第二十一篇: 我做了一件傻事 I Did a Silly Thing

What did I learn from this experience? Now I know that before I start something, I should know how to finish it.

这次经历（experience）让我学到了什么呢？现在我知道了在我开始做某事之前，我应该知道该如何完成它。

Dad bought a set of tools to make a racing car for me. I just couldn’t wait, and one day, while Dad was at work, I decided to have my car going. I looked at the drawings, and I said to myself, “Dude, you can do this.” I got out Dad’s toolbox, and I started building. Part A fit into Part B. Part C was a little harder to connect to Part D. It was easy to fix Part E. By the time I got to Part G, I’d made a real mess (混乱) of things. I really regret having done such a silly thing.

爸爸买了一套工具（A set of tools）要给我做一辆赛车（racing car）。我是急不可耐，然后有一天，爸爸在上班（be at work）时，我决定让我的小车转起来。我看着图纸（drawing）。对自己说，“都德，你可以做到。”我拿出了爸爸的工具箱，接着就开始造车了。零件A适合（fit）零件B。零件C连接（connect）到零件D就有点难度。零件E很容易安装（fix）。到我开始零件G时，我已经把事情弄的一团糟。我真的后悔（regret）做了这么一件傻（silly）事。

A few years ago, when my family moved to this city, I became interested in soap-box race. That’s when I discovered that “it is far easier to start something than it is to finish it.”

几年前，我们搬到这座城市时，我对肥皂（soap）箱（box）赛车比赛（race）产生了兴趣。就是在那时我发现（discover）了“开始做某件事要比完成它容易地多（far easier）”（即“开始容易结束难”）的道理。