評(píng)論
打印
The boy had been working for the crystal merchant for almost a month, and he could see that it wasn't exactly the kind of job that would make him happy.
圣地亞哥為水晶店老板干活已經(jīng)將近一個(gè)月了，這并不是他喜歡的工作。
The merchant spent the entire day mumbling behind the counter, telling the boy to be careful with the pieces and not to break anything.
老板整天在柜臺(tái)后面絮絮叨叨，要求他小心擺弄那些水晶，千萬(wàn)別打碎一件。
But he stayed with the job because the merchant, although he was an old grouch, treated him fairly;
不過(guò)，男孩還是繼續(xù)干下去了。因?yàn)榈曛麟m然脾氣不好，但為人還算公正，
the boy received a good commission for each piece he sold, and had already been able to put some money aside.
每賣(mài)出一件商品，男孩就能拿到一筆不菲的傭金。如今他已經(jīng)積攢下一些錢(qián)。
That morning he had done some calculating: if he continued to work every day as he had been, he would need a whole year to be able to buy some sheep.
一天上午，他算了算賬，如果照現(xiàn)在這樣繼續(xù)干下去，還需要整整一年才能買(mǎi)羊。
"I'd like to build a display case for the crystal," the boy said to the merchant.
“我想做一個(gè)水晶陳列架?！蹦泻?duì)老板說(shuō)，
"We could place it outside, and attract those people who pass at the bottom of the hill."
“可以把陳列架放在店外，吸引從山坡下面經(jīng)過(guò)的人?！?/div>
"I've never had one before," the merchant answered. "People will pass by and bump into it, and pieces will be broken."
“以前我從未做過(guò)陳列架。”老板回答說(shuō)，“行人路過(guò)時(shí)會(huì)碰到陳列架，水晶會(huì)摔碎的?！?/div>
"Well, when I took my sheep through the fields some of them might have died if we had come upon a snake.
“過(guò)去我在田野里放羊的時(shí)候，碰到蛇，羊就有可能被咬死。
But that's the way life is with sheep and with shepherds."
不過(guò)，這種事情是牧羊人和羊群生活中的一部分?！?/p>
The merchant turned to a customer who wanted three crystal glasses.
水晶店老板接待了一位要買(mǎi)三件水晶器皿的顧客。
He was selling better than ever ... as if time had turned back to the old days when the street had been one of Tangier's major attractions.
現(xiàn)在，店里生意興隆，比以往任何時(shí)候都好。仿佛時(shí)光倒流，又回到了從前，這里成了丹吉爾人氣最旺的街市之一。
"Business has really improved," he said to the boy, after the customer had left.
“現(xiàn)在生意已經(jīng)相當(dāng)好了?！蹦俏活櫩妥吆?，老板對(duì)男孩說(shuō)，
"I'm doing much better, and soon you'll be able to return to your sheep. Why ask more out of life?"
“賺的錢(qián)可以讓我生活得更好，也能讓你在不久之后買(mǎi)一群羊。這就足夠了，何必苛求呢？”
"Because we have to respond to omens," the boy said, almost without meaning to;
“因?yàn)槲覀兊冒搭A(yù)兆行事。”男孩幾乎是下意識(shí)地脫口而出，
then he regretted what he had said, because the merchant had never met the king.
說(shuō)完便后悔了，因?yàn)樗У昀习蹇蓮膩?lái)沒(méi)遇到過(guò)什么撒冷王。
"It's called the principle of favorability, beginner's luck. Because life wants you to achieve your personal legend," the old king had said.
“這叫作‘良好的開(kāi)端’，‘新手的運(yùn)氣’。因?yàn)樯钕Ｍ闳ンw驗(yàn)自己的天命。”老人曾這樣說(shuō)過(guò)。
But the merchant understood what the boy had said.
盡管如此，店老板卻明白男孩說(shuō)的話。
The boy's very presence in the shop was an omen, and, as time passed and money was pouring into the cash drawer, he had no regrets about having hired the boy.
男孩出現(xiàn)在他店里這件事本身就是一個(gè)預(yù)兆。日子一天天過(guò)去，錢(qián)柜里的錢(qián)越來(lái)越多。雇用了一個(gè)西班牙人，老板一點(diǎn)也不后悔，
The boy was being paid more money than he deserved, because the merchant, thinking that sales wouldn't amount to much, had offered the boy a high commission rate.
即便男孩現(xiàn)在掙的錢(qián)比他應(yīng)該掙的要多。當(dāng)初老板一直認(rèn)為，雇了男孩，生意不會(huì)有什么變化，于是答應(yīng)給男孩較高的傭金。
He had assumed he would soon return to his sheep.
直覺(jué)告訴他，男孩很快就會(huì)回去放羊。
| 重點(diǎn)單詞 | 查看全部解釋 | |||
| drawer | ['drɔ:ə] |
想一想再看 n. 抽屜，拖曳者，制圖員，開(kāi)票人 |
聯(lián)想記憶 | |
| presence | ['prezns] |
想一想再看 n. 出席，到場(chǎng)，存在 |
||
| crystal | ['kristl] |
想一想再看 n. 水晶，晶體 |
||
| display | [di'splei] |
想一想再看 n. 顯示，陳列，炫耀 |
||
| commission | [kə'miʃən] |
想一想再看 n. 委員會(huì)，委托，委任，傭金，犯罪 |
聯(lián)想記憶 | |
| respond | [ris'pɔnd] |
想一想再看 v. 回答，答復(fù)，反應(yīng)，反響，響應(yīng) |
聯(lián)想記憶 | |
| deserved | [di'zə:vd] |
想一想再看 adj. 應(yīng)得的；理所當(dāng)然的 v. 值得；應(yīng)得；應(yīng)受報(bào)答 |
||
| grouch | [grautʃ] |
想一想再看 n. 不高興的人，心懷不滿(mǎn)，牢騷 vi. 鬧脾氣，發(fā)牢騷 |
聯(lián)想記憶 | |
| legend | ['ledʒənd] |
想一想再看 n. 傳說(shuō)，傳奇 |
聯(lián)想記憶 | |
| counter | ['kauntə] |
想一想再看 n. 計(jì)算器，計(jì)算者，柜臺(tái) |
