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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Benny and Henry wondered how the first day at work would go.
That question was still on their minds as they entered the store the next morning at half past nine.
Toni was already there, sorting her change for the day.
“This is a good beginning. You’re early. I’m glad to see you both,” she said. “You’d better head downstairs, Benny. And Henry, you will be working with Mrs. Lester in the glassware and china department until the end of the week.”
The boys started off. Mrs. Lester showed Henry how to make the sales reports. She told him a little about the different kinds of china and glass.
“We try to carry as many different pieces of glassware as we can, but sometimes a customer wants something we don’t have. Then we send a special order.” Mrs. Lester showed Henry where the special order forms were kept.
“Be sure to get an OK before you send out any orders,” Mrs. Lester warned1. “Mr. Fogg watches that. And there’s one more thing,” she said with a smile, “I want you and your brother to call me Doris.”
Henry was just beginning to feel comfortable behind the counter2 when he noticed that suddenly the store was strangely quiet. Talking had stopped, and all the salespeople3 were looking in one direction.
Everyone was watching a little woman who had just entered the store.
Henry could not see anything unusual about the woman. She was far from stylish4. Her hair was pulled back and pinned up in a bun5. Her clothes were plain. They were not the kind that anyone would look at twice. She carried a worn6 handbag and a large, flowered shopping bag.
Henry couldn’t decide how old the woman was. He caught Toni’s eye. She came to his counter and said, “You must want to know who that is.”
Henry nodded.
“She comes in every day. Her name is Maggie Douglas. She’s always buying something. Sometimes two and three kinds of the same thing. Benny will be busy with her deliveries7, I’m sure.”
Henry and Toni watched the little woman climb the stairs to the second floor.
In a few minutes one of the salespeople from upstairs came over to Toni. “I have another ‘Maggie story’ for you. Miss Douglas just came to my counter and said she needed a blouse, a white blouse. When I asked her what size she needed, she said the size didn’t matter. It only had to be a white blouse. Now, isn’t that strange?”
Just then Mr. Fogg joined the group. He looked cross and asked, “That woman is in the store again, eh?”
The salesperson8 told him the story.
“You are foolish to sell a blouse to that woman,” said Mr. Fogg. “We’re going to have trouble with her sooner or later. I’m sure of it. Why didn’t she ask for a blouse in her size? She’ll bring it back to the store tomorrow and say it doesn’t fit. Besides, all she has to do is walk into the store and all work stops.”
With that, all the workers quickly left the counter. Henry was alone with Mr. Fogg standing9 right before him.
“I’m a little lucky so far today,” said Mr. Fogg. “At least you haven’t broken any glassware yet.”
Henry couldn’t think of anything to say. Just at that moment two women came to the counter and Mr. Fogg walked away.
The first woman said, “I need a wedding present for my niece. I think a glass vase10 would make a nice present.”
Henry lifted down several vases11. The woman chose a small, graceful12 vase with a flower design.
“This is the only one in stock13. I’m not allowed to sell this sample,” Henry explained when he could not find another vase.
The woman looked unhappy, and Henry said, “I can order the vase for you and have it here in four days.”
He took the order form from under the counter. “It’s a beautiful vase,” he said.
“Yes, it is,” agreed the woman. “It’s just what I want. You order it, and I’ll be back early next week.”
When the two women had gone, Henry filled out the order form for the vase. He filled in every blank and read the order over twice. He could find no errors. Doris approved the form and turned it over to Mr. Fogg.
Henry reported his first day of work to the family that evening. “I hardly saw you at all, Ben,” he said. “What was your day like?”
Benny smiled. “I didn’t see Mr. Fogg for most of the day. But I did meet Miss Douglas.”
“What did you think of her?” asked Violet14.
“I don’t know. She came down the stairs to the basement15. She said that she was lost. But somehow I think that she wanted to look around. She said she was happy to meet me because I’ll be delivering her purchases.”
Benny stopped talking for a moment and looked puzzled16.
“What’s the matter?” asked Jessie.
“There was one strange thing about talking with Miss Douglas. She called me by my name, ‘Benny Alden.’ Now how did she know who I was? We had never met before. Maybe I’ll find out tomorrow when I go to Woodland Path, that’s where Miss Douglas lives.”
“Some of the store people don’t like her,” said Henry. “One of them told me she’s fussy17 and hard to please. Others won’t wait on her if they can help it.”
“That Miss Douglas is a mystery,” said Jessie. “Who would think there’d be a mystery in a department store?”
1 warned | |
v.警告( warn的过去式和过去分词 );提醒;告诫;预先通知 | |
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2 counter | |
n.柜台;计数器;adj.相反的;adv.与…相反地;vt.反对,反击;vi.反对,反击 | |
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3 salespeople | |
n.售货员,店员;售货员( salesperson的名词复数 ) | |
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4 stylish | |
adj.流行的,时髦的;漂亮的,气派的 | |
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5 bun | |
n.小而圆的甜面包;(头发扎成的)髻 | |
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6 worn | |
adj.用旧的,疲倦的;vbl.wear的过去分词 | |
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7 deliveries | |
投递( delivery的名词复数 ); [法律](正式)交付; 分娩; 表演 | |
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8 salesperson | |
n.售货员,营业员,店员 | |
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9 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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10 vase | |
n.花瓶,瓶 | |
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11 vases | |
n.装饰瓶,花瓶( vase的名词复数 ) | |
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12 graceful | |
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的 | |
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13 stock | |
n.存货,储备;树干;血统;股份;家畜;adj.存货的;平凡的,惯用的;股票的;畜牧的;vt.进货,采购;储存;供给;vi.出新芽;进货 | |
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14 violet | |
adj.紫色的;n.紫罗兰 | |
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15 basement | |
n.地下室,地窖;建筑物的基部 | |
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16 puzzled | |
adj.迷惑的;困惑的 | |
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17 fussy | |
adj.为琐事担忧的,过分装饰的,爱挑剔的 | |
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