No Fair, Tooth Fairy
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
It was the Monday after Thanksgiving.
是感恩节后的那个星期一
Mike McCarthy was polishing off the last piece of pumpkin pie at the kitchen counter when his mom and little sister walked in.
迈克·麦卡锡在厨房柜台上擦出最后一块南瓜派 当他妈妈和妹妹走进来时
They had just come from the dentist.
他们刚从牙医那里来的
“I’ve got another loose tooth,” Aster told Mike.
Aster告诉Mike,
“In fact, the dentist says I’m gonna lose three more this year.”
事实上,牙医说我今年会再输3个。 “
Aster lost her tooth that very night at dinner.
阿斯特那晚晚餐的时候牙都掉了
She swallowed it with a bite of her taco.
她吞下它 咬了她的玉米饼。
“That’s some tough luck,” Mike said.
迈克说,
“No tooth, no money.”
“没有牙,没有钱。 “
“Oh, I don’t know,” their dad said.
他们的爸爸说,
“I’ll bet she can write the tooth fairy a nice letter and explain what happened.”
我敢打赌她可以给牙仙写一封好信, “
Mike was skeptical.
迈克对此持怀疑态度.
Getting something for nothing wasn’t how the world worked.
获得无益的东西,
The next day in the cafeteria, Mike watched as his friend Derek pulled out a bento box, complete with chopsticks and sushi.
第二天在食堂,迈克看着他的朋友德里克取出一个便当盒,用筷子和寿司完成.
Derek often had fancy lunches; Mike rolled his eyes, but didn’t comment.
Derek经常吃美味的午餐,
Instead, he told Derek about Aster’s swallowed tooth.
相反,他告诉德里克阿斯特吞食了牙齿。
“She wrote the tooth fairy a letter, and the tooth fairy still gave her two dollars,” he said.
“她给牙仙写了一封信,牙仙还给她两美元。”
Derek’s eyebrows shot sky-high.
Derek的眉毛被高空射出。
“Two dollars?”
“两美元? “
he repeated.
他再说一遍。
Mike nodded.
迈克点头。
A piece of raw fish popped out from between Derek’s chopsticks.
一块生鱼从德里克的筷子之间跳出。
“ Are you kidding me?”
“...... 你在开玩笑吗? “
he shouted.
他大叫着
Mike had never seen him so shocked.
迈克从未见过他这么震惊
“I get ten bucks a tooth, whether the tooth fairy gets my tooth or not.”
不论牙仙是否得到我的牙, “
“Ten bucks?”
"十块钱? “
Mike repeated.
迈克重复。
“If you got ten bucks a tooth, you could buy my Super Spy kit in no time,” Derek said.
Derek说:“如果你每颗牙齿有10美元, 你就可以在短时间内买我的超级间谍包。
“Lose three teeth, and you could tell the tooth fairy to keep the change.”
“切出三颗牙齿,你可以告诉牙齿仙子不要改变。 “
Mike liked the sound of that.
迈克喜欢那种声音
Months ago, Derek had offered to sell Mike his Super Spy kit for twenty-five dollars.
几个月前,德里克曾提出以25美元的价格出售他的"超级间谍"套装.
Mike had been trying, and failing, to raise the money ever since.
迈克一直试图, 和失败, 从那时起,筹集资金。
“If only you could negotiate with the tooth fairy,” Mike said.
“如果你能与牙仙谈判,”迈克说。
Derek shrugged.
德里克·许克.
“Maybe you can,” he said.
他说:“也许你可以,”
That night at dinner, Mike asked, “How do you get in touch with the tooth fairy?”
当晚吃晚饭时,迈克问道:"你如何与牙仙联系? “
“Oh,” said Mrs.
夫人说:“哦,”
McCarthy, “the tooth fairy knows when you’ve lost a tooth.
Mc Carty, “牙齿仙子知道你什么时候掉了一颗牙齿。
Even if you lose it when you’re on vacation, she can always find you.”
即使你在度假时失去它, “
“What if you haven’t lost a tooth, though?”
“如果你没有失去一颗牙齿呢? “
Mike asked.
迈克问。
“If you haven’t lost a tooth, why would you want to get in touch with the tooth fairy?”
“如果你没有失去一颗牙齿, 为什么你想和那颗牙齿仙子联系? “
asked Mr.
问:
McCarthy.
麦卡锡
“I want to negotiate,” Mike said.
“我想谈判,”迈克说。
“I mean, two bucks for a tooth.
