Step 1: Intensive reading.
Try to answer the question below while you’re reading:
Question: Why was even five pounds ‘too dear’?
Vocabulary:
wares n. 货物，商品
marble n. 小玻璃球
anchor v. 停航下锚
inscribe v. 刻写，雕
deck n. 甲板
favour n. 好处，优惠
silverware n. 银器
gesticulate v. （讲话时）打手势
tempt v. 吸引；引诱
bargain v. 讨价还价
outrageous adj. 出人预料的；令人不悦的
disembark v. 下船上岸
assail v. 纠缠
thrust v. 硬塞给
Passage:
Small boats loaded with wares sped to the great liner as she was entering the harbour.
Before she had anchored, the men from the boats had climbed on board and the decks
were soon covered with colourful rugs from Persia, silks from India, copper coffee
pots, and beautiful handmade silverware. It was difficult not to be tempted. Many of
the tourists on board had begun bargaining with the tradesmen, but I decided not to
buy anything until I had disembarked.
当一艘大型班船进港的时候，许多小船载着各种杂货快速向客轮驶来。大船还未
下锚，小船上的人就纷纷爬上客轮。一会儿工夫，甲板上就摆满了色彩 斑斓的
波斯地毯、印度丝绸、铜咖啡壶以及手工制作的漂亮的银器。要想不为这些东西
所动心是很困难的。船上的许多游客开始同商贩讨价还价起来，但我打定主意上
岸之前什么也不买。
I had no sooner got off the ship than I was assailed by a man who wanted to sell me a
diamond ring. I had no intention of buying one, but I could not conceal the fact that I
was impressed by the size of the diamonds. Some of them were as big as marbles. The
man went to great lengths to prove that the diamonds were real. As we were walking
past a shop, he held a diamond firmly against the window and made a deep
impression in the glass. It took me over half an hour to get rid of him.
我刚下船，就被一个人截住，他向我兜售一枚钻石戒指。我根本不想买，但我不
能掩饰这样一个事实：其钻石之大给我留下了深刻的印象。有的钻石像玻璃球那
么大。那人竭力想证明那钻石是真货。我们路过一家商店时，他将一颗钻石使劲
地往橱窗上一按，在玻璃上留下一道深痕。我花了半个多小时才摆脱了他的纠缠。
Notes:
1 I had no sooner got off the ship than I was assailed，我刚刚一下船就被……人纠缠
住了。 no sooner… than…作“刚……就……”讲
2 go to great lengths to do sth.，竭力做某事。
3 get rid of，摆脱。
The next man to approach me was selling expensive pens and watches. I examined
one of the pens closely. It certainly looked genuine. At the base of the gold cap, the
words ‘made in the USA’ had been neatly inscribed. The man said that the pen was
worth ￡50, but as a special favour, he would let me have it for ￡30. I shook my
head and held up five fingers indicating that I was willing to pay ￡5. Gesticulating
wildly, the man acted as if he found my offer outrageous, but he eventually reduced
the price to ￡10. Shrugging my shoulders, I began to walk away when, a moment
later, he ran after me and thrust the pen into my hands. Though he kept throwing up
his arms in despair, he readily accepted the ￡5 I gave him. I felt especially pleased
with my wonderful bargain — until I got back to the ship. No matter how hard I tried,
it was impossible to fill this beautiful pen with ink and to this day it has never written
a single word!
向我兜售的第二个人是卖名贵钢笔和手表的。我仔细察看了一枝钢笔，那看上去
确实不假，金笔帽下方整齐地刻有“美国制造”字样。那人说那支笔值 50 英镑，
作为特别优惠，他愿意让我出 30 英镑成交。我摇摇头，伸出 5 根手指表示我只
愿出 5 镑钱。那人激动地打着手势，仿佛我的出价使他不能容忍。但他终于把价
钱降到了 10 英镑。我耸耸肩膀掉头走开了。一会儿，他突然从后追了上来，把
笔塞到我手里。虽然他绝望地举起双手，但他毫不迟疑地收下了我付给他的 5
镑钱。在回到船上之前，我一直为我的绝妙的讨价还价而洋洋得意。然而不管我
如何摆弄，那枝漂亮的钢笔就是吸不进墨水来。直到今天，那枝笔连一个字也没
写过！
Notes:
4 as a special favour，作为一种特殊的优惠。
5 throw up his arms in despair，绝望地举起双手。
28.2【阅读理解】 Five pounds too dear
Step 2: Comprehension questions.
1 What was the liner doing as the small boats sped towards her? (Entering the
harbour.)
2 How soon had the men from the boats climbed on board? (Before she had anchored)
3 What kinds of things were the decks soon covered with? (Colourful rugs from
Persia, silks from India, copper coffee pots and handmade silverware.)
