中英文本

76.Simplifying Life
76.简化生活
When Sam exchanged words with Sarah about always being gone, she knew that she would have to excuse herself from several of her pastimes.
当萨姆因为萨拉老不在家的事和她争吵时，萨拉知道她得推掉一些娱乐活动。
Getting out of the Parent Teachers Organization was easy, leaving her exercise class was hard.
离开家长教师组织是容易的，不上健身课却很难。
The exercise program was fantastic, but much too demanding on her time schedule.
因为训练计划棒极了，只是时间安排起来太困难了。
When Sarah couldn't explain away her need to cancel her membership, she decided to lie and say that she was expecting a baby.
由于萨拉无法解释为什么要退出，她决定撒谎说自己怀孕了。
It worked and she was exempted from classes. They even gave her a full refund.
这一招还真管用，所以她不用去上课了。他们甚至还给了她全额退款。

Sarah got out of pretty much anything that way, except for night school.
萨拉就这样摆脱了除夜校之外差不多所有事情。
It was the middle of exam period, and she would have to finish that first.
这时正好是考试期间，她得先把考试考完。
After exams she explained the situation to her instructors.
考试结束她向老师说明了情况。
They were impressed that she was exposing herself to them and allowed her to take a semester off to save her marriage.
因为她暴露了她的真实想法，他们很受感动，便同意她停一个学期的课以挽救她的婚姻。
They hoped she would return, however, because she had excelled in every subject.
不过，他们还是希望她能回来，因为她每门课都很优秀。
Sam appreciated the effort. Soon their marriage was better!
萨姆对她做出的努力表示了感谢。很快他们的婚姻得到了改善！
Their love even evolved into a friendship that they had never shared before.
他们的爱情甚至逐渐发展成了一种他们以前从未分享过的友情。
And Sarah didn't have to explain herself to her peers anymore.
而且萨拉再也不用向同事们解释自己的行为。
They saw a change. They saw the happiness.
他们目睹了她的变化，同时也目睹了他们的幸福。
They even began to ask her to export some of her experience to their marriages. She was happy to help.
他们甚至开始让她给他们的婚姻输送一些经验。她倒是乐于帮这个忙。
Sarah avoided becoming too busy again for the rest of her life.
在后来的日子里，萨拉尽量避免再忙起来。
And her husband and children didn't need to thank her. Sarah now always had her priorities straight.
而且她的丈夫和孩子们不必感谢她，因为萨拉现在的优先选择总是正确的。

重点讲解

1.evolve into 演化成,逐步发展成
例句：How did animals the size of a goat evolve into the largest creatures on Earth?
山羊般大小的动物是如何进化成地球上最大的生物的？
2.exam period 考试期
例句：My mental health had definitely affected my performance over the exam period.
我的心理健康肯定影响了整个考试期间的表现。
3.excel in 擅长
例句：It’s not enough to just excel in one area, you must have balance in what you offer the relationship.
仅在一方面有优势是不够的，你必须在给予这段恋情的各方面达到均衡。
4.except for 除…之外，要不是由于
例句：Remove everything from the screen except for your file.
从屏幕隐藏除了文件外的所有模块。
5.exempt from 免除，豁免
例句：Some even issue Napoleonic unilateral "statements" declaring themselves to be exempt from the laws of the land.
有一些甚至发表拿破仑的单边“声明”，表明自己对国家法律是免责的。
6.excuse from 使(某人）免除(责任、规定、惩罚等）
例句：In my view, it is very normal that Gillian cannot gain the excuse from public.
在我看来，阿娇得不到公众的原谅是正常的。