“我的意思是,一颗牙要两块钱。
What about inflation?”
通货膨胀呢? “
Mike’s parents exchanged a look, but he was just getting started.
Mike的父母互换了一眼,但他刚刚开始。
What’s with Inflation?
通货膨胀是什么?
Inflation is the rise in the price of goods over a long period of time.
通货膨胀是长期商品价格上涨.
For example, let’s say that two years ago, a dozen eggs cost $1.
比如说,两年前,一打鸡蛋要花一美元。
Last year they cost $1.
去年他们花了一美元。
This year, they cost $2.
今年,他们花费了2美元。
That gradual rise in price is probably a sign of inflation.
价格的逐步上涨很可能是通货膨胀的表现。
Slow, steady inflation is actually a good thing.
缓慢而稳定的通货膨胀实际上是件好事。
It can be a sign of a healthy economy.
这可以成为健康经济的标志.
“Do you think we all have the same tooth fairy, or is there more than one?”
“你们认为我们都有同样的牙仙,还是不止一个? “
Mike wondered.
迈克想知道。
“Is it like Santa Claus or more like the mailman?
“究竟是圣诞老人还是邮递员?
Maybe they’re assigned by zip codes.
也许他们是由zip代码指派的。
Maybe Derek gets more money because he lives in a richer neighborhood and has a richer fairy.”
也许德里克得到更多的钱,因为他住在一个更富裕的街区,并且有一个更富有的仙子. “
His dad forced a smile.
他爸爸强迫我笑
“Maybe,” he said.
他说:“也许,”
Mike wrote the tooth fairy a politely worded letter.
迈克给牙齿仙子写了一封有礼貌措辞的信.
It read as follows: Dear Tooth Fairy, How are you today?
其内容如下: 亲爱的牙仙 今天怎么样?
From one entrepreneur to another, I sincerely hope the tooth business is booming.
从一个企业家到另一个企业家,我真诚希望牙齿生意正在蓬勃发展.
What do you do with all those teeth, anyway?
你怎么弄这些牙齿的?
Do you display them in a museum, or do you use them for something fairy-ish?
你是在博物馆里展示的 还是用来做仙女般的东西?
I’m sure you’ve got some interesting specimens in your collection.
我肯定你收集了一些有趣的标本。
Madame, it has come to my attention that not all kids are earning the same amount for their teeth.
夫人,我注意到 并不是所有的孩子 都为牙齿挣到同样的钱
For instance, my friend Derek Harrison gets ten dollars per tooth, while I get two.
例如,我的朋友德里克·哈里森每颗牙齿得到10美元,而我得到2美元。
I find it hard to believe that Derek’s teeth are more desirable than mine.
我很难相信德里克的牙齿比我的更可取。
I’ve been sitting across from him at lunch for the past two years, and I can assure you they are definitely not whiter, brighter, or better-looking.
我两年来一直坐在他对面,
So I would like to raise my price.
所以我想提高我的价格。
In the future, please consider paying me the same rate per tooth as Derek: ten dollars.
将来,请考虑每颗牙付给我和德里克一样的费率:10美元.
I appreciate your consideration and look forward to hearing from you.
感谢你的考虑 并期待着听到你的消息。
Mike signed the letter with a flourish.
迈克在信上签了个字
He showed it to his mom so she could proofread it for proper grammar, style, and punctuation.
他给他妈妈看了 这样她就能校对一下 适当的语法、风格和标点
Then he reminded her, “You never told me how to get in touch with the tooth fairy when you haven’t lost a tooth.”
然后他提醒她, “你从未告诉我如何与牙齿仙子联系, “
“Put the letter under your pillow,” she said.
她说,“把信放在枕头下”。
“With the tooth fairy, all correspondence and commerce move that way.”
“随着牙齿仙子的到来,所有通信和商业都是这样。 “
Mike put the letter under his pillow.
迈克把信放在枕下
The next morning, another letter, printed on green, fairylike paper, lay in its place.
次日一出,又一来信,以绿相印出,仙相相相纸相接相接相接相接而起.
Dear Mike, Tooth pricing is a complicated, bureaucratic, and, to be frank, boring practice, far too tedious to explain here.
亲爱的迈克, 牙齿定价是一个复杂的,官僚主义的,坦率的说,无聊的做法,太过乏味,在这里无法解释.
The upshot, I regret to inform you, is that I cannot pay you ten dollars a tooth.
