No Sense of Style
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Mike got twenty-five dollars for Christmas.
迈克有25美元 圣诞节。
The day after Christmas, Mike walked to Derek’s house and handed him the money.
圣诞节后天,迈克走到德里克家,将钱交给他.
Derek handed him his spy kit.
德里克把他的间谍工具递给他了
“Nice doing business with you,” Derek said.
Derek说:“和你做生意真好。”
“Likewise,” said Mike.
迈克说:“同样,”
Derek and his parents spent the rest of winter break in Hawaii.
德里克和他的父母在夏威夷度过了剩下的冬季休息.
The first day back at school, he was glum from jet lag; Mike was glum, too.
回到学校的第一天,他从喷气式时差中发作;迈克也发作.
They slumped together, side by side, at the cafeteria table.
他们一起在餐桌边倒地
“How was Hawaii?”
“夏威夷怎么样? “
Mike asked.
迈克问。
“Mosquitoes,” Derek grumbled.
“摩斯基托斯”,德里克不高兴。
“Huh,” said Mike.
迈克说:“啊,”
“How’s the spy kit?”
“间谍工具箱怎么样? “
Derek asked.
德里克问道.
It had taken Mike about forty-eight hours to understand why Derek was willing to part with the spy kit.
迈克花了约48小时才明白 德里克为什么愿意放弃间谍工具箱
It was only as exciting as those it spied on.
它只是像那些 它监视。
Sure, in a world of international intrigue it might be thrilling, but Mike didn’t have that kind of material to work with.
当然,在充满国际兴趣的世界中,这或许令人兴奋,但迈克并没有这种材料可供使用。
It turned out that the most fascinating person in his family was Pickles the cat—not a person at all.
结果发现,他家里最有魅力的人是小猫——根本不是人。
Now he was broke again, with nothing to show for it.
现在他又破产了 没有任何证据
Mike conveyed all this with one eloquent sigh.
迈克用一个雄辩的叹息传达了这一切。
Derek nodded sadly.
德里克点头很不幸
“Why didn’t you warn me?”
“你为什么不警告我? “
asked Mike.
问迈克。
“It’s one of those lessons you’ve got to learn for yourself,” Derek said.
”德里克说,
“Besides, I wanted your money.”
“此外,我还想要你的钱。 “
Just then, an argument broke out nearby between Chloe and Violet.
刚才克洛伊和维奥莱特在附近爆发了一场争吵.
Chloe was the most fashionable girl in third grade—she wore trendy new clothes every day.
克洛伊是三年级最时髦的女孩——她每天都穿潮流的新衣服.
Violet’s clothes were never new, yet somehow she dressed with enough flair that Derek and Mike had a nickname for her: the Funky Fashionista.
但不知何故她穿得足够有才华, 德里克和迈克为她取了个外号:"时尚快活"。
“I would never wear somebody else’s stuff,” Chloe was saying.
」克洛伊说:
“I mean, how do you know they didn’t die in it?”
“我是说,你怎么知道他们没有死? “
Violet shrugged.
紫罗兰灌木.
“You don’t,” she said, “but nowadays they have this nifty invention called a washing machine.”
“你没有,”她说,“但如今他们有了这个叫做洗衣机的微小发明。 “
Mike and Derek laughed.
迈克和德里克笑了
“I guess you can’t help it,” Chloe sniffed.
克洛伊闻到,
“You can’t afford new clothes.”
“你买不起新衣服。 “
“I prefer the challenge of shopping at thrift stores,” Violet said.
Violet说:“我更喜欢在节俭商店购物。
“Plus, sometimes I buy stuff there and sell it at the secondhand store.
“Plus, 有时我在那里买东西,
It’s almost like a business.”
这几乎就像一个企业。 “
Mike was already listening—he had a little crush on Violet, actually—but now he leaned forward.
迈克已经在听了 他对维奥莱特有点迷恋 但现在他向前倾了
“Business, you say?”
“你说,生意? “
he prompted.
他促使。
Violet nodded.
紫罗兰点头。
“Thrift stores take donated clothes and sell them cheap.
“ Thrift商店取走所捐出的衣服并廉价地出售。
Secondhand stores buy clothes, so they tend to be pickier and charge a little more.
二手店会买衣服,所以往往会更挑取,收费多一点.
