In a certain store where they sell puddings, a number of these delicious things are laid out in a row during the Christmasseason. Here you may select the one which is most to your taste, and you are even allowed to sample them before coming toa decision.
I have often wondered whether some people, who had no intention of making a purchase, would take advantage of thisprivilege. One day I asked this question of the shop girl, and I learned it was indeed the case.
\"Now there's one old gentleman, for instance,\" she told me, \"he comes here almost every week and samples each oneof the puddings, though he never buys anything, and I suspect he never will. I remember him from last year before that, too.Well, let him come if he wants it, and welcome to it. And what's more, I hope there are a lot more stores where he can go andget his share. He looks as if he needed it all right, and I suppose they can afford it.\"
She was still speaking when an elderly gentleman limped up to the counter and began looking closely at the row ofpuddings with great interest.
\"Why, that's the very gentleman I've been telling you about,\" whispered the shop girl.\" Just watch him now.\" And thenturning to him:\" Would you like to sample them, sir? Here's spoon for you to use.\"
The elderly gentleman, who was poorly but neatly dressed, accepted the spoon and began eagerly to sample one afteranother of the puddings, only braking off occasionally to wipe his red eyes with a large torn handkerchief. \"This is quite good.\"
\"This is not bad either, but a little too heavy.\"
All the time it was quite evident that he sincerely believed that he might eventually buy one of these puddings, and I ampositive that he did not for a moment feel that he was in any way cheating the store. Poor old chap! Probably he had comedown in the world and this sampling was all that was left him from the time when he could afford to come and select hisfavorite pudding.
Amidst the crowd of happy, prosperous looking Christmas shoppers, the little black figure of the old man seemed pitifuland out of place, and in a burst of benevolence, I went up to him and said:
\"Pardon me, sir, will you do me a favor? Let me purchase you one of these puddings. It would give me such pleasure.\" He jumped back as if he had been stung, and the blood rushed into his wrinkled face.
\"Excuse me,\" he said, with more dignity than I would have thought possible considering his appearance, \"I do notbelieve I have the pleasure of knowing you. Undoubtedly you have mistaken me for someone else.\" And with a quickdecision he turned to the shop girl and said in a loud voice, \"Kindly pack me up this one here. I will take it with me.\" Hepointed at one of the largest and most expensive of the puddings.
The girl took down the pudding from its stand and started to make a parcel of it, while he pulled out a worn little blackpocketbook and began counting out shillings and pennies on to the counter. To save his \"honour\" he had been forced into apurchase which he could not possibly afford. How I longed for the power to unsay my tactless words! It was too late though,and I felt that the kindest thing I could do now would be walk away.
\"You pay at the desk,\" the shop girl was telling him, but he did not seem to understand and kept trying to put the coinsinto her hand. And that was the last I saw or the old man. Now he can never go there to sample pudding any more. NEW WORDS author
n. the writer of a book, article, play, poem, etc. 作者 intention
n. purpose ⽬的；意图 sampler
n. one who finds out the quality of sth. by testing a part of it 品尝家 pudding
n. 布丁（西餐中⼀种松软的甜点⼼） delicious
a. tasting or smelling pleasant 美味的，可⼝的 select
vt. choose from a group 挑选 selection n. sample
vt. test a part of 品尝 purchase n. buying vt. buy advantage
n. sth. useful or helpful 利益，好处；优点 privilege
n. special right given to a person 特权 instance
n. example, case 例⼦，实例 suspect
vt. feel doubt about; guess or suppose 怀疑；猜测 suspicion n. afford
vt. have the money for 担负得起 elderly
a. near old age 上了年纪 limp
n. walk with an uneven step 跛⾏ counter n. 柜台 spoon n. 调羹 eagerly
ad. with strong interest or impatient desire 热切地，急切地 occasionally
ad. now and then; at times 偶尔；间或 occasional a. heavy
a. （of food, etc.） too rich to digest easily （⾷物等）太油腻⽽不易消化 evident
a. plain and clear （to the eye or mind） 明显的，明⽩的 sincerely
ad. honestly 诚恳地 eventually
ad. in the end 终于，最终 positive
a. sure, certain 有把握的，确信的 cheat
vt. deceive 欺骗 chap
n. man; boy; fellow 男⼈；⼩伙⼦；家伙 amidst
prep. in the middle of; among 在……中间 crowd n. ⼈群 prosperous
a. rich; successful 富裕的；成功的；昌盛的 prosperity n. figure
n. 外形，伦廓；体形 pitiful
a. making one feel pity 可怜的 benevolence
n. the desire to do good 仁慈 sting
vt. prick or hurt 刺，螫
wrinkle
v. （cause to） form into lines （使）起皱纹 dignity
n. calm and serious manner or style 尊严 appearance
n. that which can be seen; look 外表 pack
vt. put （things） into boxes, cases, etc. 把（东西）打包（或装箱） stand
n. （货）架；（货摊） worn
a. damaged by use or wear 破烂的，损坏的 pocketbook
a. a wallet for money and personal papers ⽪夹 shilling n. 先令 long
vi. wish earnestly 渴望 unsay
vt. take back （sth. that has been said） 收回（说过的话） tactless a. 不策略的 coin
n. metal money 硬币
PHEASES & EXPRESSIONS lay out spread out 陈列 in a row
side by side in a neat line 成⼀长⾏ to one's taste
in a way that one likes 合……⼝味，中……的意 take advantage of
use （sth.） for one's own benefit 利⽤ for instance for example
and what's more
also, and more importantly ⽽且，更重要的是 all right
certainly; beyond doubt 确实，⽆疑地 break off
pause 中⽌，中断
come down （in the world）
become poor; lose social position 落泊，潦倒；失势 out of place
improper （for one's surroundings） 不适当的；不相称的 do sb. a favo（u）r
do sth. kind to sb. 给某⼈以恩惠；帮某⼈忙 mistake……for
think wrongly that （sth. or sb.） is （sth. or sb. else） 把……错认为 pull out
take out 抽出，取出 count out
count （things） one by one 逐⼀数出 long for
wish very much for 渴望
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