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LESSON 18 The gate without a latch
第十八課 沒有鎖的門
There was a farmer, who had a little gate, which opened from his yard into a field. This little gate wanted a latch, and therefore could not be fastened.
有一個農夫，他有一個小小的門，打開可以從他的院子到田地里。這個小小的門因此無法固定想要上個栓。
When he passed through the gate, he was very careful to pull it after him; but other people were not always so mindful. Even with all his care, the wind would often blow it open again after he had closed it.
當他穿過大門，他把它在他非常小心；但其他人并不總是如此在意。即使他所有的關懷，風經常吹他又閉開。
The result was, that the gate was generally either flapping backwards and forwards in the wind, or standing wide open.
結果是，那門通常都是撲在風中向后和向前，或大開著。
In this way the poultry were always getting out; and the sheep and lambs were always getting in. It took up half the children's time to run after the chickens and drive them back into the yard, and to send the sheep and the lambs back into the field.
這樣的家禽總是出去；和綿羊和羊羔總是站在。它占據了一半的孩子的時間去追雞趕回到院子里，并把綿羊和羊羔回場。
The farmer's wife was always telling him that he ought to get the latch mended; but he used to say that it would cost sixpence, and that it was not worth while. He said that the children might as well be driving the sheep and the poultry in and out of the yard and the field as be doing nothing. So the gate remained without the latch.
農夫的妻子總是告訴他，他應該獲得鎖存器修補；但他曾經說要花六便士，那是不值得的。他說，孩子們可以駕駛羊和家禽進出院子和場做什么。因此，門沒有鎖。
One day a fat pig got out of its sty, and, pushing open the gate, ran into the field, and thence wandered into a thick wood. The pig was soon missed and a hue-and-cry was raised after it.
一天，一只胖豬走出豬圈，推開門，跑到現場，然后走進一片茂密的樹林。豬很快就錯過了和大聲疾呼之后。
The farmer was in the act of tying up a horse in the stable; but he left it, to run after the pig.
農民在拴馬的穩定的行為；但他離開它，運行后的豬。
His wife was ironing some clothes in the kitchen; and she left her work, to follow her husband.
他的妻子是熨燙衣服在廚房里；她離開了她的工作，跟隨丈夫。
The daughter was stirring some broth over the fire; and she left it, to run after her mother.
女兒在火上攪拌一些肉湯；她離開了，去追她的媽媽。
The farmer's sons and his man joined in the chase after the pig; and away they all went, men and women, pellmell, to the wood.
農夫的兒子和他的人加入了追豬；他們都去了，男人和女人，雜亂，對木。
But the man, making more haste than good speed, sprained his ankle in jumping over a fence. The farmer and his sons were obliged to give up chasing the pig, to carry the man back to the house. The good woman and her daughter also returned to assist the poor man who was hurt.
但男人，比速度更快，扭傷了腳踝，跳過籬笆。農夫和他的兒子被迫放棄追逐豬，帶人回到家里。好女人和她的女兒也回到了幫助窮人的人受傷。
When they got back to the house, they found that the broth had boiled over,—that the dinner was spoiled; and that two shirts, which had been hanging before the fire, were scorched and utterly ruined.
他們回到家的時候，他們發現在肉湯煮過了，那晚餐被毀了；這兩件襯衫，一直掛在火中，被徹底毀了。
The farmer scolded his wife and the girl, for being so careless as not to take the shirts and the broth from the fire before they left the kitchen.
農民罵他的妻子和女兒，是不是把襯衫從湯的火在他們離開廚房這么粗心。
He then went to his stable, where he found that the horse, which he had left loose, had kicked a fine colt and broken its leg. The servant was kept in the house for a fortnight, by the hurt to his ankle.
然后他去穩定，在那里他發現馬，他離開松，踢了一個小馬和斷了腿。仆人被關在屋子里呆了兩個星期，由腳踝受傷。
Thus, besides the injury done to the farmer's man, the farmer lost two weeks' work from his servant, a fine colt, a fat pig, and his two best shirts, to say nothing of the loss of his dinner—all for the want of a sixpenny latch!
因此，除了傷害了農民的人，農民從他的仆人兩周的工作丟了，一個小馬，一個胖豬，和他的兩個最好的襯衫，說，對于想要一個便宜的鎖他的晚餐都損失什么！
In this way were two good old proverbs verified:(—
這樣，兩個老諺語驗證了：—
For want of a nail the wheel comes off.
想要一個釘車輪脫落。
Safe bind, safe find.
安全綁定，安全找到。
QUESTIONS
問題
Why was the yard gate often left open? What was always happening? What did the farmer's wife tell him? What did he say? What happened when the pig got out of its sty? Who joined in the chase? What made them stop? What did they find on coming back to the house?
為什么院子大門常打開？什么是經常發生的事情？那農夫的妻子告訴他嗎？他說了什么？發生了什么事時，豬的豬圈了嗎？誰參加了追逐？是什么讓他們停下來？他們發現在回到家做了什么？
