吹小号的天鹅 第94期:一次关于钱的谈话(3)

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

“好吧，”他突然开了口。“塞蕾娜可以离开。我们不会剪她的翅膀了。

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

不过我怎么能够相信，当我需要的时候，路易斯会为我带来一只小号手天鹅呢?

How do I know he's honest?"

我怎么知道他是说话算话的呢?”

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

“他是一只诚实的鸟，”萨姆说，

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

“如果他不诚信重诺的话，他就不会自找麻烦，

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

出来为他父亲偷的那把小号挣那么多的钱，再准备还给那个店主了。”

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

“路易斯究竟挣了多少钱?”这个负责人问。

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

“他挣了四千六百九十一美元六十五美分，”萨姆说，

"We just counted it a few minutes ago.

“我们在几分钟前刚刚数过。

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

他在库库斯库斯夏令营靠吹号得了一百美元，

and all he spent was sixty cents for postage stamps.

然后他买了六十美分的邮票，剩下的钱都没有动。

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

因此当他来到波士顿时身上还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,

后来那个天鹅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.

不过他在他过夜的那家饭店里花了三美元的小费。

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

所以等他到费城时身上还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,

夜总会在十周里每周付给他五百美元，那就是五千美元，

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

但他还得交出五千美元的百分之十的佣金，

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买新石笔，花了四美元给我拍电报。

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

这样一来他现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."

对一只鸟来说这可是一大笔钱哪。”

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

“的确如此，”这个负责人说，“的确如此。”

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

“不过他还要付我从蒙大拿到费城的往返机票钱。

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

这会让这笔钱的总数减少到四千四百二十美元七十八美分的。”

The Head Man looked staggered by these figures.

这个负责人对这些数字感到很吃惊。