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mother set up a meeting with a
representative. The man said no, but Porter wouldn't listen. He just wanted a chance. The man gave in and offered
Porter a section of the city that no salesman wanted. 波特知道自己想当推销员。他开始阅读报纸上的招聘广告。他看到沃特金斯一家上门推销家用物
品的公司要人他母亲就跟其代理人安排会面。那人说不行可波特不予理会。他就是需要一个机会。那
人让步了把城里一个其他推销员都不要的区域派给了他。
17 It took Porter four false starts before he found the courage to ring the first doorbell. The man who
answered told him to go away, a pattern repeated throughout the day. 波特一开始四次都没敢敲门",第五次才鼓起勇气按了第一户人家的门铃。开门的那人让他走开这
种情形持续了一整天。
18 That night Porter read through company literature and discovered the products were guaranteed. He would
sell that pledge. He just needed people to listen.
19 If a customer turned him down, Porter kept coming back until they heard him. And he sold.
当晚波特仔细阅读了公司的宣传资料发现产品都是保用的。他要把保用作为卖点。只要别人肯
听他说话就成。
要是客户回绝波特拒绝倾听他的介绍",他就一再上门。就这样他将产品卖了出去。 20 For several years he was Watkins' top retail salesman. Now he is the only one of the company's 44,000
salespeople who sells door-to-door.
21 The bus stops in the Transit Mall, and Porter gets off. 他连着几年都是沃特金斯公司的最佳零售推销员。如今他是该公司44000 名推销员中惟一一个上门 推销的人。
公共汽车在公交中转购物中心站停下波特下了车。
22 His body is not made for walking. Each step strains his joints. Headaches are constant visitors. His right
arm is nearly useless. He can't fully control the limb. His body tilts at the waist; he seems to be heading into a
strong, steady wind that keeps him off balance. At times, he looks like a toddler taking his first steps.
23 He walks 10 miles a day.
他的身体不适吅行走。每走一步关节都疼。头疼也是习以为常的事。他的右臂几乎没用。他不能完
全控制这只手臂。他的身体仍腰部开始前倾",看上去就像是顶着一股强劲的吹个不停的风迈步向前风似
乎要把他刮倒。有时他看上去就像是个刚刚学步的孩童。
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他每天要走10 英里的路程。
24 His first stop today, like every day, is a shoeshine stand where employees tie his laces. Twice a week he
pays for a shine. At a nearby hotel one of the doormen buttons Porter's top shirt button and slips on his clip-on tie.
He then walks to another bus that drops him off a mile from his territory. 25 He left home nearly three hours ago.
像平日一样",他今天的第一站是个擦鞋摊",这里的雇员替他系好鞋带。他每周请他们擦两次鞋。附
近一家旅馆的门卫替他扣上衬衣最上面一粒纽扣戴上用别针别上的领带。随后他步行去搭乘另一部巴士
在距离他的推销区域一英里处下车。
他是差不多3 个小时前仍家里动身的。 * * *
26 The wind is cold and raindrops fall. Porter stops at the first house. This is the moment he's been preparing
for since 5:45 a.m. He rings the bell. 27 A woman comes to the door.
风冷雨淋。波特在第一户人家门前停了下来。这是他仍5",45 分开始就为之准备的时刻。他按了门 铃。
一位妇人开了门。 28 \
29 \30 Porter nods.
31 \32 \33 She shuts the door.
34 Porter's eyes reveal nothing. 35 He moves to the next house. 36 The door opens. 37 Then closes. “你好。”
“不多谢了。我这就要出门。” 波特点点头。
“那我过会儿来可以吗",”他问。 “不用了”那妇人回答道。 她关上了门。
波特眼里没有流露丝毫神情。 他转向下一个人家。 门开了。 随即又关上。
38 He doesn't get a chance to speak. Porter's expression never changes. He stops at every home in his territory.
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People might not buy now. Next time. Maybe. No doesn't mean never. Some of his best customers are people who
repeatedly turned him down before buying.
他连开口说话的机会都没有。波特的表情仍不改变。他敲开自己推销区内的每一个家门。人们现在
可能不买什么。也许下一次会买。现在不买不等于永远不买。他的一些老客户都是那些多次把他拒之门外 而后来才买的人。
39 He makes his way down the street. 40 \41 \
42 \43 \
他沿着街道往前走。
“我不想试用这个产品。” “也许下次试一试。” “对不起。我在打电话。” “不要。”
44 Ninety minutes later, Porter still has not made a sale. But there is always another home.
45 He walks on.
46 He knocks on a door. A woman appears from the backyard where she's gardening. She often buys, but not
today, she says, as she walks away. 47 \48 She pauses. 49 \
90 分钟之后波特仌没能卖出一件物品。不过",下面有的是人家。 他继续向前走。 他敲响一扇门。一位正在拾掇花园的妇女仍后院走了出来。她常常买他的东西不过今天不买",她
说着走开了。
“你真的不买什么”波特问。 她迟疑了一下。 “那么??”
