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One day my dad drove up to see two nine-year-old boys in the driveway with a production line operating at full speed.Fine white powder everywhere.On a long table were small milk cartons from school, and our family's hibachi grill was glowing with red-hot coals at maximum heat.
一天，爸爸來(lái)看兩個(gè)9歲的男孩在車(chē)道上合力操縱一條全速運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)的生產(chǎn)線(xiàn)。到處都是白色的細(xì)粉末。在一個(gè)長(zhǎng)桌上放著幾個(gè)我們從學(xué)校拿回來(lái)的裝牛奶的紙盒以及家里烤肉用的小炭爐，小炭爐已經(jīng)被發(fā)紅的炭烤得閃著紅光。
Dad walked up cautiously, having to park the car at the base of the driveway since the production line blocked the carport.As he got closer, he saw a steel pot sitting on top of the coals with the toothpaste tubes were being melted down.In those days, toothpaste did not come in plastic tubes. The tubes were made of lead.So once the paint was burned off, the tubes were dropped in the small steel pot.
爸爸小心地走過(guò)來(lái)，由于生產(chǎn)線(xiàn)擋住了通往車(chē)庫(kù)的去路，所以他不得不把車(chē)停在路邊。當(dāng)他走近時(shí)，看到一口鋼鍋架在炭上，里面的廢牙膏皮正在熔化。那時(shí)候，牙膏皮不是塑料做的，而是鉛制的。所以一旦牙膏皮上的涂料被燒掉后，鉛皮就會(huì)熔化，
Melted until they became liquid, and with my mom's pot holders, we were pouring the lead through a small hole in the top of the milk cartons.
直到變成液體，這時(shí)我們就用媽媽的鍋墊墊著，將鉛液從牛奶盒頂?shù)男】字械惯M(jìn)去。
The milk cartons were filled with plaster of paris. The white powder everywhere was plaster before we mix it with water.The milk cartons were the outer containers for plaster of paris molds.
牛奶盒里裝滿(mǎn)了熟石灰，滿(mǎn)地的白色粉末就是之前我們將熟石灰和水混合時(shí)弄的。牛奶盒就是熟石灰模的容器。
My dad and watched as we carefully poured the molten lead through a small hole in the top of the plaster of paris cube.
爸爸注視著我們小心翼翼地把鉛液注入到熟石灰模頂部的小孔中。
“What are you boys doing?” he asked with a cautious smile.
“你們?cè)诟墒裁矗俊彼麕е唤z不解的微笑問(wèn)道。
“We’re doing what you told me to do. We’re going to be rich,” I said.
“我們正在按照你說(shuō)的做，我們就要變成富人了！”我說(shuō)。
“Yup,” said Mike, grinning and nodding his head. “We’re partners.”
“是的，”邁克說(shuō)，他一邊點(diǎn)頭一邊咧嘴笑著，“我們是合伙人。”
“And what is in those plaster molds?” dad asked.
“這些熟石灰模子里是什么東西？”爸爸問(wèn)。
“Watch,” I said. “This should be a good batch.”
“看，”我說(shuō)，“這是已經(jīng)鑄好的一批。”
With a small hammer, I tapped at the seal that divided the cube in half.
我用一個(gè)小錘子敲擊外面的密封物，熟石灰模子被敲成兩半，
Cautiously, I pulled up the top half of the plaster mold and a lead nickel fell out.”
我小心地抽掉熟石灰模的上半部，一個(gè)鉛制的五分硬幣便掉了下來(lái)。
“Oh, my God!” my dad said. “You’re casting nickels out of lead.”
“噢，天啊，”爸爸說(shuō)，“你們用鉛造硬幣！”
“That’s right,” Mike said. “We’re making money.”
“對(duì)啊，”邁克說(shuō)，“我們正按照你告訴我們的去做。我們正在賺錢(qián)。”
My dad smiled and shook his head.
爸爸微笑著搖著頭。
Along with a fire and a box of spent toothpaste tubes in front of him, we're two little boys covered with white dust smiling from ear to ear.
除了一堆火和一盒子廢牙膏皮，他面前還站著兩個(gè)灰頭土臉的小男孩，他們正咧著嘴笑著。
He asked us to put everything down and sit with him on the front step of our house.
爸爸讓我們放下手里的東西和他坐到屋外的臺(tái)階上，
With a smile, he gently explained what the word “counterfeiting” meant.
然后他微笑著向我們耐心地解釋“偽造”一詞的含義。
Our dreams were dashed. “You mean this is illegal?” asked Mike.
我們的夢(mèng)想破滅了！“你的意思是說(shuō)這么做是違法的？”邁克問(wèn)道。
“Yes, it is illegal,” my dad said gently. “But you boys have shown great creativity and original thought. Keep going. I’m really proud of you!”
“對(duì)，這是違法的。”爸爸溫和地說(shuō)，“但是，你們剛才展示了巨大的創(chuàng)造性和新穎的想法，繼續(xù)努力，我真為你們感到驕傲。”
