精靈鼠小弟 第21期:鼠小弟乘公交

Stuart never paid any fare on buses, because he wasn't big enough to carry an ordinarydime.

斯圖亞特從不需付車費，因為他還太小，坐車不必付一角硬幣。

The only time he had ever attempted to carry a dime, he had rolled the coin along like ahoop while he raced along beside it;

只有一次，他才試過付一角錢。他把那角硬幣像輪子一樣在邊上滾著的時候，

but it had got away from him on a hill and had been snatched up by an old woman with no teeth.

突然那硬幣滾到一個小坡上，被一個沒牙的老太太撿去了。

After that experience Stuart contented himself with the tiny coins which his father made for him out of tin foil.

有了那一次的經(jīng)驗后，他讓他父親給了他做了一些特制的小硬幣，并把它們用錫紙包了起來。

They were handsome little things, although rather hard to see without putting on your spectacles.

它們因此變成了漂亮的小東西，雖然如果不戴眼睛你就很難看到。

When the conductor came around to collect the fares, Stuart fished in his purse and pulled out a coin no bigger than the eye of a grasshopper.

當(dāng)售票員來收車費時，斯圖亞特就從他的錫紙錢袋里拿出一枚他那沒有螞蚱眼睛大的硬幣來。

"What's that you're offering me?" asked the conductor.

“你給我的是什么?”售票員問。

"It's one of my dimes," said Stuart.

“這是我的一角硬幣，”斯圖亞特說。

"Is it, now?" said the conductor.

“這是什么?”售票員說。

Well, I'd have a fine time explaining that to the bus company.

好吧，我會向汽車公司很好的解釋的。

Why, you're no bigger than a dime yourself.

可你為什么要付錢呢，你并不比一角硬幣高多少。

"Yes I am," replied Stuart angrily.

“不對，”斯圖亞特生氣地回答。

I'm more than twice as big as a dime.

我比一角硬幣高兩倍呢。

A dime only comes up to here on me.

一角硬幣只到我這里。

And Stuart pointed to his hip.

斯圖亞特指指他的屁股。

"Furthermore," he added, "I didn't come on this bus to be insulted."

“此外，”他繼續(xù)說，“我也不想在這汽車上受侮辱。”

"I beg pardon," said the conductor.

“請原諒，”售票員說。

You'll have to forgive me, for I had no idea that in all the world there was such a small sailor.

請你原諒我，因為我從不知道這世界上還有你這么小的水手哩。

"Live and learn," muttered Stuart, tartly, putting his change purse back in his pocket.

“活到老學(xué)到老，”斯圖亞特尖刻地嘀咕著，把他的零錢放進(jìn)了口袋。