A Tactful Word with the Neighbour About the Hedge

Good morning, Gerald! Glorious weather we're having, isn't it?

早上好，Gerald！今天天气真是好极了，是吧？

Morning, Margaret! Splendid. Not a cloud in the sky.

早，Margaret！好极了。万里无云。

Well, not over your side, at any rate.

嗯，至少你那边是这样。

Sorry? I'm not sure I quite follow.

什么？我不太明白你的意思。

Oh, it's nothing, really. A tiny, trivial matter.

哦，没什么，真的。一件鸡毛蒜皮的小事。

Well... it's the hedge. I won't beat about the bush.

嗯……是那排树篱的事。我就不拐弯抹角了。

The hedge? But it's been there since the early eighties!

树篱？可它从八十年代初就在那儿了！

Indeed, and it's clearly been making up for lost time.

没错，而且它显然在拼命弥补失去的时间。

Ugh, my tomatoes haven't seen direct sunlight since June.

唉，我的番茄从六月起就没见过直射的阳光了。

Perhaps they're simply shy. Tomatoes can be terribly temperamental.

也许它们只是害羞。番茄脾气可大了。

With respect, Gerald, they're not shy. They're in permanent twilight!

恕我直言，Gerald，它们不是害羞，是一直活在昏暗里！

And, not to put too fine a point on it,

而且，恕我说得直白一点，

it's now roughly a foot over the boundary.

它现在已经越过地界大概三十公分了。

Oh, come now. A foot? I hardly think it's that dramatic.

哎，得了吧。三十公分？我看没那么夸张吧。

I measured it. Twice. Purely out of curiosity, of course.

我量过了。两次。当然，纯属好奇。

How very thorough of you. Remarkably thorough, in fact!

你可真仔细啊。仔细得惊人呢！

I'd hate for this to become a matter for the council.

我可不希望这事闹到市政局去。

The council? Good heavens, Margaret, is that a threat?

市政局？天哪，Margaret，你这是在威胁我吗？

Not at all. Merely an observation, between friends.

哪里。只是朋友之间随口一提。

Well... I suppose it has got rather out of hand.

嗯……我想它确实有点失控了。

Truth be told, my knees aren't what they used to be.

说实话，我的膝盖已经大不如前了。

Up a ladder with the shears? Hmm, I've been putting it off.

拿着大剪刀爬梯子？嗯，我一直拖着没做。

Oh, Gerald, I'd no idea. I'm sorry for being so prickly.

哦，Gerald，我都不知道。抱歉我刚才那么尖刻。

Prickly? You? Perish the thought.

尖刻？你？哪有的事。

So, what if we split the cost of a proper gardener?

那，我们一起分摊请个正经园丁的费用怎么样？

You'd go halves? Well, that's uncommonly generous of you!

你愿意分一半？哎呀，你可真是难得大方！

One condition, though. Not until the blackbirds have flown the nest.

不过有个条件。得等那些乌鸫离巢以后。

Naturally. I wouldn't dream of evicting the blackbirds.

那当然。我可从没想过要赶走那些乌鸫。

Their landlord, on the other hand, is another matter entirely.

至于它们的房东嘛，那就完全是另一回事了。

Ha, touché. Shall we seal it with a cup of tea?

哈，服了你。我们喝杯茶，就这么定了？

Delightful. I'll bring the biscuits, and my tape measure.

太好了。我带饼干过来，还有我的卷尺。