An army officer was fond of telling jokes. Once he came out of his room, and in the present of some soliders, told a lenghty joke. The interpreter translated the joke  in a single line and all soliders laughed.

The officer got suspicious. Later he asked the interpreter how he could translate the lengthy joke in a single line.

The interpreter said, “Sir, your joke is very difficult to translate. So i said merely, the General has told a Joke, please laugh.”