我还在忙着为她的那些太太小姐们准备这个支应那个。我搬出花哨的玻璃杯盏，摆上银质刀叉。李弗特太太没能像其他阔太太那样添置上一张小巧精致的牌桌，我们只得坐在餐桌前打牌。我们在桌上铺上桌布遮住L型的裂隙，又把红色镂花桌饰挪到橱柜那儿，好挡住坑坑洼洼剥落掉渣的木柜。李弗特太太大概想弥补屋子狭小的不足，着意把餐会拾掇得富贵体面。我知道他们不太富裕，富庶人家可不会这么费劲。

I'm used to working for young couples, but I spec this is the smallest house I ever worked in. It's just the one story. Her and Mister Leefolt's room in the back be a fair size, but Baby Girl's room be tiny. The dining room and the regular living room kind a join up. Only two bathrooms, which is a relief cause I worked in houses where they was five or six. Take a whole day just to clean toilets. Miss Leefolt don't pay but ninety-five cents an hour, less than I been paid in years. But after Treelore died, I took what I could. Landlord wasn't gonna wait much longer. And even though it's small, Miss Leefolt done the house up nice as she can. She pretty good with the sewing machine. Anything she can't buy new of, she just get her some blue material and sew it a cover.
我过去常帮年轻夫妇操持家务，可我揣度着这家是我见过门户最小的人家。整套房子上下不过一层，她和李弗特先生的后屋尚且宽敞，可是梅的房间小得立不住脚。餐厅连着起居室混作一处。他们只有两个卫生间，这倒为我省下不少事，我从前碰上的人家通常都有五六间，光为他们清理厕所就得花上我整整一天。李弗特太太每个钟点只付我九十五美分，我早不止这个价了，但打崔劳死后，我也顾不上挑肥拣瘦，我已经拖欠不起房租了。尽管屋子小得转不开身，可李弗特太太还是费心尽力把它装点得光鲜体面。她很擅长缝连补缀，一旦买不起新家什，她便扯些蓝布头，自裁自缝出个布套子把旧家什装扮上。