一文不值的东西 meaning in English

straw

Whether from commiseration for a woman of so miserable a destiny ; or from the morbid curiosity that gives a fictitious value even to common or worthless things ; or by whatever other intangible circumstance was then , as now , sufficient to bestow , on some persons , what others might seek in vain ; or because hester really filled a gap which must otherwise have remained vacant ; it is certain that she had ready and fairly requited employment for as many hours as she saw fit to occupy with her needle
也许是出于对这位命苦的女人的同情；也许是为了给司空见惯的或一文不值的东西添加怪异的成份使人好奇；也许是出于无法解释的原因，这在当时和现在都是有的，对有些人来说，有些东西是不能强求的；也许是海丝特确实填补了原来必然存在的空白；有点可以肯定，那就是只要它认为干针线活是合适的，那她想干长时间，就有多少活在等着她呢。