资源描述:
《高级英语第一册课文》由会员上传分享,免费在线阅读,更多相关内容在教育资源-天天文库。
1、TheMiddleEasternBazaarTheMiddleEasternbazaartakesyoubackhundreds---eventhousands---ofyears.TheoneIamthinkingofparticularlyisenteredbyaGothic-archedgatewayofagedbrickandstone.Youpassfromtheheatandglareofabig,opensquareintoacool,darkcavernwhichextendsasfarastheeyecansee,losingitselfi
2、ntheshadowydistance.Littledonkeyswithharmoniouslytinklingbellsthreadtheirwayamongthethrongsofpeopleenteringandleavingthebazaar.Theroadwayisabouttwelvefeetwide,butitisnarrowedeveryfewyardsbylittlestallswheregoodsofeveryconceivablekindaresold.Thedinofthestall-holder;cryingtheirwares,
3、ofdonkey-boysandportersclearingawayforthemselvesbyshoutingvigorously,andofwould-bepurchasersarguingandbargainingiscontinuousandmakesyoudizzy. Thenasyoupenetratedeeperintothebazaar,thenoiseoftheentrancefadesaway,andyoucometothemutedcloth-market.Theearthenfloor,beatenhardbycountless
4、feet,deadensthesoundoffootsteps,andthevaultedmud-brickwallsandroofhavehardlyanysoundstoecho.Theshop-keepersspeakinslow,measuredtones,andthebuyers,overwhelmedbythesepulchralatmosphere,followsuit. OneofthepeculiaritiesoftheEasternbazaaristhatshopkeepersdealinginthesamekindofgoodsdon
5、otscatterthemselvesoverthebazaar,inordertoavoidcompetition,butcollectinthesamearea,sothatpurchaserscanknowwheretofindthem,andsothattheycanformacloselyknitguildagainstinjusticeorpersecution.Inthecloth-market,forinstance,allthesellersofmaterialforclothes,curtains,chaircoversandsoonli
6、netheroadwayonbothsides,eachopen-frontedshophavingatrestletrestletablefordisplayandshelvesforstorage.Bargainingistheorderofthecay,andveiledwomenmoveataleisurelypacefromshoptoshop,selecting,pricinganddoingalittlepreliminarybargainingbeforetheynarrowdowntheirchoiceandbeginthereallyse
7、riousbusinessofbeatingthepricedown. Itisapointofhonourwiththecustomernottolettheshopkeeperguesswhatitisshereallylikesandwantsuntilthelastmoment.Ifhedoesguesscorrectly,hewillpricetheitemhigh,andyieldlittleinthebargaining.Theseller,ontheotherhand,makesapointofprotestingthatthepriceh
8、eischargingisdeprivinghimo