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I chuckled with amusement. The dear child had learned her lessons well. My dear, I Said, Patting her hand in a tolerant manner, five dates is plenty.
我咯咯一笑，覺得挺有意思。這可愛的小家伙功課學得可真不錯。親愛的，我耐心地拍打著她的手說，五次約會就不少了，
After all,you don't have to eat a whole cake to know it's good.
畢竟你不必把整個蛋糕吃下去才知道蛋糕的甜味。
False Analogy, said Polly promptly. I'm not a cake. I'm a girl.
錯誤類比，波利敏捷地說。我可不是蛋糕，我是個女孩子。
I chuckled with somewhat less amusement. The dear child had learned her lessons perhaps too well. I decided to change tactics.
我微微一笑，但這次不感到那么有意思了。這可愛的孩子功課或許是學得太好了。我決定改變策略。
Obviously the best approach was a simple, strong, direct declaration of love. I paused for a moment while my massive brain chose the proper words. Then I began:
顯然，最好的辦法就是態度明朗，直接了當地向她表示愛。我沉默了一會兒，用我特別發達的腦袋挑選著合適的詞句。然后我便開始說：
Polly, I love you. You are the whole world to me, and the moon and the stars and the constellations of outer space.
波利，我愛你。對我來說，你就是整個世界，是月亮，是星星，是整個宇宙。
Please, my darling, say that you will go steady with me, for if you will not, life will be meaningless.
我親愛的，請說你愛我吧。如果你不這樣，我的生活就失去意義了。
I will languish. I will refuse my meals. I will wander the face of the earth, a shambling, hollow-eyed hulk. shambling.
我將會萎靡不振，茶不飲，飯不思，到處游蕩，成為一個步履蹣跚、雙眼凹下的軀殼。
There, I thought, folding my arms, that ought to do it.
我交叉著雙手站在那里，心想這下子可打動了她。
Ad Misericordiam, Said Polly.
文不對題，波利說。
I ground my teeth. I was not Pygmalion; I was Frankenstein, and my monster had me by the throat.
我咬咬牙。我不是皮格馬利翁，我是弗蘭肯斯坦，我的喉嚨似乎一下子讓魔鬼卡住了。
Frantically I fought back the tide of panic surging throughme. At all costs I had to keep cool.
我極力地控制涌上心頭的陣陣痛楚。無論怎樣，我電要保持冷靜。
Well, Polly, I said, forcing a smile, you certainly have learned your fallacies.
好了，波利，我強裝著笑臉說，這些謬誤你的確已學到家了。
You’re darn right, she said with a vigorous nod.
這可說得很對，她使勁地點了點頭說道。
And who taught them to you, Polly?
可是波利，這一切是誰教給你的?
You did.
你教的嘛。
That's right. So you do owe me something, don't you, my dear? If I hadn't come along you never would have learned about fallacies.
是的，那你得感謝我呀。是嗎，親愛的?要是我不和你在一起，你永遠也不會學到這些謬誤的。
