When he pulled it out and saw how it looked, the poor little fellow almost cried. 当他把书拿出来，看到书的样子的时候，小家伙儿乎都要哭了。

For the precious book was wet through with snow, from cover to cover. 这本珍贵的书完全被雪浸湿了。

As soon as Abe was dressed, he hurried to the neighbor. 亚伯穿好衣服就匆匆跑到邻居家。

Looking straight into the man's face, he told his sad story. 他看着书的主人的面孔，跟他讲了这件不幸的事情。

Then he said, "I will do anything you wish me to do, to pay for the book." 接着，他说道：“我愿意做任何您希望我做的事情作为对这本书的赔偿。”

Well, then, I will ask you to help me on my farm for three days, said the man. “好吧，那么我想要你到我的农场给我做三天的帮工。”这个男人说道。

Little Abe looked up into his neighbor's face. "Then, sir," he asked, "will the book be mine?" 小亚伯仰望着他邻居的面孔问道：那么，先生，这本书就是我的了吗？

Why, yes, of course, my boy, said the man kindly. "You will have earned it." 哈哈，是的，当然，我的孩子。这个人友善地说，这本书归你了。

So little Abe worked for three days. He was cold, and every night he was very tired. 于是，小亚伯工作了三天。他很冷，而且每天到了晚上都很疲惫。

But he was too happy to care about such things as these; for the precious book was to be his very own. 但是他很开心，不必再担心了，因为那本珍贵的书是他的了。

What do you suppose the book was, for which little Abe worked so long and so hard? 为了这本书，小亚伯工作了那么长时间，那么卖力气，你猜它是什么书？

Was it a book of wonderful fairy tales? 是一本有趣的童话故事吗？

No; it was the story of George Washington's life. 不是，它是乔治·华盛顿总统的传记。

Long afterwards, when little Abe had become President of our country, he used to say, 很久以后，当小亚伯成为了我们国家的总统的时候，他经常说：

"That book — the life of George Washington — helped me to become President." 是那本乔治·华盛顿的传记帮助我当上了美国的总统。