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On Monday morning seven lads, dressed in their Sunday clothes, with bright and happy faces, made their appearance at the Hall, each of them desiring to obtain the situation.
一個周一的早晨，七名少年穿上禮拜的衣服，臉上洋溢著開心幸福的笑容，聚集到那座莊園門口。人人都急切獲得那個職位。
Now the old gentleman, being of a singular disposition,had prepared a room,
那性格怪異的老人早已備好一處房間，
in such a way that he might easily know if any of the young people who applied were given to meddle unnecessarily with things around them,
以待更好察看應聘少年的品行，檢測他們是否安分守己，
or to peep into cupboards and drawers.
是否不窺探自己不該知道的東西。
He took care that the lads who were then at Elm Tree Hall should be shown into this room one after another.
他下令將那些站在榆樹莊園里的少年逐一領進那處房間。
And first, Charles Brown was sent into the room, and told that he would have to wait a little.
查爾斯.布朗第一個被帶進房間，有人告訴他，讓他在房間里稍等片刻。
So Charles sat down on a chair near the door.
于是查爾斯在門邊椅子上坐下，
For some time he was very quiet, and looked about him;
剛開始，他一聲不吭，環顧四周，
but there seemed to be so many curious things in the room that at last he got up to peep at them.
房間里好玩東西實在誘惑太多，最后，他忍不住站起來到處查看。
On the table was placed a dish cover, and Charles wanted sadly to know what was under it, but he felt afraid of lifting it up.
一個盤子倒扣桌上，查爾斯急切想弄清盤子下究竟藏有什么東西，可又害怕將盤子掀開。
Bad habits are strong things; and, as Charles was of a curious disposition,
查爾斯的壞習慣看來根深蒂固，與好奇心不相上下，
he could not withstand the temptation of taking one peep. So he lifted up the cover.
他實在抵擋不住窺探一眼的誘惑，于是將盤子倒翻過來，
This turned out to be a sad affair; for under the dish cover was a heap of very light feathers;
這下夠糟了，原來盤子下堆著一簇細小羽毛。
part of the feathers, drawn up by a current of air, flew about the room, and Charles, in his fright, putting the cover down hastily, puffed the rest of them off the table.
在氣流的裹挾下，有的羽毛被吹開，忽悠悠到處亂飄。恐懼中的查爾斯匆忙將盤子蓋上，還沒忘記順嘴吹走桌上剩下的細絨。
