MITCHELL DOESN'T BELIEVE IN THE SACK

 “If ever I do get a job again,” said Mitchell, “I'll stick to it while there's a hand's turn of work to do, and put a few pounds together. I won't be the fool I always was. If I'd had sense a couple of years ago, I wouldn't be tramping through this damned¹ sand and mulga now. I'll get a job on a station, or at some toff's house, knocking about the stables and garden, and I'll make up my mind to settle down to graft² for four or five years.”

 

“But supposing you git the sack?” said his mate.

 

“I won't take it. Only for taking the sack I wouldn't be hard up to-day. The boss might come round and say:

 

'I won't want you after this week, Mitchell. I haven't got any more work for you to do. Come up and see me at the office presently.'

 

“So I'll go up and get my money; but I'll be pottering round as usual on Monday, and come up to the kitchen for my breakfast. Some time in the day the boss'll be knocking round and see me.

 

“'Why, Mitchell,' he'll say, 'I thought you was gone.'

 

“'I didn't say I was going,' I'll say. 'Who told you that—or what made you think so?'

 

“'I thought I told you on Saturday that I wouldn't want you any more,' he'll say, a bit short. 'I haven't got enough work to keep a man going; I told you that; I thought you understood. Didn't I give you the sack on Saturday?'

 

“'It's no use;' I'll say, 'that sort of thing's played out. I've been had too often that way; I've been sacked once too often. Taking the sack's been the cause of all my trouble; I don't believe in it. If I'd never taken the sack I'd have been a rich man to-day; it might be all very well for horses, but it doesn't suit me; it doesn't hurt you, but it hurts me. I made up my mind that when I got a place to suit me, I'd stick in it. I'm comfortable here and satisfied, and you've had no cause to find fault with me. It's no use you trying to sack me, because I won't take it. I've been there before, and you might as well try to catch an old bird with chaff³.'

 

“'Well, I won't pay you, and you'd better be off,' he'll say, trying not to grin⁴.

 

“'Never mind the money,' I'll say, 'the bit of tucker won't cost you anything, and I'll find something to do round the house till you have some more work. I won't ask you for anything, and, surely to God I'll find enough to do to pay for my grub!'

 

“So I'll potter round and take things easy and call up at the kitchen as usual at meal times, and by and by the boss'll think to himself: 'Well, if I've got to feed this chap I might as well get some work out of him.'

 

“So he'll find me, something regular to do—a bit of fencing, or carpentering, or painting, or something, and then I'll begin to call up for my stuff again, as usual.”

1 damned   

a.该死的;打入地狱的

参考例句：

• The play was damned by the reviewers. 这部戏被评论家们批评得一无是处。
• She damned herself with one stupid remark. 她被自己的一句蠢话毁了。

2 graft   

n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接

参考例句：

• I am having a skin graft on my arm soon.我马上就要接受手臂的皮肤移植手术。
• The minister became rich through graft.这位部长透过贪污受贿致富。

3 chaff   

v.取笑，嘲笑；n.谷壳

参考例句：

• I didn't mind their chaff.我不在乎他们的玩笑。
• Old birds are not caught with chaff.谷糠难诱老雀。

4 grin   

n./vi.露齿而笑，咧嘴一笑

参考例句：

• I know she is joking because she has a big grin on her face.我知道她是在开玩笑。因为她满脸笑容。
• She came out of his office with a big grin on her face.她笑容满面地走出他的办公室。