有壹次，我發現自己的椅子收藏中有壹把壹條腿壞了。
I didn’t think there would be any difficulty in getting it mended, as there are a whole lot of antique(古董) shops near my home.
由於家附近就有好多古董商行，所以從來沒擔心過修理會是壹件難事。
So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me.
於是，有天早晨我帶著那張椅子出發（去修理）了。
I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception.
我走進第壹家店，期待著會有個熱情的店員迎上來。
I was quite wrong.
然而我錯了。
The man wouldn’t even look at my chair.
店裏的那個人甚至都不願意幫忙看下我那壞了的椅子。
The second shop, though slightly more polite, was just the same, and the third and the fourth－so I decided that my approach must be wrong.
較之第壹家，第二家店的態度稍顯禮貌，但情況依然相同。接著第三家、第四家……以至於我開始懷疑，是不是不能找古董店修理我的椅子。
I entered the fifth shop with a plan in my mind.
走進第五家店的時候我心生壹計。
I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper, “Would you like to buy a chair?”
我把椅子放在地上然後問店員：“妳們收購椅子嗎？”
He looked it over carefully and said, “Yes, not a bad chair. How much do you want for it, sir?”
他仔細看了看，說道：“是的。這是把不錯的椅子。您開價多少？”
Twenty pounds,” I said. “OK,” he said, “I’ll give you twenty pounds.”
“二十磅”，我說道。“好的”，他答應了。“我這就給妳二十磅。”
“It’s got a slightly broken leg,” I said. “Yes, I saw that, it’s nothing.”
“這椅子腿有點壞了。”“是的，我看到了。沒關系的。”
Everything was going according to plan and I was getting excited.
壹切都按計劃進展順利，我有點興奮。
“What will you do with it?” I asked.
“那妳們打算拿它怎麽辦呢？”我問他。
“Oh, it will be easy to sell once the repair is done.”
“哦，壹旦修好了就會很好賣的。”
“I’ll buy it,” I said.
“我要買。”我說。
“What do you mean? You’ve just sold it to me,” he said.
“您這是什麽意思？這剛剛才賣給我啊”他說。
“Yes, I know but I’ve changed my mind. I am sorry. I’ll give you twenty-seven pounds for it.”
“是的呢，我知道。但是我又改註意了。非常抱歉。我願意支付二十七磅買回它。”
“You must be crazy,” he said.
“您這是瘋了吧！”他說道。
Then, suddenly the penny dropped.
隨後他恍然大悟。
“I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair.”
“我知道了，您這是想讓我們幫您修椅子呢。”
“You’re right,” I said. “
“這回妳說對了。”我說。
And what would you have done if I had walked in and said, “Would you mend this chair for me?”
“但要是我壹進門就說：‘妳們能幫我修椅子嗎？’ ，妳們會不會幫我弄呢？”
“I wouldn’t have agreed to do it,” he said.
“不，我們不會的。”他說道。
“We don’t do repairs, not enough money in it and too much trouble.
“我們不管修椅子。因為賺的不多，還麻煩。
But I’ll mend this for you, shall we say for a fiver(五英鎊鈔票)?”
但這回我答應妳了，修好五英鎊，怎麽樣？”
He was a very nice man and was greatly amused by the whole thing.
他人的確很好。此外，我亦覺得這件事頗為有趣。