Too much for him, was it? The foreman had had to eat his words. For around the boy's neck, in plain sight at that very moment,
這對他來說太沉重了,不是嗎?工頭要食言了,在小男孩的脖子上,此時此刻我們可以清楚地看到,
hung one of the Efficiency Medals which the company awarded to show its appreciation of a mighty task well done.
懸掛著公司獎賞給他的“高效獎牌”,以此對這一艱巨任務的出色完成表示感激。
To Tim, that medal was the first stepping-stone to a great career as a machinist among the giants of steel and steam.
對于蒂姆而言,這塊獎牌是他事業的基石,在鋼鐵和蒸汽的大幕下,他將成為偉大的機械師。
He would have parted with it, he felt, almost as unwillingly as with his own life. The steam sang and groaned in the valve of the Blower's engine,
他本來會放棄這一事業,就像他不愿放棄自己的生命一樣,吹風機引擎閥門中的蒸汽發出巨響,
for they were shutting her down. Instantly workmen swarmed over the scaffolding around her, putting on the final touches.
蒸汽將關閉引擎,突然供人們蜂擁到吹風機旁邊的腳手架上,再進行最后的工作。

For tomorrow came the first of the tests, when an agent for the firm in India must see her run and do her work before he accepted the machine.
明天將迎來首次測試,印度公司代表會在接收之前檢查它的運行情況。
There was a loose bolt to be tightened up from the inside, and men were at work removing the manhole plate at the side of the casing.
里面的松動的螺栓需要擰緊,工人們要移除罩子旁邊的活塞板。
Tim, grasping his large oily wrench, stood ready, for to him fell the job of entering the machine to do the work of tightening.
蒂姆手里攥著有油的大扳手,站在那里準備,他的工作是進入機器把螺栓擰緊。
A final act of devotion was this last small task for his beloved Blower. He almost wished that he might hide away within those vast insides
最后一次對他喜愛的吹風機表示衷心的就是這個小任務,他特別希望他可以躲避在巨大的內室中,
and take care of this giant machine forever in its coming years of toil.
并在未來多年的勞累中照顧這個大型機器。
He had clambered inside with his extension lamp and had settled to the work of tightening.
他攜帶著長頸燈進入了機器內,并開始擰緊螺栓的工作。
But the job was all too short, and when it was done, Tim could not fight down the desire to see once more the insides of the great machine.
但這個工作時間太短,當完成時,蒂姆迫不及待地希望多看機器室內一眼。
It was quitting time, anyway. Nobody would care if he did delay for a bit. He wouldn't see her again, not inside, at least.
現在到了離開的時候了,他延長一會沒人會注意,但他不會再看了,至少不是里面。
The boss machinist's voice came faintly through the manhole:
機械工頭從下水井發出微弱的聲音:
Hey, boy, it's four-thirty, I'm going home, you close her up when you get done!
嗨伙計,四點半了,我回家了,你完事后給它關上!