UNIT 7

　　TEXT

　　The author finds out that good intentions alone are not enough when his attempt to be kind to an old man leaves them both feeling worse than before.
　
　　The Sampler

　　In a certain store where they sell puddings, a number of these delicious things are laid out in a row during the Christmas season. Here you may select the one which is most to your taste, and you are even allowed to sample them before coming to a decision.

　　I have often wondered whether some people, who had no intention of making a purchase, would take advantage of this privilege. One day I asked this question of the shop girl, and I learned it was indeed the case.

　　"Now there's one old gentleman, for instance," she told me, "he comes here almost every week and samples each one of the puddings, though he never buys anything, and I suspect he never will. I remember him from last year before that, too. Well, let him come if he wants it, and welcome to it. And what's more, I hope there are a lot more stores where he can go and get his share. He looks as if he needed it all right, and I suppose they can afford it."

　　She was still speaking when an elderly gentleman limped up to the counter and began looking closely at the row of puddings with great interest.

　　"Why, that's the very gentleman I've been telling you about," whispered the shop girl." Just watch him now." And then turning to him:" Would you like to sample them, sir? Here's spoon for you to use."

　　The elderly gentleman, who was poorly but neatly dressed, accepted the spoon and began eagerly to sample one after another of the puddings, only braking off occasionally to wipe his red eyes with a large torn handkerchief.

　　"This is quite good."

　　"This is not bad either, but a little too heavy."

　　All the time it was quite evident that he sincerely believed that he might eventually buy one of these puddings, and I am positive that he did not for a moment feel that he was in any way cheating the store. Poor old chap! Probably he had come down in the world and this sampling was all that was left him from the time when he could afford to come and select his favorite pudding.

　　Amidst the crowd of happy, prosperous looking Christmas shoppers, the little black figure of the old man seemed pitiful and out of place, and in a burst of benevolence, I went up to him and said:

　　"Pardon me, sir, will you do me a favor? Let me purchase you one of these puddings. It would give me such pleasure."

　　He jumped back as if he had been stung, and the blood rushed into his wrinkled face.

　　"Excuse me," he said, with more dignity than I would have thought possible considering his appearance, "I do not believe I have the pleasure of knowing you. Undoubtedly you have mistaken me for someone else." And with a quick decision he turned to the shop girl and said in a loud voice, "Kindly pack me up this one here. I will take it with me." He pointed at one of the largest and most expensive of the puddings.

　　The girl took down the pudding from its stand and started to make a parcel of it, while he pulled out a worn little black pocketbook and began counting out shillings and pennies on to the counter. To save his "honour" he had been forced into a purchase which he could not possibly afford. How I longed for the power to unsay my tactless words! It was too late though, and I felt that the kindest thing I could do now would be walk away.

　　"You pay at the desk," the shop girl was telling him, but he did not seem to understand and kept trying to put the coins into her hand. And that was the last I saw or the old man. Now he can never go there to sample pudding any more.

　　NEW WORDS

　　author　　
　　n.　the writer of a book, article, play, poem, etc. 作者
　　intention
　　n.　purpose　目的；意圖
　　sampler　
　　n.　one who finds out the quality of sth. by testing a part of it　品嘗家
　　pudding　
　　n.　布丁（西餐中一種松軟的甜點心）
　　delicious
　　a.　tasting or smelling pleasant　美味的，可口的
　　select　　
　　vt. choose from a group　挑選
　　selection
　　n.
　　sample　
　　vt. test a part of　品嘗
　　purchase　
　　n.　buying
　　vt. buy
　　advantage
　　n.　sth. useful or helpful　利益，好處；優點
　　privilege
　　n.　special right given to a person　特權
　　instance　
　　n.　example, case　例子，實例
　　suspect　
　　vt. feel doubt about; guess or suppose　懷疑；猜測
　　suspicion
　　n.　
　　afford　　
　　vt. have the money for 　擔負得起
　　elderly　
　　a.　near old age 　上了年紀
　　limp
　　n.　walk with an uneven step　跛行
　　counter　
　　n.　柜臺
　　spoon　　
　　n.　調羹
　　eagerly　
　　ad. with strong interest or impatient desire　熱切地，急切地
　　occasionally
　　ad. now and then; at times 　偶爾；間或
　　occasional
　　a.
　　heavy　　
　　a.　(of food, etc.) too rich to digest easily　（食物等）太油膩而不易消化
　　evident　
　　a.　plain and clear (to the eye or mind)　明顯的，明白的
　　sincerely
　　ad. honestly　誠懇地
　　eventually
　　ad. in the end 　終于，最終
　　positive　
　　a.　sure, certain　有把握的，確信的
　　cheat　　
　　vt. deceive　欺騙
　　chap
　　n.　man; boy; fellow　男人；小伙子；家伙
　　amidst　　
　　prep. in the middle of; among　在...中間
　　crowd　　　　　　　
　　n.　人群
　　prosperous
　　a.　rich; successful　富裕的；成功的；昌盛的
　　prosperity
　　n.
　　figure　
　　n.　外形，倫廓；體形
　　pitiful　
　　a.　making one feel pity 可憐的
　　benevolence
　　n.　the desire to do good 仁慈
　　sting　
　　vt. prick or hurt　刺，螫
　　wrinkle　
　　v.　(cause to) form into lines　（使）起皺紋
　　dignity　
　　n.　calm and serious manner or style　尊嚴
　　appearance
　　n.　that which can be seen; look 外表
　　pack
　　vt. put (things) into boxes, cases, etc. 把（東西）打包（或裝箱）
　　stand　　
　　n. （貨）架；（貨攤）
　　worn
　　a.　damaged by use or wear 破爛的，損壞的
　　pocketbook
　　a.　a wallet for money and personal papers 皮夾
　　shilling　
　　n.　先令
　　long
　　vi. wish earnestly 渴望
　　unsay　　
　　vt. take back (sth. that has been said) 收回（說過的話）
　　tactless　
　　a.　不策略的
　　coin
　　n.　metal money 硬幣　

　　PHEASES & EXPRESSIONS

　　lay out　
　　spread out　陳列
　　in a row　　
　　side by side in a neat line 成一長行
　　to one's taste
　　in a way that one likes 合...口味，中...的意
　　take advantage of　　
　　use (sth.) for one's own benefit 利用
　　for instance
　　for example
　　and what's more　
　　also, and more importantly 而且，更重要的是
　　all right　
　　certainly; beyond doubt 確實，無疑地
　　break off
　　pause 中止，中斷
　　come down (in the world)
　　become poor; lose social position 落泊，潦倒；失勢
　　out of place
　　improper (for one's surroundings) 不適當的；不相稱的
　　do sb. a favo(u)r
　　do sth. kind to sb. 給某人以恩惠；幫某人忙
　　mistake...for
　　think wrongly that (sth. or sb.) is (sth. or sb. else) 把...錯認為
　　pull out
　　take out 抽出，取出
　　count out　
　　count (things) one by one 逐一數出
　　long for　
　　wish very much for 渴望

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