【在生活中學習語言】《中英對照讀新聞》Student’s perfect attendance results in new car 全勤學生換得新車
◎俞智敏

Andria Baker has pretty much always been present. From the first day of kindergarten through her last day of high school, Baker somehow made it to school for every day of classes, despite colds and sports injuries. Why? If she kept it up, her father promised her a car.

安卓莉亞．貝克幾乎永遠都不會缺席。打從第一天上幼稚園起，直到高中生涯的最後一天，貝克總是能夠每天到校上課，就算是感冒或運動時受了傷也不例外。為什麼？假如她能持續不間斷地上學，她的父親答應會送給她一輛車。

Baker kept up her end of the bargain, willing herself to go to school on those days when she felt under the weather. She notched her 13th year of uninterrupted classroom attendance with her final day at Constantine High School recently.

貝克始終遵守她和父親之間的協議，即使身體感到不舒服，她還是用意志力強迫自己去上學。最近她終於達成連續十三年全勤的紀錄，在康斯坦汀高中上完最後一天課。

At a party, her father, Tim, presented the young woman with the keys to a new, $17,000 Pontiac G6, complete with a "0 DAYS" personalized license plate.

她的父親提姆在一場派對中，送給這位年輕女孩一輛價值17000美金、全新Pontiac G6汽車的鑰匙，同時還包括一塊特別訂製、寫著「零天」字樣的車牌。

"Without a doubt, it was worth every penny I spent," he said. The look on his daughter’s face when she saw the car was priceless, Tim Baker said.

「毫無疑問地，我花的每一分錢都很值得，」他說。女兒看到新車時的表情可是無價的，提姆．貝克說。

新聞辭典

keep／hold up one’s end of the bargain：片語，指遵守協議，如︰Unfortunately, she didn’t hold up her end of the bargain, so I had to take action.（很不幸地，她未能遵守協議，所以我必須採取行動。）

under the weather：非正式用語，指感到不舒服，如︰I’m feeling a little under the weather - I think I may have caught a cold. （我覺得有點不舒服，我想我大概感冒了。）

will：動詞，用意志力促成，如︰He can walk if he wills it. （如果他真的想要，他就能走路。）

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