Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 Math came much easier for Justin and Sadie than it did for Michael. For some reason, Michael had to study twice as hard to end up with the same grade. "This stinks!" Michael complained as he sat at his desk, staring down at his math book. "I just don't get this. Why don't I get this?!" "Let's have a look." Pearl hopped up onto Michael's desk. Pearl, a first-century rodent, was not schooled in formal mathematics. But she'd had to deal with limited resources her whole life, so she had a natural talent for counting and calculating. She peered at Michael's math book. "Hmm... this looks interesting. I think I might be able to figure this out." KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK! Someone rapped on Michael's door. Merle and Pearl looked at him in panic. "Hide!" he whispered. The two squirrels scurried under Michael's bed as he called out, "Come in!"

第二章数学对贾斯汀和赛迪来说比迈克尔容易得多。 出于某种原因，迈克尔不得不加倍努力学习，才能取得同样的成绩。 “这臭!”迈克尔一边抱怨一边坐在书桌前，低头盯着他的数学书。 “我就是不明白。为什么我得不到这个？！”“让我们看一看。” 珠儿跳上迈克尔的桌子。 珀尔是一世纪的啮齿动物，没有受过正规数学的教育。 但她一生都要处理有限的资源，所以她有计算和计算的天赋。 她看了看迈克尔的数学书。 “嗯……这看起来很有趣。 我想我也许能解决这个问题。” 敲，敲，敲！有人敲迈克尔的门。 莫尔和珠儿惊恐地看着他。 “躲起来！”他小声说。当迈克尔喊道：“进来！”时，两只松鼠跑到他的床底下。

"Hey, buddy!" Dr. Gomez, Michael's dad, opened the door. "What are you up to?" Michael looked down at his math book. "Math," he said gloomily. "I have a test in a couple days." "Not your favorite subject, huh?" Dr. Gomez asked. "Not by a long shot. It's easy for Justin and Sadie. It's totally not fair." "Well, some things come easier for some people. That just means you have to work a little harder." "Like I said, totally not fair." Michael scowled. "Tell you what," Dr. Gomez said, taking out his wallet. "Here's a little motivation." He pulled out a $10 bill. "If you can get at least a B on your test, this is for you. I'll stick it to the fridge."

“嘿,老兄!”戈麦斯医生，迈克尔的爸爸，打开了门。 “你在干什么？”迈克尔低头看着他的数学书。 “数学。”他沮丧地说。“过几天我有个考试。” “不是你最喜欢的科目，对吧？”博士。 戈麦斯问道。“绝对不会。 这对贾斯汀和赛迪来说很容易。 这完全不公平。”“嗯，有些事情对有些人来说更容易。 这只意味着你必须再努力一点。” “就像我说的，完全不公平。” 迈克尔皱起了眉头。“告诉你吧。” 戈麦斯说着，拿出了他的钱包。 “这是一点动力。” 他掏出一张0美元的钞票。“如果你能在考试中至少拿个B，这就是给你的。 我要把它贴在冰箱上。”

"Make sure it's high enough so Jane can't snag it," Michael said. Dr. Gomez smiled. "You're a smart kid. If you work hard, I'm sure you can get a good grade." "Thanks, Dad." Dr. Gomez ruffled Michael's hair. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Let me know if you need any help!" He left the room, calling over his shoulder, "If you need inspiration, check out the fridge!" Pearl and Merle came out of hiding. "Well, you heard the man!" Pearl said, hopping back up onto Michael's desk. "Ten dollars is a lot of money," Michael said. "Let's do this!" But Michael's enthusiasm for studying didn't last longer than 10 minutes. "Arrrgh!!!" Michael covered his face with his hands. "I don't get it!" "Let me see if I can help you figure it out," Pearl said. Michael slammed his math book shut. "I need a break. I'll do this tomorrow."

“确保它足够高，这样简就抓不到它了，”迈克尔说。 戈麦斯医生笑了。“你是个聪明的孩子。 如果你努力学习，我相信你能取得好成绩。” “谢谢,爸爸。”戈麦斯医生揉了揉迈克尔的头发。 “好吧，我不打扰你了。 如果你需要任何帮助，请告诉我！”他离开了房间，回头喊道：“如果你需要灵感，看看冰箱吧！”珀尔和莫尔从藏身之处出来了。 “嗯，你听到他说的了！”珠儿说着，跳回到迈克尔的桌子上。 “十美元是一大笔钱，”迈克尔说。 “我们开始吧！”但迈克尔对学习的热情只持续了不到10分钟。 “Arrrgh ! !”迈克尔用手捂住脸。 “我不明白！”“让我看看能不能帮你弄明白，”珠儿说。 迈克尔砰地关上了数学书。 “我需要休息一下。我明天再做。”