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Antique shops exert a peculiar fascination on a great many people.
古玩店对许多人来说有一种特殊的魅力
The more expensive kind of antique shop
高档一点的古玩店为了防尘
where rare objects are beautifully displayed in glass cases
把文物漂亮地陈列在玻璃柜子里
to keep them free from dust is usually a forbidding place.
那里往往令人望而却步
But no one has to muster up courage
而对不太装腔作势的古玩店
to enter a less pretentious antique shop.
无论是谁都不用壮着胆子才敢往里进
There is always hope
人们还常常有希望
that in its labyrinth of musty, dark, disordered rooms
在发霉 阴暗 杂乱无章 迷宫般的店堂里
a real rarity will be found amongst the piles of assorted junk
从杂乱地摆放在地面上的一堆堆各式各样的破烂货里
that litter the floors.
找到一件稀世珍品
No one discovers a rarity by chance.
无论是谁都不会一下子就发现一件珍品
A truly dedicated bargain hunter must have patience,
一个到处找便宜的人必须具有耐心
and above all,
而且最重要的是
the ability to recognize the worth of something when he sees it.
看到珍品时要有鉴别珍品的能力
To do this, he must be at least as knowledgeable as the dealer.
要做到这一点 他至少要像古董商一样懂行
Like a scientist bent on making a discovery,
他必须像一个专心致志进行探索的科学家那样抱有这样的希望
he must cherish the hope that one day he will be amply rewarded.
即终有一天 他的努力会取得丰硕的成果
My old friend, Frank Halliday, is just such a person.
我的老朋友弗兰克·哈利戴正是这样一个人
He has often described to me how he picked up a masterpiece for a mere 50 pounds.
他多次向我详细讲他如何只花50英镑便买到一位名家的杰作
One Saturday morning, Frank visited an antique shop in my neighbourhood.
一个星期六的上午 弗兰克去了我家附近的一家古玩店
As he had never been there before, he found a great deal to interest him.
由于他从未去过那儿 结果他发现许多有趣的东西
The morning passed rapidly and Frank was about to leave
上午很快过去了 弗兰克正准备离去
when he noticed a large packing case lying on the floor.
突然看见地板上放着一只体积很大的货箱
The dealer told him that it had just come in,
古董商告诉他那只货箱刚到不久
but that he could not be bothered to open it.
但他嫌麻烦不想把它打开
Frank begged him to do so and the dealer reluctantly prised it open.
经弗兰克恳求 古董商才勉强把货箱撬开了
The contents were disappointing.
箱内东西令人失望
Apart from an interesting-looking carved dagger,
除了一柄式样别致 雕有花纹的匕首外
the box was full of crockery, much of it broken.
货箱内装满陶器 而且大部分都已碎裂
Frank gently lifted the crockery out of the box
弗兰克轻轻地把陶器拿出箱子
and suddenly noticed a miniature painting at the bottom of the packing case.
突然发现在箱底有一幅微型画
As its composition and line reminded him of an Italian painting he knew well,
画面构图与线条使他想起一幅他所熟悉的意大利画
he decided to buy it.
于是他决定将画买了下来
Glancing at it briefly, the dealer told him that it was worth 50 pounds.
古董商漫不经心看了一眼那幅画 告诉弗兰克那画值50英镑
Frank could hardly conceal his excitement,
弗兰克几乎无法掩饰自己兴奋的心情
for he knew that he had made a real discovery.
因为他明白自己发现了一件珍品
The tiny painting proved to be an unknown masterpiece by Correggio
那幅不大的画原来是柯勒乔的一幅未被发现的杰作
and was worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
价值几十万英镑
