8

Unfortunately, a guy walking DOWN the hill overheard us, and he said he'd be HAPPY to endorse our product. Not to be mean or anything, but this guy definitely did not have the look we were after. So to make him go away, I paid him three bucks to tell people he DIDNT drink our stuff. I realized we were still competing for beverage dollars with the kid across the street and that if we were gonna make any REAL money, we needed to move our operation to a whole new market. And I knew just the place: the town park.

不幸的是，一个走下山的人听到了我们的谈话，他说他很乐意为我们的产品代言。 无意冒犯，但这家伙绝对不是我们想要的样子。 所以为了让他走开，我给了他三块钱，让他告诉别人他没有喝我们的东西。 我意识到，我们还在和街对面的孩子争夺饮料收入，如果我们想真正赚到钱，我们需要把我们的业务转移到一个全新的市场。 我知道那个地方：镇上的公园。

With the big cleanup going on down there, I figured there would be a TON of thirsty volunteers. So me and Rowley loaded up a wagon with as much of our product as we could carry and headed down the hill. Halfway to the park, Rowley said he was dehydrated and needed a drink. I didn't wanna stop, but he looked like he was gonna pass out. So I let him take a bottle and made a note to dock his pay later on.

由于那里正在进行大规模的清理工作，我估计会有很多口渴的志愿者。 所以我和罗利装上一辆马车，尽可能多地装上我们的产品，然后下山。 在去公园的半路上，罗利说他脱水了，需要喝点东西。 我不想停下来，但他看起来要晕过去了。 所以我让他拿了一瓶，并做了一个记录，以后扣他的工资。

When we got down to the park, it seemed like the whole TOWN was there. Everyone was working really hard, and it was pretty hot out. As a BONUS, the water fountain was broken, which meant people didn't have any real options for quenching their thirst. So me and Rowley knew we were gonna make a KILLING selling our stuff. Unfortunately, Mom spotted us right away and asked what we were up to. I told her we were gonna sell our fitness water to anyone who was willing to shell out a few bucks.

当我们到达公园时，好像整个镇的人都在那里。 每个人都在努力工作，而且外面很热。 作为奖励，饮水机坏了，这意味着人们没有任何真正的选择来解渴。 所以我和罗利知道我们会大赚一笔。 不幸的是，妈妈马上就发现了我们，问我们在干什么。 我跟她说我们会把健身水卖给任何愿意花点钱的人。

But Mom said it was "tacky" to profit off a bunch of volunteers who were sacrificing their Saturday to clean up the park. I told her everybody who drank our water would be able to volunteer TWICE as hard, and the whole cleanup would go a lot quicker. While me and Mom were arguing about this, the ladies who were working on the flower bed totally raided our supplies.

但妈妈说，从一群牺牲周六打扫公园的志愿者身上获利是“俗气的”。 我告诉她，每个喝我们水的人都可以做双倍的志愿者，整个清理工作也会快得多。 就在我和妈妈争论这个问题的时候，在花坛工作的女士们把我们的用品洗劫一空。

And before we could do anything about it, they had poured our whole inventory of fitness water into the ground like it was just some cheap junk. I did a quick calculation and figured that was at least two hundred dollars in lost profits seeping into the ground. But those ladies just went right back to their planting like it was no big deal. Still, it wasn't too late for me and Rowley to turn this thing around. We gathered up the empty bottles and headed down to the creek for a refill.

我们还没来得及做点什么，他们就把我们所有的健身水都倒进了地下，就像把它们当成廉价的垃圾一样。 我快速计算了一下，发现至少有200美元的利润损失流入了地下。 但那些女士们却若无其事地回去种菜了。 尽管如此，我和罗利还来得及扭转局面。 我们把空瓶子收集起来，到小溪边去续瓶。

Mom stepped in our way. She told me and Rowley she wanted us to help the volunteers with the cleanup, and handed us some lawn tools to get started. I explained that we were BUSINESSMEN and REAL businessmen don't work for free. But before I was even done talking, Rowley was on his hands and knees planting perennials. I knew I had to get out of there as quickly as possible or I'D get roped in, too. But Mom was one step ahead of me. She said when I was little she used to take me to the park every day, and that those were her most special memories of the two of us.

妈妈挡住了我们的路。她告诉我和罗利，她想让我们帮助志愿者清理，并递给我们一些草坪工具，让我们开始工作。 我解释说，我们是商人，真正的商人是不会无偿工作的。 但我还没说完，罗利就趴在地上种多年生植物了。 我知道我必须尽快离开那里，否则我也会被套牢的。 但妈妈比我早了一步。 她说，当我还小的时候，她每天都带我去公园，那是她对我们俩最特别的回忆。