365个英语简短小故事-96. It’s Just Business

May was hoping to broker¹ cigarette lighters² in America. Her friend said that Mr. Wang was a big manufacturer in China. She gave May Mr. Wang’s phone number. May called Mr. Wang, and invited him to Los Angeles. She arranged several meetings between Mr. Wang and some US wholesalers. Because he did not speak English, she was the interpreter at the meetings. Mr. Wang promised to give May a commission for whatever business deal was made and for all future orders.

The first three meetings were unproductive. The last meeting was with a Chinese wholesaler³. He spoke⁴ Chinese, so there was no need for May to interpret his remarks. She sat there throughout the meeting and listened. The two men discovered that they both had grown up in Guiyang, a large city in southwest China. At meeting’s end, no deal was made. Everyone shook hands.

May and Mr. Wang walked out to her car. Then Mr. Wang said that he had forgotten something. He excused himself and walked back to the office. May waited a moment. Then, suspicious, she snuck back to the office and heard the two men making a deal behind her back. Mr. Wang was cutting her out of her commission.

May went back out to her car and waited. Mr. Wang was whistling as he returned to the car. He apologized for making her wait. She said it was no problem. Then she drove Mr. Wang back to his hotel. He thanked her for her help, and said he was returning to China the next day. She didn’t say anything about what she had overheard. She went home and tried not to cry about what had just happened—she must be strong.

 

1 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

2 lighters   

n.打火机，点火器( lighter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The cargo is being discharged into lighters. 正在往驳船里卸货。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Babies'bootees and cheap cigarette lighters were displayed in unlikely juxtaposition. 儿童的短靴和廉价的打火机很不相称地陈列在一起。 来自辞典例句

3 wholesaler   

n.批发商

参考例句：

• We're the largest furniture wholesaler in Illinois. 我们是伊利诺伊州最大的家具批发商。 来自辞典例句
• These are used to create profiles for each wholesaler. 这是他日常的工作或通过与批发商的正式会谈。 来自互联网

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。