評論
打印
"Not just now, but it will keep a cow or two.
“不只是這，我還要在這養一兩頭牛。”
That will pay me about five dollars a year."
這樣我一年就能賺5美元了。”
The boys looked at one another.
男孩們面面相覷。
Not all of them together had so much money as that, or knew where or how they could get it.
不是所有的人都有那么多錢，也不是所有人都知道從哪里或如何弄到錢。
They were turn- ing away, very downhearted at losing their playground, when Eddie spoke up quickly:
正當他們轉身離開，因為失去游樂場而垂頭喪氣的時候，埃迪連忙說道:
"Could we do some work for you to pay for using this field?"
“我們可以為你干活作為使用這塊土地的費用嗎?”
"You might, perhaps. Do you see this?"
“也許可以，你看到了嗎?
And he held up a blossom that looked like a tassel of silver-white silk.
他舉起一朵銀白色流蘇的花。
"It is a thistle, almost ripe.
“這是薊，快要成熟了。”
In a few days the wind would blow away every one of these tiny seeds.
幾天之內，它們就會被風吹走。
Every seed has a little balloon that would carry it a long way and drop it in some other field, to start a new crop.
每顆種子都會飄起，被帶到很遠的地方，然后被扔到別的地里，開始新的收成。
If you could keep this field clear of these thistles,
如果你能把薊清離出這片土地，
I think I should feel that you had paid me about five dollars for the right to use it."
我會認為你已經付了我5美元，作為使用這塊土地的費用。”
"Well do it! Yes, sir! Of course we can," cried all the boys together.
“好的！先生！當然可以，”所有的男孩一起叫道。
"All right," said the old gentleman. "You may try it."
“好吧，”老先生說道。“也許你可以試試。”
The boys worked hard at first,
男孩們一開始比較辛苦，
but after that it was easier, and before the month was out there was not a thistle to be found in the whole field
過了些日子就駕輕就熟了。月底還沒有到，地里找不到一棵薊的蹤影。
