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Why did Harry decide to give up his little game?
My cousin, Harry, keeps a large curiously shaped bottle on permanent
display in his study. Despite the fact that the bottle is tinted a delicate
shade of green, an observant visitor would soon notice that it is filled with
what looks like a thick greyish substance. If you were to ask Harry what was in
the bottle, he would tell you that it contained perfumed mud. If you expressed
doubt or surprise, he would immediately invite you to smell it and then to rub
some into your skin. The brief experiment would dispel any further doubts you
might have. The bottle really does contain perfumed mud. How Harry came into the
possession of this outlandish stuff makes an interesting story which he is fond
of relating. Furthermore, the acquisition of this bottle cured him of a bad
habit he had been developing for years.
Harry used to consider it a great joke to go into expensive cosmetic shops
and make outrageous requests for goods that do not exist. He would invent
fanciful names on the spot. On entering a shop, he would ask for a new perfume
called 'Scented Shadow' or for 'insoluble bath cubes'. If a shop assistant told
him she had not heard of it, he would pretend to be considerably put out. He
loved to be told that one of his imaginary products was temporarily out of stock
and he would faithfully promise to call again at some future date, but of course
he never did. How Harry managed to keep a straight face during these
performances is quite beyond me.
Harry does not need to be prompted to explain how he bought his precious
bottle of mud. One day, he went to an exclusive shop in London and asked for
"Myrolite". The shop assistant looked puzzled and Harry repeated the word,
slowly stressing each syllable. When the woman shook her head in bewilderment,
Harry went on to explain that "Myrolite" was a hard, amber-like substance which
could be used to remove freckles. This explanation evidently conveyed something
to the woman who searched shelf after shelf. She produced all sorts of weird
concoctions, but none of them met with Harry's requirements. When Harry put on
his act of being mildly annoyed, the assistant promised to order some for him.
Intoxicated by his success, Harry then asked for perfumed mud. He expected the
assistant to look at him in blank astonishment. However, it was his turn to be
surprised, for the woman's eyes immediately lit up and she fetched several
bottles which she placed on the counter for Harry to inspect. For once, Harry
had to admit defeat. He picked up what seemed to be the smallest bottle and
discreetly asked the price. He was glad to get away with a mere 20 pounds and he
beat a hasty retreat, clutching the precious bottle under his arm. From then on,
Harry decided that this little game he had invented might prove to be expensive.
The curious bottle which now adorns the bookcase in his study was his first and
last purchase of rare cosmetics.
New words and expressions 生词与短语
permanent
adj. 永久的
tint
v. 给……染色
delicate
adj. 淡色的
shade
n. 色度
observant
adj. 观察力敏锐的
dispel
v. 驱散,消除
outlandish
adj. 稀奇古怪的
acquisition
n. 获得
cosmetic
n. 化妆品
outrageous
adj. 无理的,令人不能容忍的
fanciful
adj. 想像出来的
insoluble
adj. 不可溶解的
prompt
v. 敦促,激励
exclusive
adj. 专售高档商品的
syllable
n. 音节
bewilderment
n. 迷惑,糊涂
freckle
n. 雀斑
evidently
adv. 显然的,明显地
weird
adj. 奇异的,古怪的
concoction
n. 调制品
intoxicate
v. 陶醉,得意忘形
blank
adj. 无表情的,茫然的
discreetly
adv. 谨慎地
clutch
v. 抓住
adorn
v. 装饰,打扮
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