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"How shall I begin?"
“我该怎样开始呢？”
"In the morning you are to report to Silvio at the baggage wagons.
早上你先到管行李车的西尔维那儿去，
He will release, in your charge,
他会给你一件红色的袍子，
one of our fintest seamless robes.
算在你的帐上。
It is woven from the hair of a goat
这袍子是山羊毛织成的，
and will withstand even the heaviest rains
可以防雨。
and it is dyed red from the roots of the madder plant
它是用茜草根的浆液染红的，
so that the color will always hold fast.
经得起风吹日晒，永远不会褪色。
Near the hem you will find sewn on the inside, a small star.
袍子里面绣着一颗小星星，
This is the mark of Tola whose
是托勒工厂的标志，
guild makes the finest robes in all the world.
他们做出的袍子，品质式样全是一流的。
Next to the star is my mark,
我们的标志绣在小星星的旁边，
a circle within a square.
是个四方的框框，里面有个圆圈。
Both these marks are known and respected throughout the land
几乎每个人都认得这两个标志，
and we have sold countless thousands of these robes.
我们不知道已经卖出多少件这种袍子了。
I have dealt with the Jews so long
我和犹太人打了多年交道，
that I only know their name for such a garment as this. It is called an abeyah.
他们管这种袍子叫‘阿布昂’。
"Take the robe and a donkey and depart at dawn for Bethlehem,
你拿到袍子以后，牵上驴子，天一亮就到伯利恒去。
the village which our caravan passed through before arriving here.
我们来这儿前，曾经路过那个村庄。
None of our sellers ever visit there.
到目前为止，我们还没有人去那儿推销过。
They report that it is a waste of their time
据说，那里的人太穷了，
because the people are so poor,
去那里卖东西是白费功夫。
yet many years ago I sold hundreds of robes among the shepherds there.
可是多年以前，我曾经亲自卖过几百件袍子给当地的牧羊人。
Remain in Bethlehem until you have sold the robe."
你就留在伯利恒，卖掉袍子再回来。
Hafid nodded, attempting in vain to conceal his excitement.
海菲点点头，掩饰不住心中的兴奋。
"At what price shall I sell the robe, master?"
“一件袍子要卖多少钱呢？”
"I will enter a charge of one silver denarius against your name on my ledger.
“你回来跟我结帐的时候，
When you return, you will remit one silver denarius to me.
交给我一块银币就行了。
Keep all that you receive
赚下的多，
in excess of this as your commission,
你就自己留着吧。
so, in fact, you set the price of the robe yourself.
这样的话，你就可以自己定价了。
You may visit the market place
伯利恒的市场在南门口，
which is at the south entry of town
你可以先到那儿看看。
or you may wish to consider calling on each dwelling in the town itself,
或是打算挨家挨户拜访，都随便你，
of which I am certain there are over a thousand.
那儿大概有一千多户人家，
