Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

Children always appreciate small gifts of money.

孩子們總是喜歡得到一些零花錢。

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

Mum or dad, of course, provide a regular supply of pocket money, but uncles and ants are always a source of extra income.

爸爸媽媽當然經常給孩子零花錢，但是，叔舅嬸姨也是孩子們額外收入來源。

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

With some children, small sums go a long way.

對于有些孩子來說，少量的錢可以花很長一段時間。

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

If fifty pence pieces are not exchanged for sweets, they rattle for months inside money boxes.

如果50便士不拿來換糖吃，則可以放在儲蓄罐里叮當響上好幾月。

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

Only very thrifty children manage to fill up a money box.

但是能把儲蓄罐裝滿的只有屈指可數的幾個特別節儉的孩子。

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

For most of them, fifty pence is a small price to pay for a nice big bar of chocolate.

對大部分孩子來說，用50便士來買一大塊好的巧克力，是算不了什么的。

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

My nephew, George, has a money box but it is always empty.

我的外甥喬治有一個儲蓄罐，但總是空空的。

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

Very few of the fifty pence pieces and pound coins I have given him have found their way there.

我給了不少50便士的硬幣，但沒有幾個存到儲蓄罐里。

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

I gave him fifty pence yesterday and advised him to save it.

昨天，我給了他50便士讓存起來，

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

Instead he bought himself fifty pence worth of trouble.

卻拿這錢給自己買了50便士的麻煩。

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

On his way to the sweet shop, he dropped his fifty pence and it bounced along the pavement and then disappeared down a drain.

在他去糖果店的路上，50便士掉在地上，在人行道上跳了幾下，掉進了陰溝里。

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

George took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and pushed is right arm through the drain cover.

喬治脫掉外套，卷起袖子，將右胳膊伸進了陰溝蓋。

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

He could not find his fifty pence piece anywhere, and what is more,

但他摸了半天也沒找到那50便士硬幣，

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

he could no get his arm out.

他的胳膊反倒退不出來了。

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

A crowd of people gathered round him and a lady rubbed his arm with soap and butter, but George was firmly stuck.

這時在他周圍上了許多人，一位女士在喬治胳膊上抹了肥皂，黃油，但喬治的胳膊仍然卡得緊緊的。

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

The fire brigade was called and two fire fighter freed George using a special type of grease.

有人打電話叫來消防隊，兩位消防隊員使用了一種特殊的潤滑劑才使喬治得以解脫。

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble

George was not too upset by his experience because the lady who owns the sweet shop heard about his troubles and rewarded him with large box of chocolates.

不過，此事并沒使喬治過于傷心，因為糖果店老板娘聽說了他遇到的麻煩后，賞給他一大盒巧克力。

Lesson 16 Mary had a little lamb

Mary and her husband Dimitri lived in the tiny village of Perachora in southern Greece.

瑪麗與丈夫迪米特里住在希臘南部一個叫波拉考拉的小村莊里。

Lesson 16 Mary had a little lamb

One of Mary's prize possessions was a little white lamb which her husband had given her.

瑪麗最珍貴的財產之一就是丈夫送給她的一只白色小羔羊。

Lesson 16 Mary had a little lamb

She kept it tied to a tree in a field during the day and went to fetch it every evening.

白天，瑪麗把羔羊拴在地里的一顆樹上，每天晚上把它牽回家。

Lesson 16 Mary had a little lamb

One evening, however, the lamb was missing.

可是，一天晚上，那只小羔羊失蹤了。

Lesson 16 Mary had a little lamb

The rope had been cut, so it was obvious that the lamb had been stolen.

繩子被人割斷，很明顯小羔羊是被人偷走了。

Lesson 16 Mary had a little lamb

When Dimitri came in from the fields, his wife told him what had happened.

迪米特里從地里回來，妻子把情況跟他一說，

Lesson 16 Mary had a little lamb

Dimitri at once set out to find the thief.

他馬上出去找偷羔羊的人。

Lesson 16 Mary had a little lamb

He knew it would not prove difficult in such a small village.

他知道在這樣一個小村莊里抓住小偷并不困難。

Lesson 16 Mary had a little lamb

After telling several of his friends about the theft, Dimitri found out that his neighbour, Aleko, had suddenly acquired a new lamb.

把失竊的事告訴幾個朋友后，迪米特里發出他的鄰居阿列科家突然多了一只小羔羊。

Lesson 16 Mary had a little lamb

Dimitri immediately went to Aleko's house and angrily accused him of stealing the lamb.

迪米特里立刻去了阿列科家，氣呼呼地指責他偷了羔羊，

Lesson 16 Mary had a little lamb

He told him he had better return it or he would call the police.

告訴他最好把羊交還，否則就去叫警察。

Lesson 16 Mary had a little lamb

Aleko denied taking it and led Dimitri into his backyard.

阿列科不承認，并把迪米特里領進院子。

Lesson 16 Mary had a little lamb

It was true that he had just bought a lamb, he explained, but his lamb was black.

不錯，他的確剛買了一只羔羊，阿列科解釋說，但他的羔羊是黑色的。