After breakfast, I sent the children to school and then I went to the shops. It was still early when I returned home. The children were at school, my husband was at work and the house was quiet. So I decided to make some meat pies. In a short time I was busy mixing butter and flour and my hands were soon covered with sticky pastry. At exactly that moment, the telephone rang. Nothing could have been more annoying. I picked up the receiver between two sticky fingers and was dismayed when I recognized the voice of Helen Bates. It took me ten minutes to persuade her to ring back later. At last I hung up the receiver. What a mess! There was pastry on my fingers, on the telephone, and on the doorknobs. I had no sooner got back to the kitchen than the doorbell rang loud enough to wake the dead. This time it was the postman and he wanted me to sign for a registered letter!
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New words and expressions 生词和短语
sticky(title/'stiki/adj．粘的
dismay(1.8)/dis'mei/v．失望，泄气
finger(title)/'fiŋgə/n．手指
recognize(1.8)/'rekəgnaiz/v．认出，听出
pie(1.4)/pai/n．馅饼
persuade(1.9)/pə'sweid/v．说服，劝说
mix(1.4)/miks/v.混合，拌和
mess(1.9)/mes/n.乱七八糟
pastry(1.5)/'peistri/n．面糊
doorknob(1.10)/'dɔ:nəb/n．门把手
annoying(1.7)/ə'nɔi-iŋ/adj.恼人的
sign(1.12)/sain/v.签字
receiver(1.7)/ri'si:və/n.电话的话筒
register(1.12)/'redʒstə/v.挂号邮寄
Notes on the text 课文注释
1 The children were at school, my husband was at work.孩子在上学，我丈夫在上班。
2 at exactly that moment，恰恰在此时。
3 I picked up the receiver between two sticky fingers. 我用两个沾满面糊的手指捏起话筒。
4 ring back later，晚一点再来电话。
5 What a mess！真是糟糕透了，真狼狈。
6 I had no sooner got back to the kitchen than the doorbell rang loud enough to wake the dead．我刚回厨房，门铃又响了起来，响声足以把死人唤醒。 no sooner…than…的句型有“刚……就……”的意思。短语loud enough to wake the dead用来作状语，修饰rang。注意enough作为副词要用在形容词或副词之后。
7 a registered letter，挂号信。
参考译文早饭后，我送孩子们上学，然后就去了商店。我回到家时，时间还早。孩子们在上学，我丈夫在上班，家里清静得很。于是我决定做些肉馅饼。不一会儿我就忙着调拌起了黄油和面粉，很快我的手上就沾满了粘粘的面糊。恰恰在此时，电话铃响了。没有什么能比这更烦人了。我用两个沾满面糊的手指捏起了话筒。当我听出是海伦·贝茨的声音时，非常丧气。我用了10分钟的时间才说服她过会儿再来电话。我终于挂上了话筒。真是糟糕透了！我的手指上、电话机上以及门的把手上，都沾上了面糊。我刚回到厨房，门铃又响了起来，响声足以把死人唤醒。这次是邮递员，他要我签收一封挂号信！