LESSON 58

第五十八课

lend

租借

Sarah

萨拉

comfort

安慰

ashamed

羞愧

yours

你的

willing

情愿

thimble

顶针

elsewhere

其他地方

using

使用

borrow

借

offended

冒犯

depended

依靠

A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING

物归原主

Mary: I wish you would lend me your thimble, Sarah.

玛丽：萨拉，我希望你能把你的顶针借给我。

I can never find my own.

我找不到自己的了。

Sarah: Why is it, Mary, you can never find it?

萨拉：为什么呀，玛丽，你找不到了？

Mary: How can I tell?

玛丽：我哪里知道为什么。

But if you will not lend me yours, I can borrow one elsewhere.

不过如果你不愿意把你的借给我，我可以去别的地方借。

Sarah: I am willing to lend mine to you, Mary.

萨拉：我愿意把我的借给你，玛丽。

But I would very much like to know why you come to me to borrow so often.

但我很想知道你为什么经常找我借东西。

Mary: Because you never lose any of your things,

玛丽：因为你从没有弄丢过你的东西，

and always know where to find them.

总是知道在哪能找到它们。

Sarah: And why do I always know where to find my things?

萨拉：为什么我总知道在哪能找到我的东西呢？

Mary: I do not know why, I am sure.

玛丽：是的，我也不知道为什么。

If I did know, I might sometimes find my own.

如果我知道，我可能就常会找到自己的东西了。

Sarah: I will tell you the secret.

萨拉：我告诉你这个密码吧。

I have a place for everything,

我有个固定的地方放东西，

and I put everything in its place when I have done using it.

当我用完后，我会把所有东西放回原来的地方。

Mary: O Sarah!

玛丽：噢，萨拉！

who wants to run and put away a thing as soon as she has used it,

谁会坚持在用完一件东西之后尽快收拾好，

as if her life depended upon it?

仿佛生活取决于它似的？

Sarah: Our life does not depend upon it,

萨拉：我们的生活不取决于它，

but our comfort does, surely.

但是我们的舒适感显然取决于它。

How much more time will it take to put a thing in its place,

我们把东西放回远处所花的时间，

than to hunt for it or to borrow whenever you want to use it ?

比我们想用东西时去找或借的时间多多少？

Mary: Well, Sarah,

玛丽：好吧，萨拉，

I will never borrow of you again,

我以后不会再向你借东西了，

you may depend upon it.

你的舒适感去决于它。

Sarah: You are not offended with me, I hope.

萨拉：我希望你没跟我生气。

Mary: No, but I am ashamed.

玛丽：没有，但我觉得惭愧。

Before night, I will have a place for everything,

睡觉之前，我会找个固定的地方放东西，

and then I will keep everything in its place.

并且会把所有东西放回原处。

You have taught me a lesson that I shall remember.

你给我上了一堂应当牢记的课。