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“那我过会儿来,可以吗?”他问。 “不用了,”那妇人回答道。 她关上了门。
波特眼里没有流露丝毫神情。 他转向下一个人家。 门开了。 随即又关上。
38 He doesn't get a chance to speak. Porter's expression never changes. He stops at every home in his territory.
People might not buy now. Next time. Maybe. No doesn't mean never. Some of his best customers are people who
repeatedly turned him down before buying.
他连开口说话的机会都没有。波特的表情从不改变。他敲开自己推销区内的每一个家门。人们现在
可能不买什么。也许下一次会买。现在不买不等于永远不买。他的一些老客户都是那些多次把他拒之门外 而后来才买的人。
39 He makes his way down the street. 40 \41 \
42 \43 \
他沿着街道往前走。
“我不想试用这个产品。” “也许下次试一试。” “对不起。我在打电话。” “不要。”
44 Ninety minutes later, Porter still has not made a sale. But there is always another home. 45 He walks on.
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46 He knocks on a door. A woman appears from the backyard where she's gardening. She often buys, but not today, she says, as she walks away. 47 \48 She pauses. 49 \
90 分钟之后,波特仍没能卖出一件物品。不过,下面有的是人家。
他继续向前走。
他敲响一扇门。一位正在拾掇花园的妇女从后院走了出来。她常常买他的东西,不过今天不买,她
说着走开了。
“你真的不买什么?”波特问。 她迟疑了一下。 “那么??”
50 That's all Porter needs. He walks as fast as he can, tailing her as she heads to the backyard. He sets his
briefcase down and opens it. He puts on his glasses, removes his brochures and begins his sales talk, showing the
woman pictures and describing each product.
波特要的就是这一迟疑。他尽可能快步上前,跟着她朝后院走去。他放下公文包,打了开来。他戴
上眼镜,拿出产品介绍小册子,开始推销,给那位妇人看图片,详细介绍每一个产品。 51 Spices? 52 \53 Jams?
54 \
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55 Porter's hearing is the one perfect thing his body does. Except when he gets a live one. Then the word \does not register.
调料?
“不要。” 果酱?
“不要。恐怕今天不要什么,比尔。”
波特的听觉是他身上惟一没有一点毛病的功能。只有当他察觉对方有可能买他东西的时候才会发生
例外。这个时候,他是听不见“不”字的。 56 Pepper? 57 \
58 Laundry soap? 59 \
60 Porter stops. He smells blood. He quickly remembers her last order. 61 \ought to be out right about now.\62 \
胡椒粉? “不要。” 洗衣皂? “嗯。”
波特停了下来。他嗅到了猎物。他很快记起了她上次的订单。
“对了,你肥皂差不多用完了吧?你上次买的就是这个。现在该差不多用完了。” “没错,比尔。我买一块。” * * *
63 He arrives home, in a rainstorm, after 7 p.m. Today was not profitable. He tells himself not to worry. Four days left in the week.
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64 At least he's off his feet and home.
65 Inside, an era is preserved. The telephone is a heavy, rotary model. There is no VCR, no cable.
66 His is the only house in the neighborhood with a television antenna on the roof.
晚上7 点过后,他在暴风雨中回到了家。今天没赚钱。他跟自己说别着急。这个星期还有4 天呢。
至少他回到了家,不用再站立了。
屋内,俨然是保存完好的一个旧时代。电话是笨重的拨盘式的那种。没有录像放映机,没有有线电视。
他家是附近惟一一家屋顶上支着电视接收天线的人家。
67 He leads a solitary life. Most of his human contact comes on the job. Now, he heats the oven and slips in a
frozen dinner because it's easy to fix. 68 The job usually takes him 10 hours.
69 He's a weary man who knows his days -- no matter what his intentions -- are numbered.
70 He works on straight commission. He gets no paid holidays, vacations or raises. Yes, some months are lean.
他过着离群索居的生活。他跟别人的来往大都限于工作上。他打开了烤炉,放了一盒冷藏食品进去,
因为这样做饭方便。
他的工作通常要花去他10 个小时。
他身心疲惫,知道来日无多了――不管他愿不愿意。
他的收入完全依靠佣金。他没有带薪假期,没有度假,也没有加薪。的确,有些月份收入相当微薄。
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71 In 1993, he needed back surgery to relieve pain caused from decades of walking. He was laid up for five months and couldn't work. He was forced to sell his house. The new owners, familiar with his situation, froze his rent and agreed to let him live there until he dies.
1993 年,他需要作背部手术,以减轻数十年行走引起的疼痛。他卧床五个月,无法工作。他被迫出售房子。房子的新主人了解他的处境,冻结了他的房租,并答应让他在有生之年继续住在那里。
72 He doesn't feel sorry for himself.
73 The house is only a building. A place to live, nothing more.
74 His dinner is ready. He eats at the kitchen table and listens to the radio. The afternoon mail brought bills
that he will deal with later this week. The checkbook is upstairs in the bedroom. 75 His checkbook.
他并不因此自悲自怜。
房子只不过是个建筑物。一个住的地方。仅此而已。
晚饭好了。他在厨房的桌子旁吃饭,边吃边听着收音机。下午的邮差送来了他的账单,这些账单他将在这个星期后几天支付。支票簿在楼上卧室里。 他的私人支票簿。
76 He types in the recipient's name and signs his name. 77 The signature is small and scrawled. 78 Unreadable. 79 But he knows. 80 Bill Porter.
81 Bill Porter, salesman.
他用打字机打上收款人的名字,随后签上名。 签名小小的,字迹潦草。 难以辨认。