1.In an Upside-down Summer, 『Jaws,』 『E.T.』 Are Hits Again
一個顛覆的夏天，《大白鯊》和《E.T.》再次成為熱門
By Susan Shand
07 August 2020
When historians look back to the summer of 2020, they might feel like time travelers in the Hollywood movie "Back to the Future."
蘇珊·尚德
2020年8月7日
當歷史學家回顧2020年的夏天時，他們可能會覺得自己像是好萊塢電影《回到未來》中的時光旅行者。
"Empire Strikes Back" was the number one film during the second week of July. The Star Wars movie was first released 40 years ago. A week earlier, "Ghostbusters" which had come out in 1984 was the top movie. A week later, it was the 1993 film "Jurassic Park."
《帝國反擊戰》是七月第二周的第一部電影。《星球大戰》電影於40年前首次上映。一周前，1984年上映的《捉鬼者》是最受歡迎的電影。一周後，是1993年的電影《侏羅紀公園》。
Serena Benavidez looks at her smartphone while waiting for a movie to start at Mission Tiki drive-in theater in Montclair, Calif., on May 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, file)
瑟琳娜·貝納維迪茲一邊看著她的智慧型手機一邊在等待一部電影開始，電影將於2020年5月28日在加州蒙克萊爾市的「Mission Tiki」影院播出。(AP Photo/Jae C.Hong，file)
The coronavirus pandemic seems to bring back a lot of things from the past, from puzzles to drive-in theaters. But old movies are back for a different reason.
冠狀病毒大流行似乎從過去帶來了許多東西，從拼圖到影院。但老電影回來的另一個原因。
Most of the big movie theaters are still closed. So major new movie releases have been postponed to late August or early September.
大部分大型電影院仍然關閉。因此，新上映的大片已推遲到8月底或9月初。
Only 1,000 theaters, including 300 or so drive-ins, are currently open in the U.S. They have brought back popular movies from the past, like "E.T.", a movie about a young boy and an out-of-this-world creature.
目前，美國只有1000家影院開業，其中包括300家左右的影院。它們從過去帶來了流行電影，比如《E.T》，這是一部關於一個小男孩的電影，也是一個外星球的生物。
Brian Keasey, of Montrose, Colorado, has been going to the theaters every week when he is not playing movies at home.
來自科羅拉多州蒙特羅斯的布賴恩·凱西每周都會去電影院，因為他不在家看電影。
Keasey says he has seen "Jaws" three times this summer, including once on a screen next to a small body of water. "Jaws" is about a great white shark that jumps out of the water to attack people at a beach area. He said, "You can freeze frame any piece of that movie and it's a perfect slice of 1975 America."
凱西說，今年夏天他看過三次「大白鯊」，其中一次出現在屏幕上，旁邊是一小塊水域。《大白鯊》講述的是一條大白鯊跳出水面攻擊海灘地區的人們。他說，」你可以把這部電影的任何一個片段定格，它是1975年美國的完美片段。」
"I saw 『Jaws' on the big screen. I saw 『Raiders of the Lost Ark' on the big screen. I saw my childhood on the big screen," Keasey added just as he was headed out to a theater to see "Ghostbusters."
「我在大屏幕上看到了『大白鯊』。我在大屏幕上看到了」迷失方舟的掠奪者「。我在大屏幕上看到了我的童年，」凱西還說，當時他正要去劇院看《捉鬼者》。
"Jurassic Park" has been the most profitable, with more than $3 million in ticket sales this summer, say several people who have seen box-office numbers. The numbers are, of course, very low when compared to the billions of dollars new summer movies usually bring in.
幾個看過票房數據的人說，《侏羅紀公園》一直是最賺錢的，今年夏天票房超過300萬美元。當然，與新的夏季電影通常帶來的數十億美元相比，這個數字非常低。
There have been a few new releases like "Trolls World Tour" and "Onward." But "Jaws," "E.T.," "Goonies" and "Ghostbusters" are among this summer's most popular.
有一些新的版本，如《巨魔世界之旅》和《1/2的魔法》，但是《大白鯊》、《E.T.》、《山羊》和《捉鬼者》都是今年夏天最受歡迎的。
One new release, the low-budget movie "The Wretched," was the number one movie for seven straight weeks, probably because it was one of the few new films to see this summer. It has earned $1.8 million in 13 weeks. It was made for less than $100,000.
