美國語文第五冊 第19期：請別多管閑事（05）
Now had he looked at the top, instead of the bottom, it might have been better for him;
如果他當(dāng)時查看門頂而不是門底，情況或許要好些。
for to the top of the door was fastened a plug, which filled up the hole of a small barrel of shot.
因為壁櫥門頂被一處木栓固定，栓后有處孔洞，洞里塞滿許多細小鉛沙粒。
He ventured to open the door another inch, and then another, till, the plug being pulled out of the barrel, the leaden shot began to pour out at a strange rate.
喬治試著將門輕輕打開點，再開一些，木栓終于從孔洞脫落，細小鉛粒以難以想象的速度四下飛迸。
At the bottom of the closet was placed a tin pan, and the shot falling upon this pan made such a clatter that George was frightened half out of his senses.
壁櫥下置一個錫盤，瀉出的鉛粒嘩啦啦掉落到錫盤上，發(fā)出噼里啪啦的聲響，喬治嚇得血液似乎都凝固了。
The old gentleman soon came into the room to inquire what was the matter,
老人很快走進屋，詢問究竟出了什么事。
and there he found George nearly as pale as a sheet. George was soon dismissed.
喬治臉色蒼白，很快便被打道回府。
It now came the turn of Albert Jenkins to be put into the room.
下面輪到艾爾伯特.詹金斯登臺亮相。
The other boys had been sent to their homes by different ways,
已被淘汰的少年通過不同路徑送出莊園，
and no one knew what the experience of the other had been in the room of trial.
他們在那間屋子的不同經(jīng)歷當(dāng)然無人知曉。
On the table stood a small round box, with a screw top to it,
桌上放著一只很小的圓箱，箱蓋上嵌有螺帽，
and Albert, thinking it contained something curious, could not be easy without unscrewing the top;
艾爾伯特仔細端詳，那箱里肯定裝有好奇的東西。他思忖如果不擰松螺帽，便不可能打開箱子。
but no sooner did he do this than out bounced an artificial snake, full a yard long, and fell upon his arm.
可他剛剛擰動螺帽，忽然箱里彈出一條蛇，一碼來長的假蛇，啪地落到了他的胳膊上。
He started back, and uttered a scream which brought the old gentleman to his elbow.
他嚇得連忙后退，大聲尖叫起來。老人趕來抓住艾爾伯特的手肘，
There stood Albert, with the bottom of the box in one hand, the top in the other, and the snake on the floor.
艾爾伯特僵直地站著，一只手抓著箱底，另只手抓著箱蓋，那條假蛇掉在地上，一動不動。
