第十一篇

　　WORDS

　　perfection n.完美，完善

　　to perfection 完美地，盡善盡美地，完全地

　　perfume n.香水，香料，香氣 vt.1.使充滿芳香 2.灑香水于

　　peril n.1.極大危險 2.[常pl.]危險的事(或環境)

　　at one's peril (尤用于告誡某人勿做某事)自擔風險

　　periodic a.周期的，定期的，時而發生的

　　periodical n.期刊 a.周期的，定期的，時而發生的

　　perish vi.1.喪生，毀滅，消亡 2.(橡膠、皮革等)失去彈性，老化

　　permeate v.1.彌漫，遍布，散布 2.滲入，滲透

　　permissible a.可允許的，許可的

　　perpetual a.1.永久的，永恒的，長期的 2.無休止的，沒完沒了的

　　perplex vt.使困惑，使費解，使復雜化

　　persecute vt.1.迫害，虐待 2.糾纏，騷擾

　　persevere vi.堅持不懈，鍥而不舍

　　persistent a.1.堅持不懈的，執意的? 2.持續的

　　persuasion n.1.說服(力)，勸說? 2.信念，信仰

　　pertain vi.(to)從屬，有關

　　pertinent a.有關系的，相關的

　　pest n.1.有害生物，害蟲? 2.討厭的人

　　pester vt.不斷打擾，糾纏

　　pesticide n.殺蟲劑，農藥

　　petal n.花瓣

　　petition n.請愿書，申請書，訴狀? v.(向……)請愿，正式請求

　　A Persistent Female Lawyer

　　The female lawyer I knew was perpetuallypestering judges to have periodic lunches with her. I am sure she thought this was permissible, but everyone else was sure she was going heavy on the perfume and female persuation tactics to gain some extra favor at all of their peril. So my friends and I decided to gain some pertinent information about her case history to see if it might reveal if her persistent behavior had had any actual effect.

　　We were surprised to learn that it had. In periodical reports we found out that she was always winning cases with the judges she took to lunch. We knew our future as lawyers would blossom like the petals on a rose if we could prove this, but we also realized that our future could perish if we went after the judges and failed. So I decided to drop my case dealing with pesticide control and focus on a petition that would show all proof pertaining to what we had found. My work would have to near perfection if I wanted to succeed.

　　The case permeated my life for weeks. Whenever I was perplexed by what I had found I persevered to the perfection that I had sought. I did not want to persecute this female lawyer——I wanted to send her and the judges to jail. Then they would not call me a pest and know that it was their own actions that brought about their peril.

　　I won the case. The female was barred from practicing law and the four judges she had influenced all went to prison! I am, by the way, also a woman!

　　堅持不懈的女律師

　　我知道的這名女律師沒完沒了地纏著幾位法官定期與她一起吃午飯。我確信她認為這樣做是允許的，但其他人都覺得她是在用大量的香水和女性的勸說手段獲取更多的優勢而讓他們所有的人自擔風險。于是我和我的朋友決定就她的案例記錄取得一些相關的信息，看能否弄清楚她那堅持不懈的做法是否真的產生過影響。

　　我們吃驚地發現還真的有影響。在定期報告中，我們發現她請法官吃飯果然能常常打贏官司。我們知道如果能證明此事，我們未來的律師生涯將像盛開的玫瑰花瓣一樣;但我們同時意識到如果我們調查法官卻一無所獲，我們的未來就玩完了。所以我決定放棄手中有關農藥控制的案子而集中寫好一份關于我們的發現的訴狀。如果想成功，我的工作要做得近乎完美。

　　幾個星期以來這個案子一直滲透到了我的生活。只要我對我的發現感到困惑我就會堅持不懈，追求完美。我并不想迫害這名女律師——我只想把她和那些法官送進監獄。這樣他們就不會認為我是個討厭的人，并且知道給他們帶來危險的是他們自己的行為。

　　我打贏了這場官司。女律師被取消了律師資格，受她影響的四位法官也被送進了監獄!順便說一下，我也是名女性!