一部新發行的低成本電影《窮光蛋》連續七個星期位居第一，這可能是因為它是今年夏天為數不多的幾部新片之一。它在13周內賺了180萬美元。它的價格不到10萬美元。
This year, it is possible that the most watched movies are "Hamilton" on Disney+ and "The Old Guard" on Netflix. But the services have not released the numbers of people who have watched them over the internet.
今年，最受關注的電影可能是迪斯尼+的《漢密爾頓》和網飛的《老衛士》。但這些服務機構並沒有公布通過網際網路觀看這些節目的人數。
For Herb Geraghty, going to summer movies still hold romance. The 24-year-old found a new girlfriend just as the pandemic began. For several months they talked only on the internet. For their first evening together, they drove to a drive-in, laid out a blanket for a picnic and watched a movie.
對赫伯·傑拉蒂來說，去看暑期電影仍然是浪漫的。就在流感爆發之際，24歲的她找到了一個新的女朋友。幾個月來，他們只在網上聊天。他們在一起的第一個晚上，他們開車去了一個免下車的地方，鋪了一條毯子野餐，看了一場電影。
"We do it pretty much every weekend now," says Geraghty.
「我們現在幾乎每個周末都這麼做，」傑拉蒂說。
I'm Susan Shand.
The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.
Words in This Story
pandemic - n. a contagious disease that spreads to other countries
puzzle - n. a picture that has been cut into many pieces that must be reassembled
slice - n. a piece of cake or pie
childhood - n. the years leading up to age 18
romance - n. loving another
picnic - n. a meal eaten on a blanket in a park
Tips
Serena Benavidez 塞雷娜·貝納維德斯
Brian Keasey 布萊恩·基瑟
Montrose 蒙特羅斯
Colorado 科羅拉多州
Herb Geraghty 赫伯·傑拉蒂
2.How to Limit Weeds in Your Garden
如何限制花園中的雜草生長
By Pete Musto
07 August 2020
Weeds, the fast-growing plants that cannot be eaten and do not bring flowers, are a common problem for gardeners. Some use chemicals to kill weeds. Others pull them up by hand or with heavy machinery. Luckily, there are other ways to limit their growth.
皮特·穆斯託
2020年8月7日
雜草，生長迅速的植物，不能食用，也不沒有花，是園丁的共同問題。有些人用化學藥劑除草。其他人則用手或重型機械把它們拉上來。幸運的是，還有其他方法來限制他們的成長。
Mulches
地膜
For starters, there are mulches which can bury weeds. Mulches are made from organic material, such as leaves, grass cuttings, and small pieces of wood, or inorganic material like plastic. They are spread over the ground in a garden to control weeds.
首先，有可以掩埋雜草的覆蓋物。覆蓋物是由有機材料製成的，如樹葉、插條、小片木頭或塑料等無機材料。它們被鋪在花園裡的地上以控制雜草。
This undated photo shows a bed with endive and beets growing together for autumn harvest in New Paltz, New York.
這張未註明日期的照片顯示了紐約州新帕爾茨的一張床，床上長滿了萵苣和甜菜，準備秋收。
Organic mulches break down over time so you must add more to your garden often. That is not a bad thing, because their decomposition creates nutrients for plants and humus to keep soils wet and full of fresh air.
有機覆蓋會隨著時間的推移而分解，所以你必須經常給你的花園添加覆蓋物。這並不是一件壞事，因為它們的分解會為植物和腐殖質創造養分，使土壤保持溼潤和充滿新鮮空氣。
Plastic mulch is another way to stop weeds. Common black plastic is easy to lay down. It also effectively blocks weeds and helps soil warm faster in the spring. Recent experiments with other colored plastic have shown effects on both bugs and plant growth. A reflective plastic mulch, for example, keeps some plant-eating insects away.
地膜是防除雜草的另一種方法。普通的黑色塑料容易放置。它還能有效地阻擋雜草，幫助土壤在春季更快地變暖。最近用其他有色塑料做的實驗顯示了對昆蟲和植物生長的影響。例如，反光地膜可以防止一些吃植物的昆蟲。
A major problem with plastic is that it breaks apart over time, so eventually it needs to be thrown away. It also adds nothing to the soil as far as nutrients or humus. And plastic also can block air from reaching the soil.