If you know how to curate, you can buy at the cheap store, sell to the picky store, and make a profit.
若能入道,可到便宜店买入,卖入取取取取取取取取取取取取取取取取取取取取取取取取取取取取取.
You just have to know what other people want.”
你只需要知道别人想要什么 “
Mike gazed at Violet.
迈克盯着维奥莱特看
What a head for business this girl had!
这女孩的生意真糟糕!
At home, Mike turned a cold eye on his wardrobe.
在家里,迈克冷漠地看着他的衣橱.
Several of the clothing items he’ d gotten for Christmas still had the tags on— surely those would bring good money at the secondhand store.
他为圣诞节得到的几件衣服仍然贴有标签,
He threw in a couple of sweaters that were getting too small and his dress shoes.
他扔入了几件毛衣,这些毛衣变得太小了,他还穿了衣服鞋.
He’ d always hated those.
他一直讨厌这些。
Math Minute If Mike sold a dozen items of clothing for $5 each, how much money would he get?
数学分钟 如果迈克卖出一打衣服 每人5美元 他能得到多少钱?
If Mike turned around and spent $15 on jeans, how much of that money would he have left?
如果迈克转身 花15美元买牛仔裤 那他还剩多少钱?
Of course, he couldn’t ask his parents to take him to the secondhand store—his moneymaking schemes always seemed to unnerve them.
当然,他无法要求父母带他去二手店,
So instead, Mike told his mom that the box contained a school project he and Derek were working on together.
所以,迈克告诉他的妈妈,盒子里有一个学校项目 他和德里克正在合作。
She drove him and the box over to Derek’s house.
她开车送他和箱子去德里克家。
Derek told his dad they needed a ride to the secondhand store, and his dad dropped them off with the cardboard box.
德里克告诉他的爸爸他们需要搭车去二手店,他爸爸用纸板盒把它们扔了.
At the counter, Mike watched with pleased anticipation as the buyer examined his items one by one.
在柜台上,迈克满怀期待地看着买方逐一检查了他的物品。
“I curated them myself,” Mike explained proudly.
迈克自豪地解释道,
He watched a large pile forming on one side of the box.
他看着一个大堆 在盒子的一面形成。
On the other side lay two pairs of jeans.
另一边是两双牛仔裤
“What’s wrong with those jeans?”
“这些牛仔裤有什么问题? “
he asked.
他问。
“They’re brand new.”
" 他们是全新的。 “
The buyer moved the box out of the way and set his hands on the counter.
买家将盒子挪出道来并放出手去柜台.
His fingernails were painted a metallic blue.
他的指甲被涂上金属蓝色.
“Nothing,” said the buyer.
买方说,“没有,”。
“We’ d like to buy them.”
" 我们愿意购买它们。 “
“Oh,” Mike said.
“哦,”迈克说。
“So.
“因此,
“Just the jeans,” the buyer said.
买方说,“只有牛仔裤”。
“We can give you eight dollars in cash or twelve in trade.”
“我们可以给你8美元现金或12美元交易。 “
“So.
“因此,
Mike began again.
迈克又开始了
“ And if you want,” the buyer went on, “we can give you twenty dollars cash for that coat.”
“...... 买家接着说:“我们可以给你20美元现金买那件外套。 “
Slowly, Mike looked down.
慢慢地,迈克往下看
“This coat?”
“这件外套? “
he asked.
他问。
“That coat,” the buyer said.
买方说,“那件外套”。
“It’s so retro.”
“它是如此的回顾。
Indeed it was.
确实
Mike’s dad had worn the coat when he was a boy.
Mike的爸爸在小时候就穿了外套。
Mike was just growing into it.
迈克正在成长
“Good riddance,” said Derek.
德里克说,“好走运”。
“Now you can ask your parents for a new one.”
“现在,你可以向父母提出新的要求。 “
“So you don’t want this other stuff?”
“所以你不希望其他东西? “
Mike asked.
迈克问。
The buyer shook his head.
买主摇了头。
“Did you want to sell the jeans?”
“你想卖牛仔裤吗? “
he asked.
他问。
“I do,” said Mike, “and the coat.”
Mike说,“我愿意,”还有外套。 “
He peeled it off, took the cash, and reached in the cardboard box for a couple of his too- small sweaters.
他把它剥了,拿走了现金, 并到达了纸板盒 他的几件小毛衣。
He pulled them on before he and Derek left the store.
