, "Sir, why did you call for your red shirt before the battle?"
The Captain, giving the ensign a look that only a captain can give, exhorted, "If I am wounded in battle, the red shirt does not show the wound and thus, you men will continue to fight unafraid." The men sat in silence marveling at the courage of such a man.
As dawn came the next morning, the lookout screamed that there were pirate ships, 10 of them, all with boarding parties on their way. The men became silent and looked to the Captain, their leader, for his usual command. The captain, calm as ever, bellowed, "Bring me my brown pants!"
赤いシャツ
昔々、帆船が主流だった頃、一人の船長と船員達が海賊に襲われていた。 船員達がおののき始めると船長は第一航海士に対してこう怒鳴る、「赤いシャツを持ってこい！」 第一航海士はすぐに船長の赤いシャツを取ってきて、船長はそのシャツを着て、海賊達との戦いを率いる。 数名の死傷者は出たものの、海賊達を追い払う事ができた。その日の後ほど、見張りが２隻の海賊船が迫っている事を叫んで知らせる。船員達は怖じ気つくが、船長はいつものように平静で、「赤いシャツを持ってこい！」とどなる。 また戦いは始る。 船長と船員達はさらに死傷者を出すがどうにか２隻の海賊船を追い払う。 戦いに疲れ果てた船員達はその夜デッキに座り今日の出来事を話し合う、その時少尉が船長に向かって、こう聞く、「船長、なぜ戦いの時に赤いシャツを持ってこさせるのですか？」
すると船長は船長独特の雰囲気を持って少尉を見るとこう説く、
「もし私が戦いで傷を負っても、赤いシャツがそれを隠してくれる。そうすれば、船員達は怖じ気つくことなく戦いを続けられるだろう。」
男達はこの勇気に感心して沈黙のまま座っていた。
次の日の明け方、見張りがまた海賊が近づいているのを叫んで知らせる。今度は１０隻の海賊船だ。 船員達は黙ってしまい、命令を仰ぐために船長を見る。船長はいつも通り平静で、こうどなる、
「茶色のズボンを持ってこい！」