塑料的一個主要問題是隨著時間的推移它會破裂，所以最終它需要被扔掉。它對土壤中的養分和腐殖質也沒有任何影響。塑料也能阻擋空氣進入土壤。
One kind of mulch that combines some of the qualities of both plastic and organic material is paper. Paper mulch is easy to lay down and eventually decomposes. However, paper adds little to the soil in terms of humus or nutrients.
紙是一種將塑料和有機材料的某些特性結合在一起的覆蓋物。紙覆蓋很容易躺下，並最終分解。然而，紙張對土壤中的腐殖質或養分幾乎不起作用。
Birds
鳥
For larger gardens where the weeds are mainly grasses, a somewhat unusual way to control them is using the birds known as geese.
對於那些雜草主要是草的大花園來說，一種有點不尋常的方法來控制它們，那就是使用被稱為鵝的鳥。
Young geese will eat their weight in weeds every day. A small group of geese can clear weeds in half a hectare of land and keep each other company. All you need to provide is water, protection from the sun, and some additional feed. You also need barriers to keep the geese in and other animals out. One warning, though, do not plant corn or they will eat that, too.
小鵝每天都會吃自身體重量的雜草。一小群鵝可以在半公頃的土地上清除雜草，互相陪伴。所有你需要提供的是水，防曬，和一些額外的飼料。你也需要障礙防止鵝和其他動物。不過，有一個警告說，不要種玉米，否則他們也會吃的。
Other ways to control weeds
其他控制雜草的方法
Finally, in addition to direct attacks on weeds, how you plant your garden can indirectly influence weed growth.
最後，除了直接攻擊雜草，你如何種植你的花園會間接影響雜草的生長。
For example, close spacing of plants in the garden blocks sunlight from reaching the ground and can limit weed growth. And using a watering method known as drip irrigation will direct small amounts of water to the roots of your plants instead of the weeds.
例如，花園中植物的間隔緊密會阻止陽光照射到地面，從而限制雜草的生長。使用滴灌的澆水方法可以將少量的水輸送到植物的根部，而不是雜草的根部。
Whether or not you dig up your soil also influences weed growth. Lying in soil are millions of weed seeds just waiting to be awakened by light and air.
不管你是否挖出你的土壤，也會影響雜草的生長。埋藏在土壤裡的是數以百萬計的雜草種子，等待著被光和空氣喚醒。
Using any or all of the methods will not permanently stop weed growth. Instead, your goal is simply to limit their growth in the garden.
任何一種方法都不會永久阻止雜草的生長。相反，你的目標只是限制他們在花園裡的生長。
I'm Pete Musto.
Lee Reich reported on this story for the Associated Press. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.
Words in This Story
gardener(s) – n. someone who grows and takes care of the plants in a given area of ground
organic – adj. of, relating to, or obtained from living things
decomposition – n. the act of something such as dead plants and the bodies of dead animals slowly being destroyed and broken down by natural processes and chemicals
reflective – adj. causing light, sound, or heat to move away
drip – v. to let small amounts of a liquid fall
irrigation – n. the act of supplying something, such as land, with water by using artificial means, such as pipes
3.Place, Location and Position
地點、定位和位置
By Dr. Jill Robbins
07 August 2020
This week we answer a question from Pakistan. Shahid writes:
今天我們回答一個來自巴基斯坦的問題。來自Shahid。
Question:
問：
What is the difference between these terms: place, location, position, site and situation? -- Shahid, Pakistan.
Place、location、position、site和situation的區別是什麼？——Shahid，巴基斯坦
Answer:
答：
Dear Shahid,
親愛的Shahid，
The five terms you gave are very close in meaning. The English language often has more than one word to describe a similar idea or action.
你說的五個詞意思非常接近。英語有時會用很多詞形容相似的概念或者行為。
Place
The word "place" is used to describe an area that may not have an exact border. In fact, it may not be a particular or special area. Place is so general it could be a room, a building, a town, a country, or something else. For example, in a news broadcast, I heard this sentence:
單詞「place」是形容沒有具體邊界的地點。實際上可能甚至不是具體或者特殊的區域。它很寬泛，可以是一個房間、可以是一個建築、一個城鎮、一個國家等等。舉個例子，我在新聞播報中聽過這樣一句話：
The beach is one of the safest places to be these days.
這幾天待在沙灘上可以說是最安全的。
Official documents may ask for your "place of birth," which usually means a city and country.