4 Was it difficult to be tempted? (No, it wasn't)
5 What had many of the tourists begun doing? (Bargaining with the tradesmen.)
6 What did the writer decide? (Not to buy anything until he had disembarked.)
7 What happened as soon as he got off the ship? (He was approached by a man who
wanted to sell him a diamond ring.)
8 Did he have any intention of buying one? (No, he didn't.)
9 What was he impressed by? (The size of the diamonds.)
10 How big were they? (As big as marbles.)
11 What did the man do as they were walking past a shop? (He held a diamond firmly
against the window and made an impression in the glass.)
12 What was the next man selling? (Pens and watches.)
13 How did the writer examine one of the pens? (Closely.)
14 Did it look genuine? (Yes, it did)
15 What words had been inscribed at the base of the gold cap? (‘Made in the USA’)
16 How much did the man say the pen was worth? (£50.)
17 How much would he sell it for? (£30.)
18 Was the writer willing to pay £15? (No, he wasn't.)
19 How much was the writer wiling to pay? (£5.)
28.3【拓展写作】 Five pounds too dear
Step 3: Composition
In not more than 250 words write an imaginary account, mainly in dialogue form, of
the scene that took place between the writer and the man who sold him the pen. Use
the ideas given below.
Introduction: Man approached with pens and watches — held them up — writer
showed interest.
Development and Conclusion: Writer asked to see a pen — man handed him one —
argument about the price — gradually reduced to £10 — Writer walked away
— man followed — made it clear that he was being robbed but accepted £5 —
Writer pleased, but man disappeared quickly.
Key to composition
The bargain
The writer had only just got rid of a man who was trying to sell a diamond ring
when another man approached him with some expensive pens and watches. When he
held them up for the writer to look at, the writer showed quite a lot of interest.
‘Can I see one of the pens?’ the writer asked the man. They all looked genuine.
The man handed the writer one and said: ‘It's a beautiful pen, sir. It's worth £50, but
you can have it for £30.’
When the Writer offered him just £5, there was an argument about the price, but
eventually the man said:‘You can have it for £10, sir. That's the least I can take.’
As the writer walked away shrugging his shoulders, the man followed him. ‘I
can't really do it, sir — I'm almost giving it away, ’he said, ‘but you can have it for
£5.’
The writer was obviously very pleased. He gave the man £5, took the pen, and the
man disappeared quickly into the crowd. The writer was extremely pleased: he had
bought a very expensive pen for just £5. What a bargain! Later, back on board ship,
the writer discovered why the man had been in such a hurry to get away: you couldn't
fill the pen with ink and it just didn't work! It wasn't such a bargain' after all!
课外练习：
1 At what point did the tradesmen start trying to sell their merchandise?
(a) Once it had been brought to them by the small boats.
(b) While they were laying it out on the decks.
(c) As soon as the liner had anchored in the harbour.
(d) Once the tourists had arrived on board.
2 What happened once the writer got on shore?
(a) A man who had followed him off the ship tried to sell him a diamond.
(b) He was made to look at some diamonds against his will.
(c) A man started pestering him to buy a diamond.
(d) On his way to a shop, he met a man who was selling diamonds.
3 What made the writer finally buy the pen?
(a) He had been unable to make the man understand he did not want it.
(b) The man eventually agreed to his original offer.
(c) He decided it was the only way to get rid of the man.
(d He was afraid the man might otherwise become violent.
4 But I decided to disembark anything.
(a) before I would buy
(b) until I Was buying
(c) until I had bought
(d) before buying
5 I was assailed by a man who wanted a diamond ring.
(a) that I bought
(b) for me to buy
(c) me to buy
(d) my buying
6-of buying one, but the man that I was impressed…
(a) must have noticed
(b) had to notice
(c) must notice
(d) could notice
7 The man said that although the pen was worth £50, as a special favour, for
£30.
(a) he would let it to me
(b) he could have let me have it
(c) it would have been mine
(d) he might give me
8 It was difficult to temptation.
(a) avoid
(b) fight
(c) resist
(d) stand
9 I was approached by a man who was selling …
(a) The later
(b) On the next time
(c) Afterwards
(d)After
10 - and held up five fingers indicating I to pay five pounds.
(a) wished
(b) was ready to
(c) intended
(d) expected
11 The man acted as if he found my offer ...
(a) irritating
(b) preposterous
(c) hilarious
(d) unspeakable
12 hard I tried, it was impossible to fill the pen.
(a) However
(b) Whatever
(c) Whichever
(d) So ever
答案：1b 2c 3b 4d 5c 6a 7d 8c 9c 10b 11b 12a