作者：侯毅凌主编
出版社：外语教学与研究出版社
格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT
《英语学习》2015年1-6期合订本(精选)试读：
2015年第1期
东看西看
I Battle of the Bargain美国女孩在中国的砍价四部曲By Amirah Ahmad∷莘绮 注“从秀水街到王府井，从南锣鼓巷到红桥市场，在街边小店或批发市场里“寻宝”的外国游客几乎随处可见。当然，琳琅满目的商品让他们流连忘返的同时也难免会多花一些冤枉钱。那么，面对某些小贩的漫天要价和穷追猛打，外国顾客们应该怎么办呢？让我们一起来看看Amirah总结的砍价四部曲吧！”"Come here, girl. Look here," she says to me as she fingers a shirt. "Very good quality. Hand-made."
"No, I don't want it," I reply.
"Okay, I'll give you a special price. Just for you," she whispers back in my ear and taps an outrageousnumber into her Hello Kitty calculator.
I didn't buy that specific shirt but I have done my fairshare of shopping in China. From electronics to clothes to accessories, I've bought it all. Although I'm always wary whenever I leave the market, thinking that I could have gotten the same things for cheaper. Just because of the different texture of my hair, the different shade of my face, and the accent of voice, shopping at a market is ten times more difficult for me than a Chinese local.I am lied to, I am given higher prices, and I must argue with the vendor for a long time before the price is right. Often times, even that price is still too high.
From the looks of it, bargaining can seem fun. You and the vendor get to know each other as she asks you which country you've travelled from to get to China and you ask her which province she originated from. You and her exchange some laughs. It's all fun and games until you ask what the price is. From that point on it's a battle between two people who were once friends but now enemies. The battle is a difficult one, but I am always ready for the challenge.
After travelling to several places and visiting a good portion ofmarkets, I've begun the process of learning how to bargain. However, it is important to realize that bargaining is not a skill you can perfect. It is an exchange of words and gestures and actions that culminate into an art, and just like a piece of artwork it will never be completed.However, I've taken the time to share what I know about bargaining.
Step one: I tread into the store with my eyes darting all about the room.If I see something I like (for instance, let's say it's a bag), I quickly glance over it and focus on something else and approach it. At this point, the vendor will ask me, "You like? I give you good price." In response I shake my head and move on. Now, I look at the bag that caught my eyes and make sure that it's worth buying. I continue to look around but now I take the time to comprehendthe vendor's personality. If the vendor is a boy, he should look very interested in what I'm looking at. Otherwise, he doesn't want to be there. Boys are the most difficult to bargain with because they want as much money as they can get. However, if the vendor is a girl I focus on her face and her clothes. If her face seems satisfied and in a good mood, I continue to look around because she will most probably be flexible in bargaining. If she's scowling, I just get out of there as fast as I can. Bargaining with an angry vendor is as intimidating as being put into a ring with a sumo-wrestler.After scrutinizingher face I then glance over her clothes. If she's wearing casual jeans, a shirt, and working shoes that means she's hardworking and simple. If she is wearing relatively nice clothes, that means she'll probably be greedy when telling me the price because she'll want to spend as much money as she can to get more clothes to flaunt her style.Now let's say I want to purchase the bag but by the looks of the vendor, the odds are not in my favor.I quickly ask the price, tell her to give me his or her last price, tell her my last price and then walk out.
Step two: Now I linger aboutthe market, trying to find the store that has the bag I want. At this point, I know what starting price I'll get. While walking I can make some quick calculations and figure out how much it's really worth. While looking for the bag I also take into account the vendors who are standing in the front of their stores. Those vendors who call at me and try to get my attention are the ones I gravitatetowards, since they're eager to make a sale and I'm eager to shop.
Step three: At this point, I will enter a store with an agreeable-looking vendor and the object of my desire. Now, there are two ways I usually approach the situation and it all depends on the atmosphere. The first strategy is to walk right up to the bag and point to it and ask her the price. She gives me a very high price, I look at her and furrow my brow. Then I take the calculator, give her my last price and walk out. She'll be running after me and tuggingon my clothes and asking for a more reasonable price. However, it's essential that I stay firm and tell her I've given her my last price. If this vendor doesn't succumb to my relentlessness,another one will. They usually raise my last price by five Yuan but that's fine. My second strategy is to walk around the store and casually point to other things and ask for their prices. Lastly, I point to the bag. She gives me a high price and I exasperatedlyfrown and tell her it's so expensive it's not even worth bargaining for. She'll pesterme to give me my last price and I'll tell her I don't really like it. She'll then go on convincing me that it is good quality, hand-made, and very fashionable. I give her my last price, walk out, and just hope she calls me back.
Step four: After I purchase what I want, I walk out of the store with a satisfied smile and the perfect amount of smugin my eyes.
Bargaining may be a battle, but I can never help but feel pity for the enemy. They go to such great measures to make a sale and their profit all depends on how they talk to the customer. All day long, they stand on the ready. They constantly call out to people, put away clothes, and clean up the mess customers like me have made while scourging through the items for sale.
When I say they take all measures to make a sale, I mean they take ALL measures to make a sale. I was wandering in the bag department as soon as I arrived at Hongqiao market. I was just getting my bearingswhen a girl slipped out from behind the counter and grabbed my hand. I thought I had dropped something but she began tugging at me to go look at her bag collection. I tried to pry freebut she wouldn't let go. I was laughing up to the point when I realized that the girl would probably never let me go until I bought something from her. So I started to take a look at her bags and as soon as her eyes glanced the other way for a split second I ran as fast I could, horrified.Let's just say that wasn't a good start to my day of shopping.
Yet, one admirable characteristic is these people's determination. What we sometimes fail to recognize is exactly how hard they must work to persuade us, to set a good price, and to encourage customers to look at their sale items. Walking across the street one day, I was headed towards the subway station. Suddenly an old woman came up to me and showed me the plethora offake Louis Vuitton wallets in her mysterious black bag. She told me, "Hey, look. I give you 3 for 100 Yuan." I said no.
"Okay, okay. I give you 4 for 100," she said as she scurriedon her little legs beside me.
试读结束[说明：试读内容隐藏了图片]