官方文件可能需要你填寫「出生地」，通常是城市或者國家。
People wearing masks gather to form a "bread" line at Bread Alone outdoor market, while maintaining social distancing requirements during the COVID-19 outbreak April 4, 2020 in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
2020年4月4日，戴著口罩的人們在「只有麵包」戶外市場外排起了「麵包」隊伍，同時由於是新冠疫情期間，人們也保持了社交距離。
Have you ever been waiting in line but need to leave for a short period? Then you might ask someone:
你是否有過在排隊時需要離開一會的情況？
Will you hold my place in line?
你能幫我留個位置嗎？
This use of place is the same as how we use the word "position."
這裡的用法和「position」一樣。
Position
Position means a specific point.
單詞「position」指的是特定的點。
The position of something is relative to other things. For example, in an auto race, the "pole position" is in the first row on the inside lane.
它和其他事物是有聯繫的。舉個例子，「跑道內圈」就是內道第一圈。
She earned the pole position for the race because she was the fastest driver this year.
她贏得了跑道內圈，因為她曾是今年最快的車手。
A position can also be a way of holding one's body, as in this example.
在下面這個例子中，這個詞也可以代表人們坐的地方。
Most office workers spend the day in a sitting position.
大多數辦公室職員一整天都是坐著。
Location
The word "location" is used to describe a specific point in physical space. For example:
單詞「location」是用來形容一個特殊的物理地點。
The location of a business is very important to its success.
企業的選址十分重要。
People who buy and sell homes and buildings often use the expression:
樓房買賣經常會用這個單詞：
Location, location, location!
That means a store on a busy street corner is more likely to be successful and a house that is in a nice neighborhood will be easier to sell.
在繁忙街道的商店更有可能成功，社區環境好的房子更容易賣出去。
Site
A related word is "site," which we can use for the present or past location of a building or an important event in history, as in:
一個和它有關的詞是「site」，可以代表現在或是過去的房子或者重要歷史事件，舉個例子：
This was the site of the first battle in the war.
這是戰爭打響的地方。
We also use "site" to talk about the future location of a building or structure:
我們還會用它形容未來建築等的地點：
The mayor chose the site of the new memorial.
市長確定了新建的紀念碑的選址。
Situation
Finally, Shahid, you asked about the word "situation." This is an old-fashioned and more formal, or official, way to talk about a place:
最後，Shahid，你還提出了「situation」。這是古老和正式或者說官方的說法。
The house is in a wonderful situation close to the water.
這間房子位置絕佳，靠近水。
However, American English speakers generally no longer use this word when talking about specific places.
然而說美式英語的人談到具體的地點時通常已經不用這些詞。
I hope these answers help when you want to use these five place terms.
希望這些答案能讓你用好這五個詞。
Your questions
What questions do you have about English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.
And that's Ask a Teacher for this week.
I'm Jill Robbins.
Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
Words in This Story
location – n. a place or position
site – n. the place where something (such as a building) is, was, or will be located
beach – n. land along a body of water
row – n. several objects organized in a straight line
lane – n. a narrow road or path for a single line of vehicles
old-fashioned – adj. of or related to something from the past
4."The Exact Science of Matrimony." O. Henry
《婚姻的精確科學》——歐亨利
Our story today is called "The Exact Science of Matrimony." It was written by O. Henry. Here is Barbara Klein with the story.
今天我們要講的故事叫做《婚姻的精確科學》，作者是歐·亨利，下面由芭巴拉·克萊恩為我們講述這個故事。
Jeff Peters and Andy Tucker could never be trusted. One day, the two men decided to open a marriage business to make some quick and easy money. The first thing they did was to write an advertisement to be published in newspapers. Their advertisement read like this:
傑夫·彼得斯和安迪·塔克是永遠也不能相信的人。有一天，兩人決定做婚姻介紹，妄想能在短時間內輕鬆撈上一筆。他們做的第一件事就是擬寫一則徵婚廣告。全文如下：
"A charming widow, beautiful and home-loving, would like to remarry. She is only thirty-two years old. She has three thousand dollars in cash and owns valuable property in the country. She would like a poor man with a loving heart. No objection to an older man or to one who is not good-looking. But he needs to be faithful and true, can take care of property and invest money with good judgment. Give address, with details about yourself. Signed: Lonely, care of Peters and Tucker, agents, Cairo, Illinois."
