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One day my dad drove up to see two nine-year-old boys in the driveway with a production line operating at full speed.Fine white powder everywhere.On a long table were small milk cartons from school, and our family's hibachi grill was glowing with red-hot coals at maximum heat.
一天，爸爸来看两个9岁的男孩在车道上合力操纵一条全速运转的生产线。到处都是白色的细粉末。在一个长桌上放着几个我们从学校拿回来的装牛奶的纸盒以及家里烤肉用的小炭炉，小炭炉已经被发红的炭烤得闪着红光。
Dad walked up cautiously, having to park the car at the base of the driveway since the production line blocked the carport.As he got closer, he saw a steel pot sitting on top of the coals with the toothpaste tubes were being melted down.In those days, toothpaste did not come in plastic tubes. The tubes were made of lead.So once the paint was burned off, the tubes were dropped in the small steel pot.
爸爸小心地走过来，由于生产线挡住了通往车库的去路，所以他不得不把车停在路边。当他走近时，看到一口钢锅架在炭上，里面的废牙膏皮正在熔化。那时候，牙膏皮不是塑料做的，而是铅制的。所以一旦牙膏皮上的涂料被烧掉后，铅皮就会熔化，
Melted until they became liquid, and with my mom's pot holders, we were pouring the lead through a small hole in the top of the milk cartons.
直到变成液体，这时我们就用妈妈的锅垫垫着，将铅液从牛奶盒顶的小孔中倒进去。
The milk cartons were filled with plaster of paris. The white powder everywhere was plaster before we mix it with water.The milk cartons were the outer containers for plaster of paris molds.
牛奶盒里装满了熟石灰，满地的白色粉末就是之前我们将熟石灰和水混合时弄的。牛奶盒就是熟石灰模的容器。
My dad and watched as we carefully poured the molten lead through a small hole in the top of the plaster of paris cube.
爸爸注视着我们小心翼翼地把铅液注入到熟石灰模顶部的小孔中。
“What are you boys doing?” he asked with a cautious smile.
“你们在干什么？”他带着一丝不解的微笑问道。
“We’re doing what you told me to do. We’re going to be rich,” I said.
“我们正在按照你说的做，我们就要变成富人了！”我说。
“Yup,” said Mike, grinning and nodding his head. “We’re partners.”
“是的，”迈克说，他一边点头一边咧嘴笑着，“我们是合伙人。”
“And what is in those plaster molds?” dad asked.
“这些熟石灰模子里是什么东西？”爸爸问。
“Watch,” I said. “This should be a good batch.”
“看，”我说，“这是已经铸好的一批。”
With a small hammer, I tapped at the seal that divided the cube in half.
我用一个小锤子敲击外面的密封物，熟石灰模子被敲成两半，
Cautiously, I pulled up the top half of the plaster mold and a lead nickel fell out.”
我小心地抽掉熟石灰模的上半部，一个铅制的五分硬币便掉了下来。
“Oh, my God!” my dad said. “You’re casting nickels out of lead.”
“噢，天啊，”爸爸说，“你们用铅造硬币！”
“That’s right,” Mike said. “We’re making money.”
“对啊，”迈克说，“我们正按照你告诉我们的去做。我们正在赚钱。”
My dad smiled and shook his head.
爸爸微笑着摇着头。
Along with a fire and a box of spent toothpaste tubes in front of him, we're two little boys covered with white dust smiling from ear to ear.
除了一堆火和一盒子废牙膏皮，他面前还站着两个灰头土脸的小男孩，他们正咧着嘴笑着。
He asked us to put everything down and sit with him on the front step of our house.
爸爸让我们放下手里的东西和他坐到屋外的台阶上，
With a smile, he gently explained what the word “counterfeiting” meant.
然后他微笑着向我们耐心地解释“伪造”一词的含义。
Our dreams were dashed. “You mean this is illegal?” asked Mike.
我们的梦想破灭了！“你的意思是说这么做是违法的？”迈克问道。
“Yes, it is illegal,” my dad said gently. “But you boys have shown great creativity and original thought. Keep going. I’m really proud of you!”
“对，这是违法的。”爸爸温和地说，“但是，你们刚才展示了巨大的创造性和新颖的想法，继续努力，我真为你们感到骄傲。”
