吹小號的天鵝 第94期:一次關(guān)于錢的談話(3)

"All right," he said, suddenly. "Serena can go. We willnot clip her wing.

“好吧，”他突然開了口。“塞蕾娜可以離開。我們不會剪她的翅膀了。

But how can I be sure that Louis will bring me ayoung Trumpeter Swan when I need one?

不過我怎么能夠相信，當我需要的時候，路易斯會為我?guī)硪恢恍√柺痔禊Z呢?

How do I know he's honest?"

我怎么知道他是說話算話的呢?”

"He's an honorable bird," said Sam.

“他是一只誠實的鳥，”薩姆說，

"If he weren't honest and true to his word, he wouldn't have bothered to go out

“如果他不誠信重諾的話，他就不會自找麻煩，

and earn a lot of money to pay the storekeeper back for the trumpet his father swiped."

出來為他父親偷的那把小號掙那么多的錢，再準備還給那個店主了。”

"How much money has Louis got, anyway?" asked the Head Man.

“路易斯究竟掙了多少錢?”這個負責人問。

"He's got four thousand six hundred and ninety-one dollars and sixty-five cents," said Sam.

“他掙了四千六百九十一美元六十五美分，”薩姆說，

"We just counted it a few minutes ago.

“我們在幾分鐘前剛剛數(shù)過。

He received one hundred dollars from Camp Kookooskoos for playing bugle calls,

他在庫庫斯庫斯夏令營靠吹號得了一百美元，

and all he spent was sixty cents for postage stamps.

然后他買了六十美分的郵票，剩下的錢都沒有動。

So he arrived in Boston with ninety-nine dollars and forty cents.

因此當他來到波士頓時身上還剩九十九美元四十美分。

Then the Swan Boat man paid him a hundred dollars for one week's work,

后來那個天鵝游艇的老板又每周付他一百美元，

but he spent three dollars in tips at the hotel where he spent a night.

不過他在他過夜的那家飯店里花了三美元的小費。

So he had a hundred and ninety-six dollars and forty cents when he got to Philadelphia.

所以等他到費城時身上還剩一百九十六美元四十美分。

The nightclub paid him five hundred dollars a week for ten weeks, which came to five thousanddollars,

夜總會在十周里每周付給他五百美元，那就是五千美元，

but he had to pay his agent ten percent of the five thousand dollars,

但他還得交出五千美元的百分之十的傭金，

and he also spent seventy-five cents for some new chalk pencils and four dollars to send thetelegram to me.

另外他又花了七十五美分買新石筆，花了四美元給我拍電報。

So that makes a total of four thousand six hundred and ninety-one dollars and sixty-five cents.

這樣一來他現(xiàn)在便共有四千六百九十一美元六十五美分了。

It's a lot of money for a bird."

對一只鳥來說這可是一大筆錢哪。”

"It sure is," said the Head Man. "It sure is."

“的確如此，”這個負責人說，“的確如此。”

"But he is going to pay my airplane fare from Montana to Philadelphia and back again.

“不過他還要付我從蒙大拿到費城的往返機票錢。

That will bring the total down to four thousand four hundred and twenty dollars and seventy-eight cents."

這會讓這筆錢的總數(shù)減少到四千四百二十美元七十八美分的。”

The Head Man looked staggered by these figures.

這個負責人對這些數(shù)字感到很吃驚。