「迷人寡婦一名，美麗，愛家，年方三十二歲，欲再婚。除了三千美元現鈔外，她的資產在國內十分可觀，希望尋找一位充滿愛心的男士為伴，不求對方擁有多少財產，只希望他忠實誠懇，有良好的投資眼光，善於理財，相貌平平或者年齡稍大都無妨。來信請附上地址和詳細介紹。聯繫人：伊利諾州開羅市婚姻代理彼得斯和塔克。」
When they finished writing the ad, Jeff Peters said to Andy Tucker: "So far, so good. And now, where is the lady?"
寫完廣告後，傑夫·彼得斯對安迪·塔克說：「到目前為止一切順利。可現在我們到哪裡去找這樣一個女人呢？」
Andy gave Jeff an unhappy look. "What does a marriage advertisement have to do with a lady?" he asked.
"Now listen," Jeff answered. "You know my rule, Andy. In all illegal activities, we must obey the law, in every detail. Something offered for sale must exist. It must be seen. You must be able to produce it. That is how I have kept out of trouble with the police. Now, for this business to work, we must be able to produce a charming widow, with or without the beauty, as advertised."
安迪不悅地瞪了傑夫一眼，說道：「一則徵婚廣告幹女人何事？」「聽著！」傑夫回答。「安迪，你知道我的原則。在所有違法的生意中，我們必須遵循法律的每一個細節。出售的貨物必須真是存在，它要看得見摸得著！正因為如此，警察才一直沒找我麻煩。現在，為了這生意能一帆風順地進行，我們必須依照廣告所言找到一個迷人的寡婦，美不美無所謂。」
"Well," said Andy, after thinking it over, "it might be better, if the United States Post Office should decide to investigate our marriage agency. But where can you hope to find a widow who would waste her time on a marriage proposal that has no marriage in it?"
「好吧。」傑夫思考後回答道。「最好還是有，以防萬一有警察調查我們這個婚介所。但你能在哪找到一個願意在沒有結果的婚姻計劃中浪費時間的寡婦？」
Jeff said that he knew just such a woman.
傑夫說他知道這樣一個女人。
"An old friend of mine, Zeke Trotter," he said, "used to work in a tent show. He made his wife a widow by drinking too much of the wrong kind of alcohol. I used to stop at their house often. I think we can get her to work with us."
「我的一位老朋友澤克·特羅特因為喝多了假酒中毒身亡，留下一位遺孀。」他說道。「我過去常常去他們家，我想我們可以請她和我們合作。」
Missus Zeke Trotter lived in a small town not far away. Jeff Peters went out to see her. She was not beautiful and not so young. But she seemed all right to Jeff.
澤克·特羅特夫人住在不遠處的一座小城。傑夫·彼得斯去拜訪了她。她既不漂亮也不年輕，不過傑夫覺得她正合適。
"Is this an honest deal you are putting on, Mister Peters?" she asked when he told her what he wanted.
當傑夫告訴她這個計劃時，她問道：「彼得斯先生，您做的是正經買賣嗎？」
"Missus Trotter," said Jeff, "three thousand men will seek to marry you to get your money and property. What are they prepared to give in exchange? Nothing! Nothing but the bones of a lazy, dishonest, good-for-nothing fortune-seeker. We will teach them something. This will be a great moral campaign. Does that satisfy you?"
「特羅特夫人。」傑夫說道。「全國會有三千個男人為了取得你的錢和財產想與你結婚。他們打算拿什麼作為交換呢？沒有！除了一副懶骨頭，他們什麼都沒有。他們都是些一無是處的傢伙，是想碰運氣的騙子。我們打算狠狠地教訓一下他們！這是一次了不起的正義活動，你滿意嗎？」
"It does, Mister Peters," she said. "But what will my duties be? Do I have to personally reject these three thousand good-for-nothings you speak of? Or can I throw them out in bunches?"
「滿意的彼得斯先生。」她說道。「我的任務是什麼？我需要拒絕他們嗎？還是一股腦把他們全甩掉。」
Jeff explained that her job would be easy. She would live in a quiet hotel and have no work to do. He and Andy would take care of all letters and the business end of the plot. But he warned her that some of the men might come to see her in person. Then, she would have to meet them face-to-face and reject them. She would be paid twenty-five dollars a week and hotel costs.
傑夫解釋說，她的工作其實很簡單，她只需住在一個安靜的旅館裡，不用做任何工作，他和安迪會全權照管整個生意。但是他提醒她，有些求婚者可能會來拜訪她。她需要會見他們，並當面拒絕他們。他和安迪每周會支付給她25美元的薪金，包旅館食宿費。
"Give me five minutes to get ready," Missus Trotter said. "Then you can start paying me."
