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She felt a nervous shock as the whistle blew. She stuffed the wool back into the basket, seized her purse, and took a last look around the office. Then she walked into the hall filled with secretaries and clerks hurrying home. Doors opened, and more workers walked out into the hall. The click of high-heels made the pounding of Janet's heart seem louder, as she moved along with the crowd. It was like every Friday. There was a noisy excitement in the air. Everyone was in a hurry to leave their desks. The weekend lay ahead.
听到哨子声，她紧张地抖了一下。她把毛线塞进筐子，抓起钱夹子，最后环视了一下办公室。之后她走进大厅，厅里满是匆忙回家的秘书和职员。门开了，更多的员工走进大厅。当她随着人群往外走时，高跟鞋的嗒嗒声似乎使她的心跳声显得更大了。与每个星期五一样，空气中弥漫着喧闹和兴奋。每人都在急匆匆地离开办公桌。周末即将来临。
Janet held her purse in one hand with the netting basket hooked over her wrist. She pushed her way outside into the afternoon sunshine. "Easy, now," she told herself. She stopped to let the crowd flow past her. As she looked ahead down the long ramp leading to the guard's gate, her heart sank. Beside the regular guard, Scotty, there was a guard she never saw before. He was helping Scotty inspect the people moving through the gate. He looked at their passes and badges. He peered into their purses and lunch pails more carefully than Scotty, it seemed.
珍妮特手里握着钱夹子，手腕上挎着编织筐。她挤出去，走进了午后的阳光里。“现在，放轻松，”她告诉自己。她停下来让人群从她跟前经过。低头看着前面通往安检门的长坡道，她的心沉了下去。除了平常的保安员斯科蒂之外，还有一个她从没见过的保安员。他正在帮着斯科蒂检查通过门口的人们。他看着人们的通行证和徽章，盯着人们的钱夹子和午餐盒。看起来他比斯科蒂更仔细。
Janet retreated to the doorway of the building. As a rule, she did not leave so early and had forgotten that an extra guard was stationed at the gate at this hour. She noticed how tightly she was holding her purse. "Be calm," she said to herself, "be natural. Everything depends on getting through that gate." Getting the microfilms had been easy enough with her security clearance but getting them past the guard would be the test.
珍妮特退到楼房的门边。她一般不会走这么早，忘了这个时候门口会另外布置一个保安员。她意识到自己紧攥着钱夹，“镇静点，”她对自己说，“自然点。一切都靠通过这扇门了。” 凭着她的安全卡，微缩胶卷很容易就到手了，但把它们带过这扇门将是一个考验。
