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The Big Chance
良机
He wasn't the kind to pick a secretary by the color of her hair. Not Bill Hargrave. Both Paula and Nancy had been smart enough to know that. And for some time everyone in the office had known that one of them, Paula or Nancy, was going to get the job. In fact, the decision would probably be made this afternoon. Hargrave was leaving town and wanted to settle the matter before he left.
他不是那种根据头发的颜色来挑选秘书的人。比尔·哈格雷夫不是那种人。波拉和南希都很聪明，明白这点。一段时间以来，办公室里人人都知道，她俩中的一个，不是波拉就是南希，将要得到这个职务。事实上，决定可能就在今天下午作出。哈格雷夫就要外出，要在动身前安排好这事。
The two girls could see him from their desks outside his office. Maybe it was only some correspondence that he was looking at with cool, keen eyes. But for a moment his finger seemed to pause above those two efficient little pushbuttons. If he pressed the left one, it would be Paula's pulse which would begin to beat faster.
两个姑娘可以从他办公室外面各自的办公桌那儿看到他。他那沉着、热切的目光正在注视着的可能只不过是则信函而已。可是有那么一会儿，他的手指似乎在那两个颇有效率的小按钮上踌躇着。要是他按左边那个，就会使波拉的脉搏加快跳动。
Paula couldn't keep her eyes off that light on her desk. She kept making mistakes in her typing and nervously taking the sheets of paper out in order to start all over again.
波拉的目光一直盯着桌上的那个小灯。她打字时老是出错，老是情绪紧张地把纸拉出来，以便重新开始。
She leaned across her typewriter and said to Nancy, “The boss is all dressed up today. He must be going on a special trip.”
她靠在打字机上对南希说：“头儿今天穿得上下笔挺。他准是要作一次不同寻常的旅行。”
She was just talking to relieve her nervousness. Nancy took her time about answering. She wasn't used to having Paula talk to her in such an intimate tone. Not since they'd learned a month ago that they were both in line for a promotion, for the important job as Bill Hargrave's secretary.
她说话不过是为了消除紧张情绪。南希没有马上回答。她不习惯波拉用如此亲昵的口吻和她说话。一个月前，她们就得知她俩之中将有人获得提升，担任比尔·哈格雷夫的秘书这一重要职务。从那时起，南希就对波拉用如此亲昵的口吻和她说话觉得别扭。
“He does look nice.”
“他看上去是挺精神的。”
