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The author finds out that good intentions alone are not enough when his attempt to be kind to an old man leaves them both feeling worse than before.
作者想對一位老人表示一番好意，結(jié)果卻使兩個人都很難堪，這時他才認識到，光有善良的意愿是不夠的。
The Sampler
品嘗家
In a certain store where they sell puddings, a number of these delicious things are laid out in a row during the Christmas season. Here you may select the one which is most to your taste, and you are even allowed to sample them before coming to a decision.
有一家出售布丁的商店，每年圣誕節(jié)期間都把許多這類美味的食品擺成一排供顧客選購。在這里你可以挑選最合你口味的布丁，甚至商店還允許你先把各色布丁品嘗一番，然后再作出決定。
I have often wondered whether some people, who had no intention of making a purchase, would take advantage of this privilege. One day I asked this question of the shop girl, and I learned it was indeed the case.
我常常納悶，會不會有一些根本無意購買的人利用這一優(yōu)惠趁機揩油。有一天，我向女店員提出了這一問題，從她那兒得知事情果真如此。
Now there's one old gentleman, for instance, she told me, "he comes here almost every week and samples each one of the puddings, though he never buys anything, and I suspect he never will. I remember him from last year and the year before that, too. Well, let him come if he wants it, and welcome to it. And what's more, I hope there are a lot more stores where he can go and get his share. He looks as if he needed it all right, and I suppose they can afford it."
“比如說吧，有這樣一位老先生，”她告訴我，“他差不多每個星期都要到這兒來，每只布丁他都要嘗一嘗，盡管他從來不買什么東西，而且我猜想他永遠也不會買。我從去年，甚至前年就記住他了。哎，要是他想品嘗就讓他來吧，歡迎他來品嘗。而且，我希望有更多的商店可以讓他去品嘗。他看上去似乎確實有這種需要，我想這點小意思他們是不在乎的?！?/div>
She was still speaking when an elderly gentleman limped up to the counter and began looking closely at the row of puddings with great interest.
就在她講這話的時候，一位上了年紀的先生一瘸一拐地走到了柜臺前，開始對著那排布丁興致勃勃地仔細看了起來。
"Why, that's the very gentleman I've been telling you about," whispered the shop girl. "Just watch him now." And then turning to him: "Would you like to sample them, sir? Here's a spoon for you to use."
“喏，這就是我剛剛對你說的那位先生，”店員輕聲對我說。 “現(xiàn)在你就看著他好了?！苯又娃D(zhuǎn)過身去對老人說道：“先生，您想嘗嘗這些布丁嗎？您可以用這把調(diào)羹?！?/div>
The elderly gentleman, who was poorly but neatly dressed, accepted the spoon and began eagerly to sample one after another of the puddings, only breaking off occasionally to wipe his red eyes with a large torn handkerchief.
這位老先生衣著雖然破舊，但卻十分整潔。他接過調(diào)羹，便開始急切地一只接一只地品嘗起來，只是偶爾停下來，用一方大的破手絹擦擦他的紅眼睛。
| 重點單詞 | 查看全部解釋 | |||
| sampler | ['sæmplə] |
想一想再看 n. 樣板(取樣器，樣品檢查員) |
聯(lián)想記憶 | |
| certain | ['sə:tn] |
想一想再看 adj. 確定的，必然的，特定的 |
||
| advantage | [əd'vɑ:ntidʒ] |
想一想再看 n. 優(yōu)勢，有利條件 |
聯(lián)想記憶 | |
| row | [rəu,rau] |
想一想再看 n. 排，船游，吵鬧 |
||
| decision | [di'siʒən] |
想一想再看 n. 決定，決策 |
||
| privilege | ['privilidʒ] |
想一想再看 n. 特權(quán)，特別恩典，基本人權(quán)，榮幸 |
聯(lián)想記憶 | |
| suspect | [səs'pekt] |
想一想再看 n. 嫌疑犯 |
聯(lián)想記憶 | |
| sample | ['sæmpl] |
想一想再看 n. 樣品，樣本 |
聯(lián)想記憶 | |
| occasionally | [ə'keiʒənəli] |
想一想再看 adv. 偶爾地 |
||
| purchase | ['pə:tʃəs] |
想一想再看 vt. 買，購買 |
