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Time pressed, and Jenny's countenance became more and more overcast,
時間越來越緊迫，珍妮的表情也變得越來越憂愁，
but Andrew could think of no way in which he could take the little girl home without being late and losing his standing in the school.
但是安德魯還是沒有想出辦法，既能將小女孩送回家還不至于上課遲到，讓他在學校的威信掃地。
It was impossible to get her across the stream at any place nearer than the "big bridge;"
除了“大橋”那里，沒有任何更近的地方可以送她過河；
he would not take her that way, and make up a false story to account for his lateness at school,
而他又不能去那里送她之后編個故事來解釋為什么遲到；
and he could not leave her alone or take her with him.
他既不能把她留在原地又不能帶她去學校。
What was to be done? While several absurd and impracticable plans were passing through his brain,
怎么辦呢？正當若干個荒唐而不切實際的計劃在他腦子里閃過時，
the school bell began to ring, and he must start immediately to reach the schoolhouse in time.
學校的鐘聲開始響起來，他必須開始往教室那邊趕了。
And now his anxiety and perplexity became more intense than ever;
現在，他的焦慮和困窘比任何時候都更加強烈。
and Jenny, looking up into his troubled countenance, began to cry.
珍妮抬起頭，看到他發愁的樣子，哭了起來。
Andrew, who had never before failed to be at the school door before the first tap of the bell, began to despair.
從來都是在第一遍鐘聲響起前踏進校門的安德魯現在開始感到絕望了。
Was there nothing to be done?
難道就沒有任何辦法了嗎？
Yes! a happy thought passed through his mind.
是的！一個兩全齊美的想法閃過腦海。
How strange that he should not have thought of it before!
之前沒想到真是太奇怪了！
He would ask Dominie Black to let him take Jenny home.
他先去和布萊克校長說明情況，
What could be more sensible and straightforward than such a plan?
讓他帶珍妮回家。什么計劃能比這個更合理更直接呢？
Of course, the good old schoolmaster gave Andrew the desired permission, and everything ended happily.
當然，善良的老校長允許了安德魯這樣做，一切得以圓滿地解決。
But the best thing about the whole affair was the lesson that the young Scotch boy learned that day.
但是整個過程中最好的事是那名蘇格蘭少年學到了一課。
The lesson was this: when we are puzzling our brains with plans to help ourselves out of trouble,
這一課是：當我們絞盡腦汁想幫助自己擺脫困境時，
let us always stop a moment in our planning, and try to think if there is not some simple way out of the difficulty,
讓我們停下片刻，試著想想是否還有更簡單、
which shall be in every respect perfectly right.
從各方面都更完美的脫困辦法。
If we do this, we shall probably find a way more easy and satisfactory than any which we can devise.
如果我們這樣做，就可能會找到比原先計劃中更簡單易行、更令人滿意的辦法。