我很遗憾地告诉你 我付不起你10美元的牙
However, I have brought your concerns before the Tooth Fairy Association, and they have agreed to increase your rate to three dollars a tooth.
不过,我已经把您的顾虑 提交给了牙仙协会, 他们已经同意将你的价钱提高到3美元一牙。
I hope this will give you some satisfaction.
我希望这会给你一些满足。
Mike showed the letter to Derek at lunch.
麦克在午餐时给德里克看了这封信.
“That’s almost nine teeth,” he groaned.
他叹息道,
“It’ll take me years to lose nine teeth.”
“我会花好几年才失去九颗牙齿。 “
Derek smiled a strange smile.
德里克笑出一个奇怪的笑容.
“Not if you have them pulled,” he said.
他说,“如果你拉住他们,就不行。”
Mike gulped.
迈克口水。
“ And don’t forget your wisdom teeth,” Derek added.
“...... 别忘了你的智慧牙齿,
What were wisdom teeth?
什么是智慧牙齿?
Mike had no idea, but if they contained wisdom, Mike thought he could probably charge the tooth When Mike went in for his next checkup, he had some questions for the dentist.
迈克不知道,但如果他们 包含智慧,迈克认为 他可能可以收取牙齿 当迈克去检查他的下一次, 他有一些问题给牙医。
“Do you ever pull teeth that aren’t loose?”
“你曾拔出没有松开的牙齿吗? “
he asked.
他问。
“Yes,” the dentist said, “if we need to make more room in someone’s mouth.”
" 是的, " 牙医说, " 如果我们需要让更多的空间在别人的嘴里。 “
“How about mine?”
“我的呢? “
Mike asked.
迈克问。
The dentist smiled and shook her head.
牙医微笑并摇头.
“Your mouth is perfect just the way it is,” she said.
她说,“你的嘴是完美的,”
Curses, Mike thought.
诅咒,迈克想。
“How many teeth will I lose this year?”
“今年我会失去多少牙齿? “
he asked.
他问。
“None,” said the dentist.
牙医说,“没有”。
“None!”
"没有!"
cried Mike.
哭了迈克。
“You lost a bunch when you were Aster’s age,” she said.
"你失去了一群 当你是 Aster的年龄,
“You’ll lose some more when you’re ten or so.”
“十多岁时, “
Mike scratched his head in frustration.
迈克沮丧地抓了头
“What about my wisdom teeth?”
“我的智慧牙齿呢? “
he asked.
他问。
“Well,” the dentist said, “you’ve got to get them before you can lose them.”
“好吧,”牙医说,“在失去他们之前,你必须获得他们。 “
“When will that be?”
“什么时候? “
Mike asked eagerly.
迈克急着问
“Depends on the person,” the dentist said.
牙医说,“取决于此人”。
“College, maybe.”
“大学,也许。”
Mike frowned fiercely.
迈克眉毛很重
He needed wisdom now!
他现在需要智慧!
That night, he wrote the tooth fairy a letter requesting a cash advance.
当晚他给牙仙写了一封信,要求预支现金.
In the morning, he received this reply: Dear Mike, Regarding an advance, the association strictly forbids this practice.
上午,他收到了这个答复: 亲爱的迈克, 关于预付款,协会严格禁止这种做法。
I’m sorry to disappoint you.
很抱歉让你失望。
Please consider that your tooth supply is finite (a limited resource) and, really, far more valuable to you than anybody else— even me.
请考虑一下,你的牙齿供应是有限的(有限的资源),而且,实际上,对于你来说,比其他人——甚至我——都更有价值。
May I suggest you investigate an alternate source of income?
我可以建议你调查另一个收入来源吗?
Mike tried not to smile, but his beautiful teeth couldn’t help it.
麦克试图不笑,
Mike crumpled the letter in disgust.
迈克把信弄得一团糟
He hated to admit it, but the tooth fairy was right.
他讨厌承认,但牙仙是对的.
He only had so many teeth in his mouth.
他嘴里只有这么多牙齿
Even if he got top dollar for them, he needed a steadier stream of income.
即使他有最高的美元给他们, 他需要一个稳定的收入流。
He was about to toss the letter in the trash when he noticed a postscript on the back: P.
当他注意到背面的贴纸时, P.
S.
师曰.
You are right.
你说得对。
Your teeth are beautiful.
你的牙齿真漂亮
Derek’s teeth have nothing on yours.
德里克的牙齿没有你的东西。