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David Wilson was looking at some papers．'Now，Mr Dun-can，'he said，'I see that you are a very good biologist．You worked at a university…and then for two very famous com-panies．But…you stopped working as a biologist nine years ago．Why was that？'
大卫·威尔逊正在看一些文件。“我说，邓肯先生，我知道你是一个非常出色的生物学家。”他说道，“你曾在大学工作过，然后又在两家著名的公司干过。但是你作为一个生物学家9年前停止了工作，这是为什么？ ”
'I've always had two interests in my life，'John said，'biol-ogy and boats．My wife was a famous sailor…Rachel Hors-ley…Perhaps you remember her．She sailed around the world alone in a small boat．'
“在我一生中我永远有两种兴趣，”约翰答道，“生物学和划船。我太太是一位有名的水手……雷切尔·霍斯利……也许你记得她。她独自乘小船环绕世界。”
'Yes，'said David Wilson，'I remember her．'
“是的，我记得她，”大卫·威尔逊说道。
'So we started a business，'said John．'We made small boats together，and sold them．'
“所以我们开始做生意，”约翰说。“我们共同制造小船，并且出售。”
'And did the business go well？'asked Wilson．
“生意进展得好吗？”威尔逊问道。
'Very well at first．Then we wanted to build bigger，better boats．We borrowed too much money．And then my wife…'John stopped speaking．
“一开始很好，然后我们就想造更大更好的船。我们借了太多钱。其后我的太太……”约翰停住了讲话。
'Yes，the Sevens Race．I remember now，'said David Wil-son．
“是的，赛文斯比赛，我现在想起来了，”大卫·威尔逊说道。
Both men were silent for a moment．Wilson remembered the newspaper reports of the storm and the lives lost at sea．He looked at the man who sat sadly in front of him．
俩人都陷入片刻沉默。威尔逊记起报纸上报道的那场风暴和海上死亡事件。他望着忧伤地坐在他面前的这个人。
'So，after my wife died，'continued John，' I closed the business．That was five years ago．'
“所以，我太太去世后，”约翰继续说，“我停止了生意，那是5年前的事了。”
'I see，'said David Wilson．'It's a hard world，the world of business．'He looked at John's old grey suit．'So now you want a job as a biologist．Well，this is a chemical company，Mr Duncan．We make paint．But we need a biologist to make sure that everything in this factory is safe．We want someone to tell the government that it's safe to work here，and that it's safe to have a paint factory near the town．That's impor-tant to us．'
“我明白了，”大卫·威尔逊说，“生意界是很艰难的。”他望着约翰那灰色的旧西服。“这么说你想得到一份生物学家的工作。这是一家化学公司，邓肯先生。我们制造油漆。我们需要一名生物学家以保证工厂的一切都安全。我们需要有人告诉政府在这里工作是安全的，并且告诉他们城市附近有油漆厂也是安全的。这对我们很重要。”
