Mother had decided to trim her household budget wherever possible,

妈妈决定帮爸爸节省不必要的开支

so instead of having a dress dry-cleaned she washed it by hand.

所以, 应该干洗的衣服妈妈用手洗了!

Proud of her savings, she boasted to my father, "Just think, Fred, we are five dollars richer because I washed this dress by hand."

妈妈由此而感到骄傲,向爸爸夸口就说::"佛瑞德,你试着想一下, 我们现在又金挣了五美金,因为我用手洗了衣服"

"Good," my dad quickly replied. "Wash it again!"

"非常好!"爸爸马上回答"那你继续洗吧!"