楼上的邻居
我搬来这里以后,很快就发现了一个问题。
Soon after I moved here I noticed a problem.
每天晚上十一点左右,楼上都会有很大的声音。
Every night at around eleven there was a loud noise from upstairs.
那个声音又重又慢,像有人在搬东西。
It was heavy and slow, like someone moving furniture.
我睡得很晚,第二天上班总是没精神。
I was going to sleep late, and always felt flat at work the next day.
我忍了两个星期,最后决定上去说一说。
I put up with it for two weeks and finally decided to go up and say something.
我敲了门,开门的是一位老先生。
I knocked, and an elderly man opened the door.
我把事情跟他说了一遍。
I explained the situation to him.
他非常不好意思,说:“对不起,我的腿不太好,每天晚上要走一会儿。”
He was mortified. "I'm so sorry — my legs aren't good and I have to walk about for a while each night."
原来那个声音不是搬东西,是他的拐杖。
So the noise wasn't furniture at all — it was his walking stick.
我一下子说不出话来。
For a moment I couldn't say anything.
后来我给他买了一块地毯,他把它放在了房间里。
Afterwards I bought him a rug, and he put it down in the room.
现在晚上安静多了,我们也成了朋友。
It's much quieter now — and we've become friends.