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202.The smuggler
第203課 走私分子
I am a smuggler. Once or twice a month, I go up river to get a load of contraband and smuggle it back across the border.
我是個走私分子。每個月有一兩次，我去河的上游弄到一船走私貨，越過國界偷運回來。
I was in a water front bar once, when I met a man obviously of some social distinction.
有一次，我在一個碼頭酒吧里，遇見一名明顯有些社會地位的男子。
Being not too sociable and apt to sneer at those snobbish upper-crust types,
我不善交際，喜歡嘲笑那些勢利的上等階層的人物。
I sat with a solemn look as he approached me.
當他走近我時，我表情嚴肅地坐了下來。
He smoothly tipped his hat and gave me a sly look as he introduced himself.
他一邊自我介紹，一邊熟練地輕觸帽檐以示禮貌，還狡猾地看了我一眼。
I asked him to sit, not wanting to appear too snobbish myself.
我請他坐下，自己不想表現得過于勢利。
We talked for a while and had a few drinks. Then he told me what he wanted.
我們聊了一會兒，喝了幾杯酒。之后他告訴了我他的想法。
He showed me a snippet from the newspaper detailing the solar power industry and how it would reduce smog in the cities.
他給我看了一篇摘自報紙的文章，上面詳細介紹了太陽能工業以及太陽能如何會減少城市的煙霧。
I told him that solar cells were completely legal and asked him why he wanted to sneak them in.
我告訴他太陽能電池完全合法，問他為什么想偷運。
He said that the import fees were smothering his profits.
他說，高昂的進口費用扼殺了他的利潤，使他無利可圖。
He was sober enough to make me an offer, and I was drunk enough to accept.
他頭腦清醒，給我開了價；我醉意十足，欣然接受。
Besides, I was the sole river boat man in the area, and I was solely capable of bringing back the goods.
而且，我是本地惟一的船工，只有我可以把貨物運回來。
He had no other choice, and I had no money.
他別無選擇，而我需要錢。
There was still one snag. My boat, Snowflake, had been damaged in the last typhoon.
還有個麻煩。我的“雪花號”小船在上次臺風中損壞了。
The propeller had been smashed and the electrical wires had snapped.
螺旋槳被撞毀，電線繃斷。
So I looked for a smelting shop to repair the propeller, but I could solder the wires myself.
所以我找到修理螺旋槳的鐵匠鋪，但我可以自己焊接電線。
That done, once the flag lifted. I was ready to go.
一切就緒，等霧一散，我就出發。
