little boy bustled¹ into a grocery one day with a memorandum² in his hand.

一天，一个小男孩匆匆忙忙地走进了一家杂货店，手里拿着一张清单。

"Hello, Mr. Smith,” He said. “I want thirteen pounds of coffee at 32 cents.”

“史密斯先生，你好。”他说道:“三毛二分钱一磅的咖啡，请给我十三磅。”

"Very good,” said the grocer, and he noted³ down the sale.

“好的。”杂货店老板马上把这笔生意记了下来。

"Anything e1se, Charlie?"

“还要别的什么不，查理?”

"Yes. Twenty一seven pounds of sugar at 9 cents.”

“要的。再要二十七磅糖，九分钱一磅的。”

"The loaf, eh? And what else?"

“面包要不要?还要什么?”

"Seven and a half pounds of bacon at 20 cents.”

“七磅半咸肉，二毛钱一磅的。”

"That will be a good brand. Go on.”

这肉是名牌呢。还有吗?”

"Five pounds of tea at 90 cents; eleven and a half quarts of molasses at 8 cents a pint⁴; two eight一pound hams at 21 cents, and five dozen jars of pickled walnuts⁵ at 24 cents a jar.”

“九毛钱一磅的茶叶，给我五磅;八分钱一品脱的糖浆要十一夸脱半;二毛一分钱的八磅大火腿要两只，二毛四分钱一罐的腌核桃要五打。”

The grocer made out the bill.

杂货店老板把帐单算了出来。

"It’s a big order,” he said. "Did your mother tell you to pay for it?"

“你买了很多东西，”他说:“你妈妈叫你现在把钱付清吗?”

"My mother,” said the boy, as he pocketed the neat and accurate bill, "has nothing to do with this business. It is my arithmetic lesson and I had to get it done somehow.”

小男孩一面把那清楚准确的账单放进口袋一面说:“这和我妈没关系，这是我自己的算术作业，我总得想办法把它做出来!”