评论
打印
Customs Officers are quite tolerant these days,
现在的海关官员往往相当宽容
but they can still stop you
但是 当你通过绿色通道
when you are going through the Green Channel
没有任何东西需要申报时
and have nothing to declare.
他们仍可以拦住你
Even really honest people are often made to feel guilty.
甚至是最诚实的人也常弄得觉得有罪似的
The hardened professional smuggler, on the other hand,
而老练的职业走私犯
is never troubled by such feelings,
即使手提箱里藏着500只金表
even if he has 500 gold watches hidden in his suitcase.
却也处之泰然
When I returned from abroad recently,
最近一次 我也出国归来
a particularly officious young Customs Officer
碰上一位特别好管闲事的年轻海关官员
clearly regarded me as a smuggler.
他显然把我当成走私犯
"Have you anything to declare?" he asked,
您有什么需要申报的吗
looking me in the eye.
他直盯着我的眼睛问
"No", I answered confidently.
没有 我自信地回答说
"Would you mind unlocking this suitcase please?"
请打开这只手提箱好吗
"Not at all," I answered.
好的 我回答说
The Officer went through the case with great care.
那位官员十分仔细地把箱子检查了一遍
All the things I had packed so carefully
所有细心包装好的东西
were soon in a dreadful mess.
一会儿工夫就乱成一团
I felt sure I would never be able to close the case again.
我相信那箱子再也关不上了
Suddenly, I saw the Officer's face light up.
突然 我看到官员脸上露出了得意的神色
He had spotted a tiny bottle at the bottom of my case
他在我的箱底发现了一只小瓶
and he pounced on it with delight.
高兴地一把抓了起来
"Perfume, eh?" he asked sarcastically.
香水 嗯 他讥讽地说道
"You should have declared that.
你刚才应该申报
Perfume is not exempt from import duty."
香水要上进口税的
"But it isn't perfume," I said.
不 这不是香水 我说
"It's hair gel."
是发胶
Then I added with a smile,
接着我脸带微笑补充说
"It's a strange mixture I make myself."
这是一种我自己配制的奇特的混合物
As I expected, he did not believe me.
如我所料 他并不相信我
"Try it!" I said encouragingly.
你就闻一闻吧 我催促说
The Officer unscrewed the cap and put the bottle to his nostrils.
海关官员拧开瓶盖 把瓶子放到鼻子底下
He was greeted by an unpleasant smell
一股怪味袭来
which convinced him that I was telling the truth.
使他相信了我说的真话
A few minutes later,
几分钟后
I was able to hurry away
我终于被放行
with precious chalk marks on my baggage.
手提划着宝贵的粉笔记号的行李 匆匆离去