「給我5分鐘準備一下。」特羅特夫人說道。「然後你就可以開始給我付工錢了。」
So Jeff took her to the city and put her in a hotel far enough from Jeff and Andy's place to cause no suspicion.
傑夫帶她進了城，把她安置在一個離他和安迪住所足夠遠的旅館，以免別人引起懷疑。
Jeff Peters and Andy Tucker were now ready to catch a few fish on the hook. They placed their advertisement in newspapers across the country. They put two thousand dollars in a bank in Missus Trotter's name. They gave her the bank book to show if anyone questioned the honesty of their marriage agency.
現在誘餌已經準備妥當，只待魚兒上鉤！傑夫·彼得斯和安迪·塔克把徵婚廣告刊登在全國各大報紙上，並用特羅特夫人的名字在銀行裡存了2000美元。他們把存摺交給她，一旦有人質疑，她可以把存摺出示給他看。
They were sure that Missus Trotter could be trusted and that it was safe to leave the money in her name.
他們確信特羅特夫人是可以信任的，把錢存在她的名下很安全。
Their ad in the newspapers started a flood of letters – more than one hundred a day. Jeff and Andy worked twelve hours a day answering them. Most of the men wrote that they had lost their jobs. The world misunderstood them. But they were full of love and other good qualities.
他們的廣告一經刊出，求婚信件隨即蜂擁而至——每天有超過一百封。光回復這些信件傑夫和安迪每天就要工作十二個小時。大多數寫信者都說他們失業了，得不到社會的理解，但是他們充滿愛心，擁有許多美好的品質，條件完全符合要求。
Jeff and Andy answered every letter with high praise for the writer. They asked the men to send a photograph and more details. And they told them to include two dollars to cover the cost of giving the second letter to the charming widow.
傑夫和安迪答覆每封信時都對寫信者予以高度讚揚，要求他們寄來近照和詳細介紹，並隨信附寄2美元，以資把他們的第二封信轉給迷人寡婦。
Almost all the men sent in the two dollars requested. It seemed to be an easy business. Still, Andy and Jeff often spoke about the trouble of cutting open envelopes and taking the money out.
幾乎所有人都在回信中寄來了所要求的2美元。這錢看起來來得相當容易，但他們還是覺得拆開信封拿錢麻煩。
A few of the men came in person. Jeff and Andy sent them to Missus Trotter and she did the rest. Soon, Jeff and Andy were receiving about two hundred dollars a day. One day, a federal postal inspector came by. But Jeff satisfied him that they were not breaking the law.
有少數男人親自過來求婚，傑夫和安迪把他們送到特羅特夫人那裡，其餘的工作由她完成。很快，傑夫和安迪每天都能收穫200美元。一天，聯邦郵政的檢查員過來調查，但是傑夫未讓他發現絲毫違法跡象，檢查員滿意地走了。
After about three months, Jeff and Andy had collected more than five thousand dollars, and they decided it was time to stop. Some people were beginning to question their honesty. And, Missus Trotter seemed to have grown tired of her job. Too many men had come to see her and she did not like that.
大約三個月後，傑夫和安迪已經收到了5000多美元，他們覺得應該就此收手。一些人已經開始懷疑他們，並且特羅特夫人也已經厭倦了她的工作。有太多的求婚者過來見她，她非常不喜歡這樣。
Jeff went to Missus Trotter's hotel to pay her what she was owed, and to say goodbye. He also wanted her to repay the two thousand dollars that was put into her bank account.
傑夫去特羅特夫人住的旅館支付她應得的酬金並與她道別。當然，他也想拿回那兩千美元的存摺。
When Jeff walked into the room she was crying, like a child who did not want to go to school.
當傑夫走進她的房間時，發現她正哭得像個不想上學的孩子。
"Now, now," he said. "What's it all about? Somebody hurt you? Are you getting homesick?"
「怎麼回事？有人傷害你了嗎？還是想家了？」傑夫問她。
"No, Mister Peters," she said. "I'll tell you. You were always a good friend of my husband Zeke. Mister Peters, I am in love. I just love a man so hard I can't bear not to get him. He's just the kind I've always had in mind."
