It was a beautiful Saturday morning, a perfect morning for playing or swimming. However, Tom had to finish the work Aunt Polly gave him. As Tom started to paint Aunt Polly's very long fence, along came Ben Rogers with a juicy apple in his hand.
这是一个美好的周六的上午，是玩耍或者游泳的大好时光。然而，汤姆不得不完成波莉姨妈给他安排的工作。当汤姆开始给波莉姨妈的长长的篱笆墙刷漆的时候，本·罗杰斯来了，手里拿着一个多汁的苹果。
Tom was silent. He focused on his painting like an artist.
汤姆没有说话，他像一个艺术家一样专注于他的刷墙工作。
"Looks like a lot of work, Tom."
“看起来工作量很大呀，汤姆。”
Tom turned suddenly. "Oh, it's you, Ben! I didn't notice."
汤姆突然回过头。“本，是你呀!我一直没注意。”
"I'm going swimming. Don't you wish you could come instead of doing work?"
“我要去游泳了。你难道不想和我一起去游泳而不是在这里工作吗？”
"What do you call work?" asked Tom.
“你把什么叫工作呢？”汤姆问。
"Isn't that work?"
“那不是工作吗？”
Tom kept painting and answered carelessly, "Well, maybe it is, and maybe it isn't. All I know is it isn't work for me."
汤姆继续刷墙，漫不经心回答：“好吧，也许这是一项工作，或许不是。我知道的就是对我来说这不是一项工作。”
"Oh come on. You can't mean you like it?"
“噢，别骗人了。你该不会说你喜欢这个工作吧？”
Tom continued painting. "Like it? Well, I don't see why not. Does a boy get a chance to paint a fence every day?"
汤姆继续刷墙。“喜欢它？好吧，我不知道为什么不能喜欢它。哪个男孩能每天都刷篱笆墙呢？”
That put the thing in a new light. Ben stopped eating his apple. Tom swept his brush carefully back and forth, added a touch of paint here and there, and stopped to take a look at it all. Ben watched every move and became more and more interested until he finally said, "Tom, why don't you let me paint a little?"
这让整个事情有了变化。本不吃苹果了。汤姆用刷子来回仔细地刷着，这儿加一点漆，那儿加一点漆，然后停下来看一看整体效果。本仔细地看着每一个动作，越来越感兴趣了。最后说：“汤姆，让我替你刷会儿怎么样？”
Tom considered Ben's offer. "Well, no, I can't let you, Ben. You see, Aunt Poll's very proud of this fence. I think there isn't one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it the way it's got to be done."
汤姆考虑了一下本的提议。“噢，不，我不能让你刷。本，你看，波莉姨妈以这个篱笆墙为豪。我觉得在一千甚至两千个孩子里面也不能找到一个能把这个工作做好的人。”
"Oh come on. Let me try. I'd let you, if I were painting, Tom."
“噢，来吧，让我试试。汤姆，如果你让我刷墙，我会让你......”
"Ben, I'd like to, honestly, but Aunt Polly, well..."
“本，说实在话，我很想让你刷，但是波莉姨妈，唉......”
"I'll be careful. Just let me try. I'll give you some of my apple."
“我会小心的，就让我试试吧。我给你一些我的苹果。”
"Well, no, Ben. I'm afraid..."
“噢，不，本，恐怕......”
"I'll give you all of it!"
“我把整个苹果都给你！”
Tom slowly gave Ben the paintbrush. Ben took the brush eagerly and started to paint. On Tom's face was a look of regret but in his heart, he was satisfied.
汤姆慢慢地把漆刷给本。本急切地接过漆刷，开始刷了起来。汤姆脸上一副遗憾的表情，但是心里边非常乐意。
