The-Middle-Eastern-Bazaar-英汉互译

TheMiddleEasternBazaarTheMiddleEasternbazaartakesyoubackhundreds---eventhousands---ofyears.TheoneIamthinkingofparticularlyisenteredbyaGothic-archedgatewayofagedbrickandstone.Youpassfromtheheatandglareofabig,opensquareintoacool,darkcavernwhichextendsasfarastheeyecansee,losingitselfintheshadowydistance.Littledonkeyswithharmoniouslytinklingbellsthreadtheirwayamongthethrongsofpeopleenteringandleavingthebazaar.Theroadwayisabouttwelvefeetwide,butitisnarrowedeveryfewyardsbylittlestallswheregoodsofeveryconceivablekindaresold.Thedinofthestall-holder;cryingtheirwares,ofdonkey-boysandportersclearingawayforthemselvesbyshoutingvigorously,andofwould-bepurchasersarguingandbargainingiscontinuousandmakesyoudizzy.中东的集市仿佛把你带回到了几百年、甚至几千年前的时代。此时此刻显现在我脑海中的这个中东集市，其入口处是一座古老的砖石结构的哥特式拱门。你首先要穿过一个赤日耀眼、灼热逼人的大型露天广场，然后走进一个凉爽、幽暗的洞穴。这市场一直向前延伸，一眼望不到尽头，消失在远处的阴影里。赶集的人们络绎不绝地进出市场，一些挂着铃铛的小毛驴穿行于这熙熙攘攘的人群中，边走边发出和谐悦耳的叮当叮当的响声。市场的路面约有十二英尺宽，但每隔几码远就会因为设在路边的小货摊的挤占而变窄；那儿出售的货物各种各样，应有尽有。你一走进市场，就可以听到摊贩们的叫卖声，赶毛驴的小伙计和脚夫们大着嗓门叫人让道的吆喝声，还有那些想买东西的人们与摊主讨价还价的争吵声。各种各样的噪声此伏彼起，不绝于耳，简直叫人头晕。Thenasyoupenetratedeeperintothebazaar,thenoiseoftheentrancefadesaway,andyoucometothemutedcloth-market.Theearthenfloor,beatenhardbycountlessfeet,deadensthesoundoffootsteps,andthevaultedmud-brickwallsandroofhavehardlyanysoundstoecho.Theshop-keepersspeakinslow,measuredtones,andthebuyers,overwhelmedbythesepulchralatmosphere,followsuit.随后，当往市场深处走去时，人口处的喧闹声渐渐消失，眼前便是清静的布市了。这里的泥土地面，被无数双脚板踩踏得硬邦邦的，人走在上面几乎听不到脚步声了，而拱形的泥砖屋顶和墙壁也难得产生什么回音效果。布店的店主们一个个都是轻声轻气、慢条斯理的样子；买布的顾客们在这种沉闷压抑的气氛感染下，自然而然地也学着店主们的榜样，变得低声细语起来。OneofthepeculiaritiesoftheEasternbazaaristhatshopkeepersdealinginthesamekindofgoodsdonotscatterthemselvesoverthebazaar,inordertoavoidcompetition,butcollectinthesamearea,sothatpurchaserscanknowwheretofindthem,andsothattheycanformacloselyknitguildagainstinjusticeorpersecution.Inthecloth-market,forinstance,allthesellersofmaterialforclothes,curtains,chaircoversandsoonlinetheroadwayonbothsides,eachopen-frontedshophavingatrestletrestletablefordisplayandshelvesforstorage.Bargainingistheorderofthecay,andveiledwomenmoveataleisurelypacefromshoptoshop,selecting,pricinganddoingalittlepreliminarybargainingbeforetheynarrowdowntheirchoiceandbeginthereallyseriousbusinessofbeatingthepricedown.中东集市的特点之一是经销同类商品的店家，为避免相互间的竞争，不是分散在集市各处，而是都集中在一块儿，这样既便于让买主知道上哪儿找他们，同时他们自己也可以紧密地联合起来，结成同盟，以便保护自己不受欺侮和刁难。例如，在布市上，所有那1些卖衣料、窗帘布、椅套布等的商贩都把货摊一个接一个地排设在马路两边，每一个店铺门面前都摆有一张陈列商品的搁板桌和一些存放货物的货架。讨价还价是人们习以为常的事。头戴面纱的妇女们迈着悠闲的步子从一个店铺逛到另一个店铺，一边挑选一边问价；在她们缩小选择范围并开始正儿八经杀价之前，往往总要先同店主谈论几句，探探价底。