「不，彼得斯先生。」她說道。「因為您是我丈夫澤克的好朋友，我可以告訴您。彼得斯先生，我無可救藥地愛上了一個人，他是我心目中一直追尋的理想伴侶，如果不接受他的求婚，我心如刀絞。」
"Then take him," said Jeff. "Does he feel the same way about you?"
「那就接受吧。」傑夫說道。「他像你愛他一樣地愛你嗎？」
"He does," Missus Trotter answered. "But there is a problem. He is one of the men who have been coming to see me in answer to your advertisement. And he will not marry me unless I give him the two thousand dollars. His name is William Wilkinson."
「是的。」特羅特夫人回答道。「但是有一個問題，他是看到您的廣告後前來求婚的，除非我給他2000美元，否則他是不會娶我的。他的名字叫威廉·威爾金森。」
Jeff felt sorry for her. He said he would be glad to let her give the two thousand dollars to Mister Wilkinson, so that she could be happy. But he said he had to talk to his partner about it.
傑夫感覺有些對不起她。他說，很高興讓她把那2000美元送給威爾金森先生，希望她能開心，不過他必須把此事告知他的合作夥伴。
Jeff returned to his hotel and discussed it with Andy.
傑夫回到旅館與安迪商議此事。
"I was expecting something like this," Andy said. "You can't trust a woman to stick with you in any plan that involves her emotions."
「我就知道會有這樣的事情發生。」安迪說道。「在任何牽涉感情的計劃中，你根本不能相信一個女人會忠心與你合作。」
Jeff said it was a sad thing to think that they were the cause of the breaking of a woman's heart. Andy agreed with him.
傑夫說他們引得一個女人傷心是一件傷感的事情，安迪贊同。
"I'll tell you what I am willing to do," said Andy. "Jeff, you have always been a man of a soft and generous heart. Perhaps I have been too hard and worldly and suspicious. For once, I will meet you half-way. Go to Missus Trotter. Tell her to take the two thousand dollars out of the bank and give it to this Wilkinson fellow and be happy."
「我樂意促成此事。」安迪說道。「傑夫，你人慷慨，心腸又好，或許我心太硬，世故又多疑。這次我退一步，你去見特羅特夫人吧！讓她把那2000美元從銀行取出來，送給威爾金森那個傢伙，並祝她幸福。」
Jeff shook Andy's hand for a long time. Then he went back to Missus Trotter. She cried as hard for joy as she had done for sorrow.
傑夫握著安迪的手就就沒有放開，然後他去旅館見了特羅特夫人。聽到這一喜訊，特羅特夫人喜極而泣，哭得猶如當初傷心時一樣用情。
Two days later, Jeff and Andy prepared to leave town.
兩天後，傑夫和安迪準備離開這座城市。
"Wouldn't you like to go meet Missus Trotter once before we leave?" Jeff asked Andy. "She'd like to express her thanks to you."
「在我們離開前，你不想見見特羅特夫人嗎？」傑夫問安迪。「她一定想認識你，並想向你表示她由衷的感謝。」
"Why, I guess not," Andy said. "I think we should hurry and catch the train."
「為什麼？我覺得不會的。」安迪說道。「我覺得我們應該儘快去趕火車。」
Jeff was putting all the money they had received in a belt he tied around his body. Then Andy took a large amount of money out of his pocket and asked Jeff to put it together with the other money.
傑夫把騙來的所有錢全綁在他的腰上。安迪從他的口袋裡取出一大沓紙鈔，讓傑夫與其他的錢放在一起。
"What's this?" Jeff asked.
「這是什麼？」傑夫問道。
"It's Missus Trotter's two thousand dollars," said Andy.
「特羅特夫人的那兩千美元。」安迪說道。
"How do you come to have it?" Jeff asked.
「你是怎麼得到這筆錢的？」傑夫問道。
"Missus Trotter gave it to me," Andy answered. "I have been calling on her three nights a week for more than a month."
「她給我的。」安迪回答道。「我每周有三個晚上去拜訪她，已經一個多月了。」
"Then you are William Wilkinson?" Jeff asked.
「你就是威廉·威爾金森？」傑夫問道。
"I was," Andy said.
「正是在下。」安迪說道。
Tips
O. Henry 歐·亨利
Jeff Peters 傑夫·彼得斯
Andy Tucker 安迪·塔克
Zeke Trotter 澤克·特羅特
William Wilkinson 威廉·威爾金森
整理：Bluebell
翻譯：晏回，Bluebell
TIPS：Alicex