Lesson15 五十便士的麻烦

The Troublesome of 50 Pennies

 

孩子们总是喜欢得到一些零花钱。

Children are always fond of getting some   pocket money.

 

 

爸爸妈妈当然经常给孩子零花钱，

Of course, parents often give allowance   to children,

 

 

但是，叔舅婶姨也是孩子们额外收入来源。

but their father’s   younger brother, mother’s brother, aunts, and   maternal aunts are also

children’s extra   incoming resource.

 

 

对于有些孩子来说，少量的钱可以花很长一段时间。

For some children, small amount of money   can spend for a long time.

 

 

如果50便士不拿来换糖吃，

If we don’t take   the 50 pennies for exchanging the candy,

 

 

则可以放在储蓄罐里叮当响上好几月。

it can be out in the piggy-bank , ringing   for many months.

 

 

但是能把储蓄罐装满的只有屈指可数的几个特别节俭的孩子。

But only a few specislly frugal children   can fill the piggy-bank.

 

 

对大部分孩子来说，

For most of the children,

 

 

用50便士来买一大块好的巧克力，是算不了什么的。

It’s nothing to   spend 50 pennies to buy a large bar of good chocolate.

 

 

我的外甥乔治有一个储蓄罐，但总是空空的。

My nephew George has a piggy-bank, but   always be empty.

 

 

我给了不少50便士的硬币，但没有几个存到储蓄罐里。

 

 

 

I gave him many 50 pence coins, but seldom of them were put into the saving box.

 

 

 

昨天，我给了他50便士让存起来，

Yesterday, I gave him 50 pennies for   reserving,

 

 

却拿这钱给自己买了50便士的麻烦。

but bought 50 pennies’ trouble for myself.

 

 

在他去糖果店的路上，

On his way to the candy store,

 

 

50便士掉在地上，在人行道上跳了几下，掉进了阴沟里。

 

 

 

the 50 pence coin dropped on the road, bouncing on the sidewalk for a few times and fallen into the sewer.

 

 

 

乔治脱掉外套，

 

George took off the coat,

 

卷起袖子，将右胳膊伸进了阴沟盖。

rolled up the cuff and stretch his right   arm into the gutter.

 

 

但他摸了半天也没找到那50便士硬币，

But neither couldn’t he found the 50 pence coin,

 

 

他的胳膊反倒退不出来了。

nor could he withdraw his arm.

 

 

这时在他周围围上了许多人，一位女士在乔治胳膊上抹了肥皂，黄油，

 

 

 

At this time many people gathered around him, a madam daubed soap and butter on his

arm,

 

 

 

但乔治的胳膊仍然卡得紧紧的。

but his arm still seized tightly.

 

 

有人打电话叫来消防队，两位消防队员使用了一种特殊的润滑剂才使乔治得以解脱。

 

 

 

Someone called the fire brigade, two firemen used a special lubricant to get George

extrication.

 

 

 

不过，此事并没使乔治过于伤心，因为糖果店老板娘听说了他遇到的麻烦后，赏给他一大盒巧克力。

 

 

 

However, this affect not really made George too grieve, because when the hostress of the

candyshop hearing the trouble he had met, she gave him a huge box of chocolate.