3 The Burgling Budgie

The Burgling BUDGIE ONCE UPON A TIME, at the top of the tallest block of flats, lived an elegant elderly lady all alone. From so high up, the only living things Miss Havisham saw were the birds perching on her windowsill. She grew to love those birds and would talk to them.

从前，在一幢最高的公寓楼的顶层，住着一位优雅的老太太，她独自一人。 从这么高的地方，郝薇香小姐唯一看到的生物就是栖息在窗台上的鸟儿。 她渐渐喜欢上了这些鸟儿，并愿意和它们说话。

"Good day, my little darlings!" "How do you do?" "You are looking more beautiful than ever!" Every morning, she would sprinkle some breadcrumbs on the windowsill for them. However, a greedy one-eyed magpie would steal them all, gobbling down every last crumb. "SAVAWK! SAVAWK! SQUAWK!" Over time, Miss Havisham's friends, the birds, stopped coming. They lived in fear of the one-eyed magpie. Poor Miss Havisham felt rather lonely. But one day she awoke with a splendid idea. For the first time in her long life, she would own a pet! So, as soon as she was dressed, immaculately as usual, with her hair styled in an elegant do, she set off. Miss Havisham danced all the way down the PICKWICK'S PETS hundreds of stairs and PETS skipped to her nearest pet shop, PICKWICK'S PETS.

“你们好，我的小宝贝们！”“你好！”“你看起来比以前更漂亮了！”每天早上，她都会在窗台上洒一些面包屑给他们吃。 然而，一只贪婪的独眼喜鹊会把它们全部偷走，狼吞虎咽地吃掉最后一点面包屑。 “SAVAWK !SAVAWK !抗议!”随着时间的推移，郝薇香小姐的朋友们，鸟儿们，不再来了。 他们生活在对独眼喜鹊的恐惧之中。 可怜的郝薇香小姐感到相当孤独。 但是有一天，她醒来时想到了一个绝妙的主意。 在她漫长的一生中，她将第一次拥有一只宠物！于是，她一穿好衣服，像往常一样整洁，把头发梳成优雅的发式，就出发了。 郝薇香小姐一路跳着舞走下匹克威克宠物店，走过几百层楼梯，宠物们蹦蹦跳跳地来到离她最近的匹克威克宠物店。

Little did Miss Havisham know that waiting there for her was one of the world's very Worst pets. "A budgerigar?" asked the pet-shop owner. He was a round man called Mr Pickwick who wore a blond toupee on the top of his head. Cats, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils and even tropical fish were dotted around his shop. A little sausage dog lay by his feet. The dog had a sign on it that read: Dickens the dog NOT FOR SALE "Are you sure you want a budgerigar, madam?" "Yes!" replied Miss Havisham in her posh voice, her bright eyes flashing with excitement. "I would love a pet I can talk to and that will talk back." "Well, this one definitely talks back," he muttered. "GRRRRR!" agreed Dickens the dog. "I beg your pardon, Mr Pickwick?" asked Miss Havisham. "Nothing, madam!" he fibbed. "I just said this one talks'. Now, madam, you are in luck! I have one last

郝薇香小姐一点也不知道，在那里等着她的是世界上最糟糕的宠物之一。 “一只虎皮鹦鹉？”宠物店老板问。 他是一个叫匹克威克先生的胖子，头顶上戴着一顶金色的假发。 猫、兔子、仓鼠、沙鼠，甚至热带鱼都点缀在他的店里。 一只小香肠狗躺在他的脚边。 狗的身上有一块牌子，上面写着：狄更斯的狗非卖品。“夫人，你确定你想要一只虎皮鹦鹉吗？”“是的！”郝薇香小姐用她优雅的声音回答，她明亮的眼睛闪烁着兴奋的光芒。 “我想要一个能和我说话，而且还会说话的宠物。” “嗯，这只肯定会顶嘴。”他嘟囔着。 “呜——呜——呜！”小狗狄更斯附和道。 “请再说一遍，匹克威克先生？”郝薇香小姐问道。 “没什么，夫人！” “我只是说这只会说话。” 现在，夫人，你很幸运！我还有最后一个问题

budgie in the shop!" Mr Pickwick reached up to the top shelf behind him and brought down a birdcage, which he placed on the counter. SHONK! Inside the metal cage was the sweetest-looking bird. Budgerigars are tiny parrots that are a little bit green, a little bit yellow and a little bit blue. This one hopped around its cage.

Budgie在商店里！”匹克威克先生伸手到他身后最上面的架子上，取下一只鸟笼，放在柜台上。 犹太佬!在金属笼子里的是一只看起来最可爱的鸟。 虎皮鹦鹉是一种小鹦鹉，有一点绿，一点黄，还有一点蓝。 这只在笼子里跳来跳去。

CLINK! CLINK! CLINK! Miss Havisham fell in love in an instant. "Oh! He's absolutely adorable!" Dickens the dog shook his head violently. WOBBLE! "May I be so bold as to enquire after the price?" asked Miss Havisham. "Ten pee?" replied Mr Pickwick hopefully. "TEN PEE?" repeated Miss Havisham, incredulous. "All right, then, five pee!" "Five pee for a budgie?" "I like you, madam. Here, we have a special offer on budgies today. This one is two pee!" "Two pee?" "All right, you drive a hard bargain! Let's call it One pee!" Before Mr Pickwick could change his mind, Miss Havisham whipped out her purse and slammed a one- pence coin down on the counter. SHOINE! "I should pay you to take him away!" muttered Mr Pickwick.

叮当声!叮当声!叮当声!郝薇香小姐立刻坠入爱河。 “哦!他太可爱了！”狗狄更斯使劲地摇着头。 摆动!“我可以大胆地打听一下价钱吗？”郝薇香小姐问道。 “十次尿尿？”匹克威克先生满怀希望地回答。 “十次尿尿？”郝薇香小姐不相信地重复了一遍。 “那好吧，五尿！”“五尿换一只鹦鹉？”“我喜欢你，夫人。 这里，今天虎皮鹦鹉特价。 这一个是两个尿！”“两个小便吗?”“好吧，你真会讨价还价！”我们就叫它一次尿吧！”匹克威克先生还没来得及改变主意，郝薇香小姐就掏出钱包，砰地一声把一便士的硬币扔在柜台上。 SHOINE !“我应该付钱让你把他带走！”匹克威克先生喃喃地说。