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But if I went through my whole life without ever using my stinger I'm sure I'd end up REGRETTING it. This afternoon Dad wanted to know why me and Rodrick weren't still outside staining the back deck. Rodrick told him about the WASPS, but left out the part about spraying their nest with the hose. Then Dad said he had another job for us in the FRONT yard. He said the gutters were clogged and needed cleaning, so we had to go and get the ladder out of the garage.

可要是我这辈子从来都没用到过我的毒刺，我敢肯定最后一定会后悔。 今天下午爸爸过来问，我和罗德里克怎么不在后院给露台刷染色了。 罗德里克跟他说了马蜂的事，但没提我们用水枪喷马蜂窝那茬。 接着爸爸说，前院还有份活要我们干。 他说排水沟堵了需要清理，让我们去车库把梯子搬出来。

Cleaning the gutters is my LEAST favourite chore, because it's always ME who has to climb up the ladder. Dad won't do it any more because the LAST time he did he had a run-in with a SQUIRREL. So now RODRICK won't go up the ladder, either. He says the person who's LIGHTEST has to do it, because they won't get hurt as badly if they FALL.

清理排水沟是我最讨厌的家务，因为每次都轮到我爬梯子。 爸爸再也不肯干了，因为上次他干的时候和一只松鼠起了冲突。 所以现在罗德里克也不肯爬梯子了。 他说体重最轻的人该去干，因为就算摔下来也不会伤得太重。

Rodrick even drew a diagram to show me the science behind it. And, if that was supposed to make me feel BETTER, it DIDN'T. We got the ladder out of the garage and carried it to the front yard. Then we leaned it against the roof, and Rodrick held the base in place so I could climb up.

罗德里克还画了图给我讲这背后的科学道理。 可他这套要是想让我安心，那可完全没用。我们从车库搬出梯子，扛到了前院。 接着我们把梯子靠在屋顶边，罗德里克扶住梯子底，让我往上爬。

When I got to the top, I started scooping the muddy slop from the gutters into the trash bag I was holding in my other hand. That meant I couldn't really hold on to the ladder, and it was hard to keep my balance. After I cleared out that section, I climbed back down and we moved the ladder to another spot. But, on my fourth trip up, I noticed the ladder felt a little more WOBBLY than usual. I yelled down to Rodrick to hold the ladder STEADY, but I didn't get any response. And, when I looked to see if he was on his phone or something, he wasn't even THERE.

我爬到顶之后，就开始把排水沟里的烂泥脏东西挖到另一只手拿着的垃圾袋里。 这样我就没法抓梯子了，很难保持平衡。 我清完这一段，就爬下来挪梯子到另一个位置。 可我第四次爬上去的时候，我发现梯子比平时晃得更厉害。 我朝底下喊罗德里克，让他把梯子扶稳，可我没得到任何回应。 我低头看他是不是在玩手机，结果他根本就不在这儿。

And that's when I looked through the bathroom window and saw Rodrick INSIDE THE HOUSE. I knocked on the glass to get his attention. But I must've leaned over too FAR, because the ladder started tilting to one side. It was too late for me to try and climb all the way back down, so the only place to go was UP. I climbed to the top of the ladder and grabbed the edge of the roof with both hands, then pulled myself up on to it. I did it just in time, too, because the second I stepped off the ladder it went crashing to the ground.

这时候我透过浴室窗户一看，看见罗德里克居然在屋子里。 我敲玻璃想吸引他的注意。 可我肯定探身太猛了，梯子开始往一边歪倒。 我再爬下去已经来不及了，只能往顶上走。 我爬到梯子顶端，双手抓住屋顶边缘，把自己拉了上去。 我爬上去的时机刚刚好，我刚离开梯子，梯子就哐当一声砸在了地上。

So now I was stuck on the roof with no way to get back down. I yelled out, hoping Mom or Dad would hear me. But I was pretty sure Dad was in the laundry room fixing the washing machine, and I hadn't seen Mom all morning. Then I spotted Mr Larocca driving his lawn mower out of his shed, and I thought I was SAVED.I tried SHOUTING to him, but he couldn't hear me over the sound of the mower.

所以现在我被困在屋顶上，根本下不去。 我大声呼喊，希望爸爸妈妈能听见。 可我很清楚爸爸那时候在洗衣房修洗衣机，我一早上都没见过妈妈了。 接着我看见拉罗卡先生开着割草机从工具棚出来，我觉得我有救了。我试着朝他喊，可割草机太吵了，他听不到。