365个英语简短小故事-149. The Toilet Tank (2)

Henry went out to the front of the apartment building and turned off the main water valve¹. No one was home in the building except Stanley, so Henry didn’t have to warn the neighbors about the shutoff. Back in the bathroom, Henry flushed² the toilet. Then he used a couple of rags to dry and clean the bottom of the toilet tank. He unscrewed the plastic Fluidmaster 400A Fill Valve and removed it. He replaced it with a new fill valve. “When the water keeps running, it’s usually your fill valve. It could also be the flapper, but your flapper looks okay. Plus, it’s a weird-looking flapper. I’d probably have to special order it.”

Henry tightened³ the plastic nut below the tank, securing the fill valve. “You mustn't over-tighten this, because it’ll break,” he said. “In the old days, we used rubber gaskets and metal nuts and washers. Nowadays, everything is cheap plastic.” He went back outside, turned on the main valve, and returned. He flushed the toilet, waited for the bowl to refill and for the new fill valve to shut off the water. It shut off exactly at the Water Line mark.

“We got lucky,” Henry said. “I don’t have to fiddle⁴ around adjusting the fill valve. That’s good, because I’m a little late for another job right now.” Henry flushed the toilet again, and watched the bowl and the tank fill. "That does it," he told Stanley. Stanley thanked him and paid him.

Three hours later, Stanley noticed a puddle⁵ of water, hardly bigger than a quarter, on the bathroom floor. He called Henry, who said the plastic nut just needed a little tightening⁶. But because he was working all that day on another job, he wouldn’t be able to come over until tomorrow. He told Stanley to put a big plastic bowl under the tank and not to worry. “It’s just a tiny leak. Your bathroom won’t get flooded.”

 

1 valve   

n.阀，阀门，电子管

参考例句：

• The exhaust valve on my car has burnt out.我汽车上的排气阀烧掉了。
• The connecting rod may drive a valve stem directly.连杆可以直接带动阀门的把柄。

2 flushed   

a.(～with sth.)兴奋的，充满喜悦的

参考例句：

• She flushed with anger. 她气得涨红了脸。
• Her face was flushed with anger. 她的脸气红了。

3 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

4 fiddle   

n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动

参考例句：

• She plays the fiddle well.她小提琴拉得好。
• Don't fiddle with the typewriter.不要摆弄那架打字机了。

5 puddle   

n.(雨)水坑，泥潭

参考例句：

• The boy hopped the mud puddle and ran down the walk.这个男孩跳过泥坑，沿着人行道跑了。
• She tripped over and landed in a puddle.她绊了一下，跌在水坑里。

6 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。