Itisapointofhonourwiththecustomernottolettheshopkeeperguesswhatitisshereallylikesandwantsuntilthelastmoment.Ifhedoesguesscorrectly,hewillpricetheitemhigh,andyieldlittleinthebargaining.Theseller,ontheotherhand,makesapointofprotestingthatthepriceheischargingisdeprivinghimofallprofit,andthatheissacrificingthisbecauseofhispersonalregardforthecustomer.Bargainingcangoonthewholeday,orevenseveraldays,withthecustomercomingandgoingatintervals.对于顾客来说，至关重要的一点是，不到最后一刻是不能让店主猜到她心里究竟中意哪样东西、想买哪样东西的。假如让店主猜中了她所要买的商品的话，他便会漫天要价，而且在还价过程中也很难作出让步。而在卖主那一方来说，他必须竭尽全力地声称，他开出的价钱使他根本无利可图，而他之所以愿意这样做完全是出于他本人对顾客的敬重。顾客有时来了又去，去了又来，因此，像这样讨价还价的情形有可能持续一整天，甚至好几天。Oneofthemostpicturesqueandimpressivepartsofthebazaaristhecopper-smiths'market.Asyouapproachit,atinklingandbangingandclashingbeginstoimpingeonyourear.Itgrowslouderandmoredistinct,untilyouroundacornerandseeafairylandofdancingflashes,astheburnishedcoppercatchesthelightofinnumerablelampsandbraziers.Ineachshopsittheapprentices–boysandyouths,someofthemincrediblyyoung–hammeringawayatcoppervesselsofallshapesandsizes,whiletheshop-ownerinstructs,andsometimestakesahandwithahammerhimself.Inthebackground,atinyapprenticeblowsabi-,charcoalfirewithahugeleatherbellowsworkedbyastringattachedtohisbigtoe--theredofthelivecoalsglowing,brightandthendimmingrhythmicallytothestrokesofthebellows.集市上最引人注目、给人印象最深刻的地方之一是铜器市场。你一走近这里，耳朵里便只听得见金属器皿互相碰击时所发出的一阵阵砰砰啪啪、丁丁当当的响声；走得越近，响声便越来越大，越来越清晰。直待你走到拐角处一转弯，眼前便出现了锃亮的铜器，它们映照着无数盏明灯和火盆，流光飞舞，有如仙境。每个铜匠铺子里都有几个徒工——他们都是一些男性青少年，其中有的年龄小得让人难以置信——在那里不停地锤打着一些形状各异、大小不一的铜器，而铺子的老板则在一旁指点着，有时也亲自操锤敲打几下。铺子的后边，还有一个小不点儿的徒工在那里用一根拴在大脚趾上的绳子鼓动着一个巨大的皮风箱，煽着一大炉炭火——燃烧着的木炭随着风箱的鼓动而有节奏地变得忽明忽暗。Hereyoucanfindbeautifulpotsandbowlsengravewithdelicateandintricatetraditionaldesigns,orthesimple,everydaykitchenwareusedinthiscountry,pleasinginform,butundecoratedandstrictlyfunctional.Elsewherethereisthecarpet-market,withitsprofusionofrichcolours,variedtexturesandregionaldesigns--someboldandsimple,othersunbelievablydetailedandyetharmonious.Thenthereisthespice-market,withitspungentandexoticsmells;andthefood-market,whereyoucanbuyeverythingyouneedforthemostsumptuousdinner,orsitinatinyrestaurantwithportersandapprenticesandeatyourhumblebreadandcheese.Thedye-market,thepottery-marketandthecarpenters'marketlieelsewhereinthemazeofvaultedstreetswhichhoneycombthisbazaar.Everyhereandthere,adoorwaygivesaglimpseofasunlitcourtyard,perhapsbeforeamosqueoracaravanserai,wherecamelsliedisdainfullychewingtheirhay,whilethegreatbalesofmerchandisetheyhavecarriedhundredsofmilesacrossthedesertliebe