美国语文第五册 第19期：请别多管闲事（05）
Now had he looked at the top, instead of the bottom, it might have been better for him;
如果他当时查看门顶而不是门底，情况或许要好些。
for to the top of the door was fastened a plug, which filled up the hole of a small barrel of shot.
因为壁橱门顶被一处木栓固定，栓后有处孔洞，洞里塞满许多细小铅沙粒。
He ventured to open the door another inch, and then another, till, the plug being pulled out of the barrel, the leaden shot began to pour out at a strange rate.
乔治试着将门轻轻打开点，再开一些，木栓终于从孔洞脱落，细小铅粒以难以想象的速度四下飞迸。
At the bottom of the closet was placed a tin pan, and the shot falling upon this pan made such a clatter that George was frightened half out of his senses.
壁橱下置一个锡盘，泻出的铅粒哗啦啦掉落到锡盘上，发出噼里啪啦的声响，乔治吓得血液似乎都凝固了。
The old gentleman soon came into the room to inquire what was the matter,
老人很快走进屋，询问究竟出了什么事。
and there he found George nearly as pale as a sheet. George was soon dismissed.
乔治脸色苍白，很快便被打道回府。
It now came the turn of Albert Jenkins to be put into the room.
下面轮到艾尔伯特.詹金斯登台亮相。
The other boys had been sent to their homes by different ways,
已被淘汰的少年通过不同路径送出庄园，
and no one knew what the experience of the other had been in the room of trial.
他们在那间屋子的不同经历当然无人知晓。
On the table stood a small round box, with a screw top to it,
桌上放着一只很小的圆箱，箱盖上嵌有螺帽，
and Albert, thinking it contained something curious, could not be easy without unscrewing the top;
艾尔伯特仔细端详，那箱里肯定装有好奇的东西。他思忖如果不拧松螺帽，便不可能打开箱子。
but no sooner did he do this than out bounced an artificial snake, full a yard long, and fell upon his arm.
可他刚刚拧动螺帽，忽然箱里弹出一条蛇，一码来长的假蛇，啪地落到了他的胳膊上。
He started back, and uttered a scream which brought the old gentleman to his elbow.
他吓得连忙后退，大声尖叫起来。老人赶来抓住艾尔伯特的手肘，
There stood Albert, with the bottom of the box in one hand, the top in the other, and the snake on the floor.
艾尔伯特僵直地站着，一只手抓着箱底，另只手抓着箱盖，那条假蛇掉在地上，一动不动。