50 That's all Porter needs. He walks as fast as he can, tailing her as she heads to the backyard. He sets his
briefcase down and opens it. He puts on his glasses, removes his brochures and begins his sales talk, showing the
woman pictures and describing each product. 波特要的就是这一迟疑。他尽可能快步上前跟着她朝后院走去。他放下公文包打了开来。他戴
上眼镜",拿出产品介绍小册子开始推销",给那位妇人看图片详细介绍每一个产品。 51 Spices?
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52 \53 Jams?
54 \
55 Porter's hearing is the one perfect thing his body does. Except when he gets a live one. Then the word \does not register. 调料 “不要。” 果酱",
“不要。恐怕今天不要什么比尔。”
波特的听觉是他身上惟一没有一点毛病的功能。只有当他察觉对方有可能买他东西的时候才会发生
例外。这个时候他是听不见“不”字的。 56 Pepper? 57 \
58 Laundry soap? 59 \
60 Porter stops. He smells blood. He quickly remembers her last order.
61 \be out right about now.\
62 \胡椒粉 “不要。” 洗衣皂 “嗯。”
波特停了下来。他嗅到了猎物。他很快记起了她上次的订单。
“对了你肥皂差不多用完了吧你上次买的就是这个。现在该差不多用完了。” “没错",比尔。我买一块。” * * *
63 He arrives home, in a rainstorm, after 7 p.m. Today was not profitable. He tells himself not to worry. Four days left in the week.
64 At least he's off his feet and home.
65 Inside, an era is preserved. The telephone is a heavy, rotary model. There is no VCR, no cable.
66 His is the only house in the neighborhood with a television antenna on the roof. 晚上7 点过后他在暴风雨中回到了家。今天没赚钱。他跟自己说别着急。这个星期还有4 天呢。
至少他回到了家不用再站立了。 屋内俨然是保存完好的一个旧时代。电话是笨重的拨盘式的那种。没有录像放映机没有有线电 视。
他家是附近惟一一家屋顶上支着电视接收天线的人家。
67 He leads a solitary life. Most of his human contact comes on the job. Now, he heats
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the oven and slips in a
frozen dinner because it's easy to fix. 68 The job usually takes him 10 hours.
69 He's a weary man who knows his days -- no matter what his intentions -- are numbered.
70 He works on straight commission. He gets no paid holidays, vacations or raises. Yes, some months are lean.
他过着离群索居的生活。他跟别人的来往大都限于工作上。他打开了烤炉放了一盒冷藏食品进去
因为这样做饭方便。
他的工作通常要花去他10 个小时。
他身心疲惫",知道来日无多了――不管他愿不愿意。 他的收入完全依靠佣金。他没有带薪假期没有度假也没有加薪。的确有些月份收入相当微薄。
71 In 1993, he needed back surgery to relieve pain caused from decades of walking. He was laid up for five
months and couldn't work. He was forced to sell his house. The new owners, familiar with his situation, froze his
rent and agreed to let him live there until he dies.
1993 年他需要作背部手术",以减轻数十年行走引起的疼痛。他卧床五个月无法工作。他被迫出 售房子。房子的新主人了解他的处境冻结了他的房租并答应让他在有生之年继续住在那里。
72 He doesn't feel sorry for himself.
73 The house is only a building. A place to live, nothing more.
74 His dinner is ready. He eats at the kitchen table and listens to the radio. The afternoon mail brought bills
that he will deal with later this week. The checkbook is upstairs in the bedroom. 75 His checkbook.
他并不因此自悲自怜。
房子只不过是个建筑物。一个住的地方。仅此而已。 晚饭好了。他在厨房的桌子旁吃饭",边吃边听着收音机。下午的邮差送来了他的账单",这些账单他
将在这个星期后几天支付。支票簿在楼上卧室里。 他的私人支票簿。
76 He types in the recipient's name and signs his name. 77 The signature is small and scrawled. 78 Unreadable. 79 But he knows. 80 Bill Porter.
81 Bill Porter, salesman.
他用打字机打上收款人的名字随后签上名。 签名小小的字迹潦草。