在他和德里克离开店前,他拉开了
Mike knew better than to ask his parents for a new coat.
迈克比要求父母换件新外衣更清楚.
But the next morning when they were heading out the front door, his dad asked him where his coat was.
但是第二天早上 当他们从前门出去时 他爸爸问他外套在哪
“I left it at Derek’s yesterday,” Mike lied.
“我昨天把它留在德里克家,”迈克撒谎了。
“It’s January,” said Mr.
" 现在是一月, " 先生说:
McCarthy.
麦卡锡
“You can’t go out without a coat.”
“没有外套, “
“I’ll call Derek’s parents right now,” said Mrs.
我马上打电话给德里克的父母,
McCarthy.
麦卡锡
“Maybe they can send it to school with Derek.”
“也许他们可以和德里克一起送去上学。 “
She grabbed her phone, but Mike stopped her.
她拿起她的手机, 但迈克阻止了她。
“Don’t,” he said.
他说, " 不要, " 。
His parents stared at him.
他的父母盯着他看
“I sold the coat,” Mike mumbled, “to Twice Nice.
“我卖了外套,”迈克·穆布尔德,“两次尼斯。
And those jeans I got for Christmas.”
还有那些圣诞牛仔裤 “
His mom was mad about the jeans, but she was furious about the coat.
他妈妈对牛仔裤很生气 但她对外套很生气
“That coat had a lot of sentimental value!”
“那件大衣有很多感伤价值!”
she cried.
她哭着
Mike discovered a strange lump in his throat and knew she was right.
迈克在他的喉咙里发现了一个奇怪的肿块,并且知道她是对的.
Why in the heck had he sold it?
为什么他卖了它?
“I’ll buy a coat at the thrift store,” Mike mumbled.
「我会在节俭店买件外套,
“Oh no,” said his mom.
"哦,不,"他说他的妈妈。
“We’re buying that one back.”
“我们要买回这个。 “
That afternoon, Mrs.
当天下午, 夫人,请原谅
McCarthy marched Mike back up to the counter of Twice Nice.
麦卡锡游行 迈克回到两次尼斯的柜台
When she asked to speak to the manager, Mike turned away in embarrassment—and found himself face-to-face with Violet.
当她要求与经理交谈时,迈克尴尬地转身——并发现自己与维奥莱特面对面.
“Is this where you shop?”
“这是你们购物的地方吗? “
she asked.
她问。
Mike shook his head.
迈克摇头了
“Me neither,” Violet whispered, “but this is where I sell.”
维奥莱特悄悄地说:“但这是我出售的地方。 “
Mike watched Violet and her aunt sell to the same buyer.
迈克看着维奥莱特和她姨妈卖给同一个买家.
Today his fingernails were magenta, Mike noticed, and something else: after looking through Violet’s pile of clothes, the guy took almost everything.
今天他的指甲是红衣,迈克注意到了,还有别的东西:在查看了维奥莱特的一叠衣服后,他拿走了几乎所有的东西。
Mike watched her accept a stack of cash.
迈克看着她收了一堆现金
He sighed—she made business look so easy— and turned back to the manager.
他叹息——她让生意看起来那么容易——然后回到经理那里去。
“Normally, we wouldn’t do this.
我们不会这样做。
Mrs.
夫人,请原谅
McCarthy shut her down.
麦卡锡把她关了
The manager sold the coat back to Mike at cost—the twenty dollars they had paid him for it.
经理把外套卖了给麦克 花了20美元
The jeans, however, were already gone.
但是牛仔裤已经不见了
“No worries,” Violet said.
“不用担心,”维奥莱特说。
“The thrift store down the street is having a red-tag sale.”
“这条街上的油油油油油油油油油油油油油油油油油油油油油, “
She and her aunt took Mike and his mom there, and Violet helped Mike find two pairs of used jeans.
她和她的姨妈把迈克和他妈妈带到了那里,而薇奥莱特帮助迈克找到两双旧牛仔裤.
They were broken in, and Mike actually liked them better than his Christmas jeans.
他们被破门而入 迈克其实更喜欢他们 比他的圣诞牛仔裤。
One problem remained, though: when it came to business, he never failed to fail.
不过,还有一个问题:在生意方面,他从未失败。
What was wrong with him?
他有什么问题?