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231.Traveling Salesmen
231.巡回推销员
Traveling salesmen ushered in a unique phase in our neighborhood. Whenever they came by to sell vacuum cleaners or encyclopedias, several things would happen. First, lemonade and vegetable stands would pop up along the street! It didn't matter that every vegetable garden at every house was the same! Suddenly there was someone who would buy them! From my vantage point these stands were really a vehicle for both homeowner and salesman—for one to get rid of a few old tomatoes, for another to get into your house!
巡回推销员把我们居民点领进了一个独特的时期。只要他们过来推销真空吸尘器或者百科全书，就会发生好几件事情。首先，沿街会突然冒出一些柠檬汽水和蔬菜摊。每家的蔬菜园都是一样的也没有关系！突然有人想买这些东西了！从我的观点来看，这些小摊真的是住房拥有者和销售人员双方的工具——对一方来说可以扔掉一些不新鲜的西红柿，对另一方来说可以进你的家门！
Once inside the sales pitch would begin. First the salesman would kindly drink lemonade and watch a few video tapes of the family's favorite dog. Then he would stand up and vacuum the rug as a demonstration. Wives, well versed in vacuum cleaners, would politely listen. The conversation with an adult was viewed as the most valuable part of the whole experience. Then the wife would either buy yet another vacuum cleaner or politely decline. And you would be surprised how different vacuums are, some are good and some are pieces of trash!
只要一进家门，商品宣传就会开始。首先推销员会欣然喝点儿柠檬汽水并看一些全家人最喜欢的狗的录像带。然后他会起身演示给地毯吸尘。太太们对真空吸尘器都很精通，所以会有礼貌地听着。与成人的对话被看成是整个经历中最有价值的一部分。接着主妇要么再买一个真空吸尘器，要么客气地拒绝。真空吸尘器的质量差别很让人吃惊，有的很好，有的则完全是垃圾！
Either way, the salesman would then leave and vanish into thin air!
不管发生哪一种情况，推销员都会离开并消失得无影无踪！
This process rarely varied from home to home! And then, after the salesman bad finished his business at every home and truly vanished into the blue, everything would return to normal. Vegetables would be thrown away and left to rot away in the neglected gardens.
这个过程几乎家家是这样！等到推销员在每家做完生意、真正销声匿迹，一切又会恢复正常。蔬菜会被扔掉，让它们在无人照看的菜园里烂掉。
The gardens were valuable for a time and that was all! Just like traveling salesmen!
菜园在一段时间里是有用的，仅此而已！就像巡回推销员！
