7

MAY Saturday The great thing about this extension is that it gives me something to brag about to Rowley on our way to school. I told him that our new kitchen is gonna have granite countertops and a tile floor and brand-new appliances. But, instead of getting JEALOUS, he acted HAPPY for me. So I don't understand what kind of game he's playing. Rowley's house is newer than ours, and it's a lot BIGGER, too.

五月 星期六 这次扩建最棒的一点就是，我上学路上能跟罗利吹牛皮啦。 我跟他说，我们家新厨房会有花岗岩台面、瓷砖地板，还有全新的电器。 可罗利非但没嫉妒我，反而还替我高兴。 所以我真搞不懂他到底在打什么主意。 罗利家比我们家新，面积也比我们家大好多。

And that's not right, because Rowley's an only child, so he doesn't even NEED all that room. Back when Rowley first moved in, I told him we should swap houses to make things more FAIR. Rowley thought that was a good idea, but unfortunately his dad DIDN'T. And I think that's what got me and Mr Jefferson off on the wrong foot. Anyway, I'm actually getting kind of EXCITED for construction to begin, because it's gonna be NICE having some more space. But I guess they've gotta do a bunch of paperwork before they can get started for real.

而且这不公平，罗利是独生子，他根本用不了那么大地方。 之前罗利刚搬来的时候，我就提议我们换房子，这样才更公平。 罗利本来觉得这主意不错，可惜他爸爸不同意。 我觉得就是因为这件事，我从一开始就给杰弗逊先生留下了坏印象。 不管怎么说，我其实还挺期待动工的，毕竟能多出来点空间真的很棒。 不过我猜正式动工之前，他们得先处理一大堆手续吧。

Dad wants to fix a few things around the house before construction begins anyway, and he wants me and Rodrick to HELP him. Dad says once me and Rodrick get our OWN places we're gonna have to know how to do repairs OURSELVES. I keep telling Dad that by the time we're HIS age we won't HAVE to fix things ourselves. But he never seems to want to hear it. Whenever Dad tries to teach me how to do something new, I always have trouble following him. A couple of weeks ago he showed me and Rodrick how to change a tyre, but I guess I lost interest when he started talking about lug nuts and air pressure.

爸爸本就想在动工前修整一下家里的几处地方，还叫我和罗德里克给他帮忙。 爸爸说，等以后我和罗德里克有了自己的房子，总得学会自己修东西。 我一直跟爸爸说，等我们到他那个年纪，根本不需要自己动手修东西了。 可他好像从来都听不进去。 每次爸爸教我做新东西，我总跟不上他的步骤。 几周前他教我和罗德里克换轮胎，可他一讲什么凸耳螺母、气压，我就没兴趣了。

Dad was frustrated that I wasn't paying attention, and he asked me what I'm gonna do if I ever get stuck by the side of the road with a flat tyre. I told him I'm planning on buying a WHISTLE, and I'll just blow it if I ever need help.

爸爸见我没认真听特别生气，他问我要是哪天车胎爆了困在路边可怎么办。 我跟他说我打算买个哨子，需要帮忙的时候吹一吹就好了呀。

I guess that was the wrong answer, though, because since then Dad's been on my case to learn how to do things for MYSELF. Today Dad said he was gonna teach me how to "snake a drain", which didn't sound like fun to ME. And when I found out it was a PLUMBING thing, I got SCARED. I've had a fear of plumbing ever since I was a little kid. It's all because I overheard Mom talking to Dad outside my bedroom just after we moved in.

现在想想我那回答肯定不对，因为从那之后爸爸就一直盯着我，非要我学会自己做事。 今天爸爸说他要教我“通排水管”，这对我来说一点都不好玩。 等我搞清楚这是跟水管相关的事，我可吓坏了。 我从小就对水管相关的东西犯怵。 这都怪我们刚搬来那天，我无意间听见妈妈在我卧室门外跟爸爸说话。

What I didn't know THEN was that grout is the gritty stuff between the bathroom tiles. But, when Mom said that word, it put a picture in my mind. Since I'd never SEEN the Grout, I figured it must hide in the pipes whenever I walked into the bathroom. So that made me nervous around taps and drains.

那时候我还不知道，勾缝剂就是浴室瓷砖缝里那种粗糙的东西呀。 可妈妈说出那个词的时候，我脑子里冒出了一幅奇怪的画面。 因为我从来没见过勾缝剂，我就觉得它肯定躲在水管里，我一进浴室它就会出来抓我。 所以我碰水龙头和排水管的时候都特别紧张。