英國語文第四冊(雙語):理查德·阿科萊特先生的故事(3)
Living in the midst of a manufacturing population,
阿科萊特周圍的鄰居都是制造工人，
Arkwright was accustomed to hear daily complaints of the difficulty of procuring sufficient yarn to keep the looms employed,
每天都會聽到人們抱怨難以獲得足夠的紗線來維持織機的工作，
and of the restriction thus placed on the manufacture of cotton goods.
因此限制了棉織品的制造。
Being of a mechanical turn, he was led to think how the difficulty might be lessened, if not got rid of altogether.
大家知道他對機器有些研究，就請他幫忙出謀劃策如何解決這一難題，哪怕只能解決一點也好。
Arkwright, assisted by a clock-maker of the name of Kay,
阿科萊特讓一個叫凱伊的鐘表工人打下手，
soon became so engrossed in his new task, and so confident of success,
很快就投入到新任務(wù)中，他對自己自信滿滿，
that he began to neglect his regular business.
因此開始忽略常規(guī)的生意。
All his thoughts, and nearly all his time, were given up to the great work he had taken in hand.
他所有的心思和時間幾乎都花在這件事上面，
His trade fell off;
他的理發(fā)生意一落千丈；
he spent all his savings in buying materials for models, and in getting them put together;
他花光了所有積蓄去購買模型材料，并將其組裝起來；
and he got into very poor circumstances.
他變得窮困潦倒。
His wife reasoned with him on what she considered his foolishness, but in vain;
他的妻子和他講道理，讓他醒醒，但都是徒勞；
and one day, in a rage at what she believed to be the cause of all their privations, she broke some of his models.
有一天，她一氣之下打碎了她認為是導致家庭窮困的一些模型。
Such an outrage was more than Arkwright could bear, and they separated.
阿科萊特極其憤慨，他沒辦法容忍，因此就與妻子離婚了。
