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A number of people, tickled with the originality of the placard, and not unmindful of the penny saved,
很多光顾这家“地下理发店”的人都不是为了省那一便士，而是被这块独特的招牌所吸引；
began to patronize the "Subterraneous Barber;" and he soon drew so many customers away from the higher-priced shops that they were obliged to come down,
很快，很多顾客都不再去比这家店贵的地方理发，那些理发店也迫不得已把价格降为一便士。
after a while, to a penny as well. Not to be outdone, Arkwright lowered his charge to a half-penny,
为了留住顾客，理查德·阿科莱特将价钱调为了半个便士，
and so retained his rank as the cheapest barber in the place.
这样一来，他的理发店就永远是本地区最便宜的店铺。
Arkwright's parents had been very poor people; and as he was the youngest of a family of thirteen,
阿科莱特的家庭不富裕；由于他才十三岁，
it may be readily supposed that all the schooling he got was of the most meagre kind,
是家里最小的孩子，不难想到，他受的教育应该是最少的
—if, indeed, he ever was at school at all.
——当然，如果说他曾上过学的话。
He was of a very ardent temperament, however, and when he once took a thing in hand,
他待人热情，但是一旦认定一件事情，
he stubbornly persevered in carrying it through to the end.
就会善始善终。
About the year 1760, being then nearly thirty years of age, Arkwright got tired of the shaving,
大概1760年的时候，阿科莱特已经三十岁了，他对理发、刮胡子这份工作感到厌倦，
which brought him but a very scanty livelihood,
虽说他以此为生，但是这并没能给他带来好生活，
and resolved to try his fortune in a trade where there was more scope for his activity.
他决心碰碰运气，去经商，他可以在商界大展身手。
He therefore began business as a dealer in hair,
因此，他开始做头发交易，
travelling up and down the country to collect it, dressing it himself, and then disposing of it in a prepared state to the wig-makers.
在全国范围内来回奔走、收购头发，并自己加工，随后将这些头发卖给做假发的人。
He throve so well, that in a short time he was able to lay by a little money and to marry.
他的生意做得不错，因此能省下一些钱来娶妻结婚。
He was very fond of spending what leisure time he had in making experiments in mechanics;
他很喜欢利用闲暇时间摆弄机械；
and for a while he was very much taken up with an attempt to solve the attractive problem of perpetual motion.
过了一段时间后，他开始想要解决永动机的问题。
Although he of course left the question unsolved, the bent thus given to his thoughts had most valuable consequences.
虽然他没能解决这个问题，但这给了他最受用的东西。
