New Concept English three（15）

31w/m

43

Children always appreciate small gifts of money. Father, of course, provides a regular supply of pocket-money, but uncles and aunts are always a source of extra income. With some children, small sums go a long way. If six pences are not exchanged for sweets, they rattle for months inside money-boxes. Only very thrifty children manage to fill up a money-box. For most of them, sixpence is a small price to pay for a satisfying bar of chocolate.  My nephew, George, has a money-box but it is always empty. Very few of the sixpences I have given him have found their way there. I gave him sixpence yesterday and advised him to save it. Instead, he bought himself sixpence worth of trouble. On his way to the sweet shop, he dropped his sixpence and it rolled along the pavement and then disappeared down a drain. George took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and pushed his right arm through the drain cover. He could not find his sixpence anywhere, and what is more, he could not get his arm out. A crowd of people gathered round him and a lady rubbed his arm with soap and butter, but George was firmly stuck. The fire-brigade was called and two firemen freed George using a special type of grease. George was not too upset by his experience because the lady who owns the sweet shop heard about his troubles and rewarded him with a large box of chocolates.

notes:

孩子们总是喜欢用钱买的小礼物。父亲当然会定期提供零用钱，但叔舅婶姨也是额外收入的来源。对于一些孩子来说，少量的钱可以花很长时间。如果六个便士不换成糖果，它们就会在钱柜里叮当作响好几个月。只有非常节俭的孩子才会设法填满一个储蓄罐。对于大多数人来说，六便士是买一根令人满意的巧克力的小小代价。我的侄子乔治有一个储蓄罐，但它总是空的。我给他的六便士中，很少有找到它们的。我昨天给了他六便士，并建议他把它存起来。相反，他给自己买了六便士的麻烦。在去糖果店的路上，他的钱掉在人行道上，然后消失在下水道里。乔治脱下外套，卷起袖子，把右臂伸进了下水道井盖。他在任何地方都找不到他的六便士，更重要的是，他不能把他的胳膊伸回来了。一群人围在他身边，一位女士用肥皂和黄油擦他的手臂，但乔治被牢牢地卡住了。消防队被叫来了，两个消防队员用一种特殊的油脂解救了乔治。乔治并没有因为他的经历而感到沮丧，因为这家糖果店的女主人听说了他的问题，给了他一大盒巧克力。