一天，我儿子问我是否能借给他一支铅笔。

One day my son asked if he could have a pencil.

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她说：“我儿子问我要一枚奖牌，不过他并没有说具体要哪一块。”

"My son asked me for a medal, but he didn't ask for a particular one," she said.

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我的儿子突然问我一个问题。

My son suddenly asked me a question.

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So we have to assume that the occasion for this poem is some kind of question posed by John Milton, Sr., a question like, "To what end am I supporting you, Son?

我们可以假定这个诗的起因是,老约翰弥尔顿问小弥尔顿，“我到底为什么要资助你，儿子？“

耶鲁公开课 - 弥尔顿课程节选