(单词翻译:单击)
Such a little thing for Mr. and Mrs. Darling and Nana to recall now,
现在达林先生、太太和娜娜回想起来，
but not so little if that was to be Michael's last night in the nursery.
这不过是一件小事；但如果想到这事发生在迈克尔在育儿室的最后一夜，那就不是小事了。
They go on with their recollections.
他们继续回忆。
"It was then that I rushed in like a tornado, wasn't it?" Mr. Darling would say, scorning himself;
“就在那时候，我像一阵旋风似的冲了进来，是不是？”达林先生嘲笑自己说，
and indeed he had been like a tornado.
他确实是像一阵旋风。
Perhaps there was some excuse for him. He, too, had been dressing for the party, and all had gone well with him until he came to his tie.
这也许情有可原。他也正在为赴宴穿戴起来，一切都顺顺当当的，等到打领带的时候，麻烦事就来了。
It is an astounding thing to have to tell, but this man, though he knew about stocks and shares, had no real mastery of his tie.
说也奇怪，这个人虽然懂得股票和红利，却对付不了他的领带。
Sometimes the thing yielded to him without a contest,
有时候这玩意儿倒也伏伏帖帖听他摆布；
but there were occasions when it would have been better for the house if he had swallowed his pride and used a made-up tie.
可有些时候，如果他能咽下他的傲气，戴上一个系好的现成领带，那全家就平安无事了。
This was such an occasion. He came rushing into the nursery with the crumpled little brute of a tie in his hand.
这回，就正好碰上个不太伏贴的领带。达林先生冲进育儿室，手里捏着个揉成一团的混账小领带。
"Why, what is the matter, father dear?"
“怎么啦，什么事，亲爱的孩子爸？”
"Matter!" he yelled; he really yelled. "This tie, it will not tie." He became dangerously sarcastic.
“什么事！”他狂吼，他确实是在狂吼。“这个领带，它不肯系上。”他尖刻地说起挖苦话来，
"Not round my neck! Round the bed-post! Oh yes, twenty times have I made it up round the bed-post, but round my neck, no!
“在我的脖子上就不行！在床柱上就行！可不是吗，我在床柱上系了二十次都行，可是一到我脖子上就不行！
Oh dear no! begs to be excused!"
好家伙，硬是不行！饶了我吧！”
He thought Mrs. Darling was not sufficiently impressed, and he went on sternly,
他觉得达林太太对他的话不够在意，就严厉地接着说：
"I warn you of this, mother, that unless this tie is round my neck we don't go out to dinner to-night,
“我警告你，孩子的妈，要是这只领带系不上我的脖子，我今晚就不去赴宴；
and if I don't go out to dinner to-night, I never go to the office again,
要是我今晚不去赴宴，我就再也不去上班；
and if I don't go to the office again, you and I starve, and our children will be flung into the streets."
要是我再也不去上班，你我就会饿死，我们的孩子就都要流落街头。”
Even then Mrs. Darling was placid. "Let me try, dear," she said, and indeed that was what he had come to ask her to do,
达林太太还是一点也不慌张，“我来试试看，亲爱的。”她说。说实在的，达林先生正是要她来系。
and with her nice cool hands she tied his tie for him, while the children stood around to see their fate decided.
达林太太用她那双灵巧而冷静的手给他系上了领带。这时候，孩子们都站在旁边，静候着决定他们命运的时刻。
