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The Butler's Bad Day
管家的倒霉日
The Superintendent of Civic Projects was a busy man.
市政工程主管是个大忙人。
He worked every day of the week and had glamorous parties at his house every night.
他每周每天都工作，每天晚上都会在家里举办盛大的派对。
However, if there was someone busier than him, it was his butler.
但是，如果有人比他更忙，那就是他的管家。
He worked all day organizing the superintendent's parties and then cleaned up after them late at night.
他整天忙于组织主管的聚会，然后在深夜收拾残局。
Hence, while the superintendent slept soundly, snoring loudly in his bed, the butler was still awake.
因此，当主管在床上酣睡、鼾声大作时，管家仍然醒着。
Sadly, although the butler was always overworked, his profession's intrinsic nature demanded he never be outspoken.
可悲的是，尽管管家总是劳累过度，但他的职业本质要求他从不直言不讳。
Therefore, his employer never knew the butler hadn't slept for several days. On any day, the butler might make a mistake.
因此，他的雇主从来不知道管家已经好几天没睡觉了。管家可能在任何一天都会犯错误。
One day, the superintendent said, "This particular party is important. People from the ministry are coming. Everything must be perfect."
有一天，主管说：“这个聚会很重要。部里的人要来。一切都必须完美无缺。”
The butler began preparing at once. First, he went to the attic to get more chairs and tables.
管家立即开始准备。首先，他去阁楼拿更多的椅子和桌子。
But on his descent, he realized he needed to make the food. A gourmet dinner was necessary for such a party.
但下楼时，他意识到自己需要做饭。这样的聚会需要一顿美食晚餐。
He boiled water in a kettle for soup and chopped some beef into chunks.
他在壶里烧开水做汤，把牛肉切成块。
Just as he was starting the soup, he remembered that he had to sweep the veranda.
就在开始做汤的时候，他想起自己必须清扫阳台。
As he was sweeping it, he realized that he had to clean the sauna.
清扫时，他意识到自己必须清理桑拿房。
By this time, the first guests had arrived. The veranda was still dirty.
这时，第一批客人来了。阳台仍然很脏。
There were not enough chairs for the guests to sit on, and the soup was tasteless.
没有足够的椅子供客人坐，汤也没有味道。
Some guests were dissatisfied. They started to make a fuss, and the party was filled with a din of complaints.
有些客人不满意。他们开始大发牢骚，聚会上充满了抱怨声。
The superintendent's party was a disaster. He wondered why his butler had made so many mistakes.
主管的聚会是一场灾难。他想知道为什么他的管家犯了这么多错误。
At last, the butler admitted to being exhausted. His boss felt pity for the butler.
最后，管家承认自己筋疲力尽。他的老板为管家感到抱歉。
He had no idea the butler was so tired. He said, "You should have told me earlier, and then we could have avoided this whole ordeal."
他没想到管家这么累。他说：“你应该早点告诉我，这样我们就可以避免整个麻烦了。”
