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have run errands on the way to the restaurant. I'd made a reservation at Spriggo's, which is that fancy restaurant Mom and Dad are always talking about. I knew it might be a little pricey, but I'd saved up a lot of money from chores and I really wanted to impress Abigail by looking like a big shot. When we pulled into the parking lot, Mr. Jefferson opened the back for me. But when I got out, my suit was covered in all these greasy smears from the vacuum cleaner.

在去餐厅的路上跑腿了。 我在斯普里戈餐厅订了位，就是爸妈常说的那家高档餐厅。 我知道这可能有点贵，但我从家务中省了很多钱，我真的想让阿比盖尔觉得我是个大人物。 当我们把车开进停车场时，杰斐逊先生为我打开了后门。 但当我出来的时候，我的衣服上沾满了吸尘器上的油渍。

I didn't want to look like a slob, so I just left my jacket in the car, and we went into the restaurant together. I was hoping Rowley would take a hint and stay back with his dad, but he came right along with us. Spriggo's was a LOT fancier than I thought it would be. When we walked in, the host told us this was an upscale establishment and that gentlemen were required to wear sports jackets. But there was no way I was gonna wear my dirty suit jacket, so I asked the host if he could just make an exception this one time. He said he couldn't but that the restaurant had spare sports jackets I could

我不想看起来像个邋遢鬼，所以我把外套留在车里，然后我们一起进了餐厅。 我本来希望罗利能接受我的暗示留下来陪他爸爸，但他跟我们一起来了。 斯普里格餐厅比我想象的要漂亮得多。 当我们走进来的时候，主人告诉我们这是一个高档场所，绅士们需要穿运动夹克。 但我不可能穿那件脏西装外套，所以我问主持人这次能不能破例一次。 他说他不能，但餐厅有备用的运动夹克，我可以

borrow. The one he gave me was a little big, but I put it on anyway. When we sat down I noticed a terrible smell and tried to figure out where it was coming from. Then I realized it was coming from me. I guess that loaner jacket had been used by a hundred different people without ever being washed. I didn't want to smell like somebody else's body odor during dinner, so I excused myself go to the bathroom and scrubbed the sports jackets underarms with soap and water, then dried them with the hand dryer.

借钱。他给我的那件有点大，但我还是穿上了。 当我们坐下时，我注意到一股难闻的气味，并试图找出它是从哪里来的。 然后我意识到那是我说的。 我想那件借来的夹克已经被一百个人穿过了，从来没有洗过。 我不想在吃饭时闻起来像别人的体臭，所以我找借口去了洗手间，用肥皂和水擦洗了运动夹克的腋下，然后用烘干机烘干。

Well, that just made it WORSE, because the heat activated the B.O. and its spread. That was it for me. I told Abigail and Rowley this place was for phonies and we should just take off. I left my jacket with the host at the front, and the three of us walked out the door. I said maybe we should just skip dinner and go right to the dance, but Abigail said she was really hungry, and Rowley said he was starving, too.

那只会让情况变得更糟，因为热量激活了B.O. 以及它的传播。对我来说就是这样。 我跟阿比盖尔和罗利说过这地方是给骗子住的我们该走了。 我把我的夹克放在前面的主人那里，我们三个人走出了门。 我说也许我们应该不吃晚饭直接去舞会，但阿比盖尔说她真的很饿，罗利也说他很饿。

The only other restaurant in the area was Corny's, and I told them there was no way I was going THERE. But Rowley said he really likes the dessert bar at Corny's, and Abigail said that sounded good to her. I was really starting to regret having Rowley along on this date, because if all he was gonna do was take Abigail's side, I'd get outvoted every single time. But I didn't want to make a big deal about it in the middle of my date, so I just bit my lip and we walked three blocks to Corny's. Luckily, I remembered about the tie issue before we

附近唯一的餐馆是Corny's，我告诉他们我不可能去那里。 但罗利说他很喜欢科尼餐厅的甜品吧，阿比盖尔也觉得不错。 我真的开始后悔让罗利和我一起约会了，因为如果他只是站在阿比盖尔那边，那我每次都会被否决。 但我不想在约会中把这件事搞得太大，所以我咬着嘴唇，我们走了三个街区去了科尼餐厅。 幸运的是，在我们

walked in the front door, and I stuffed mine in my back pocket at the last second. But I didn't have time to warn Rowley, so now his tie is a permanent part of the Wall of Shame. Corny's was a total ZOO. My family usually goes on a weeknight, but it's a whole different scene on a Saturday. The good news was that since we didn't have any little kids with us, they didn't seat us in Children's

我从前门走进来，在最后一刻把我的塞进了后口袋。 但我没来得及提醒罗利，所以现在他的领带成了耻辱之墙的永久组成部分。 科尼餐厅简直就是个动物园。我的家人通常在工作日的晚上去，但在星期六是完全不同的场景。 好消息是，因为我们没有带小孩，他们没有让我们坐在儿童座位上