正文
“Daddy, can I learn to play the violin?” young Sarah asked her father. She was always asking for things and her father was not very pleased.
“爸爸， 我能學拉小提琴嗎？”小莎拉問爸爸。她總是要東要西的，爸爸不太高興。
“You cost me a lot of money, Sarah,” he said, “First you wanted to learn horse riding, then dancing, and then swimming. Now it's the violin.” “I'll play every day, Daddy,” Sarah said, “I'll try very hard.”
“我都為你花了那麼多錢了，莎拉。”他說，“你先是要學騎馬，後來又要學跳舞，之後又想學游泳。現在又換小提琴了。” “我會天天拉琴的，爸爸。”莎拉說，“我會刻苦練習的。”
“All right,” her father said, “This is what I'll do. I'll pay for you to have lessons for six weeks. At the end of six weeks you must play something for me. If you play well, you can have more lessons. If you play badly, I will stop the lessons.” “Ok, Daddy,” Sarah said, “That is fair.”
“好吧，”爸爸說，“那這樣吧。我先給你交夠六週的學費，第六週結束的時候，你必須給我拉幾首曲子。拉得好的話，我就讓你繼續學。拉不好的話，你就別學了。” “行，爸爸，”莎拉說，“這辦法很公平。”
He soon found a good violin teacher and Sarah began her lessons. The teacher was very expensive, but her father kept his promise. The six weeks passed quickly. The time came for Sarah to play for her father.
爸爸很快找了一位優秀的小提琴老師，莎拉開始學琴了。老師收費很貴，可爸爸還是遵守了自己的承諾。 六週很快過去，到了莎拉給爸爸拉琴的時候了。
She went to the living room and said: “I'm ready to play for you, Daddy.” “Fine, Sarah,” her father said, “Get started.” She began to play. She played very badly. She made a terrible noise.
她走進客廳，說：“爸爸，我準備好給你演奏了。” “好的，莎拉。”爸爸說，“開始吧。” 莎拉拉起琴來，拉得很糟，簡直是噪聲。
Her father had one of his friends with him, and the friend put his hands over his ears. When Sarah finished, her father said, “Well done, Sarah. You can have more lessons.” Sarah ran happily out of the room.
爸爸的一個朋友當時也在場，那位朋友還用手捂住了自己的耳朵。 演奏完畢，莎拉的爸爸說：“拉得好，莎拉。你可以繼續學琴。” 莎拉高興地跑出房間。
Her father's friend turned to him. “You have spent a lot of money, but she still plays very badly.” He said. “Well, that's true,” her father said.
那位朋友發問了：“你花了那麼多錢，她居然還是拉得這麼糟。”“是啊，你說得對。”莎拉爸爸說，
“But since she started learning the violin I have been able to buy five apartments in this building very cheaply. In another six weeks I'll own the whole building!”
“可是自從她開始學琴，我已經低價在這棟樓裡買下五套公寓了。再過六週，整棟樓就都是我的了！”
利弊向來是相倚相伏的。
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