第11课

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Customs Officers are quite tolerant these days, but they can still stop you when you are going through the Green Channel and have nothing to declare.

如今海关官员相当宽容，但当你走绿色通道并且没有东西要申报时，他们仍然可以拦住你。

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Even really honest people are often made to feel guilty.

即使是非常诚实的人也常常会感到内疚。

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The hardened professional smuggler, on the other hand, is never troubled by such feelings,

另一方面，那些老练的职业走私犯从不会被这种感觉所困扰，

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even if he has five hundred gold watches hidden in his suitcase.

即使他的手提箱里藏着五百块金表。

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When I returned from abroad recently, a particularly officious young Customs Officer

最近我从国外回来时，一位特别爱管闲事的年轻海关官员

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clearly regarded me as a smuggler.

显然把我当成了走私犯。

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'Have you anything to declare?' he asked, looking me in the eye.

“你有什么要申报的吗？”他直视着我的眼睛问道。

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'No,' I answered confidently.

“没有，”我自信地回答道。

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'Would you mind unlocking this suitcase please? '

“请您打开这个手提箱好吗？”

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'Not at all,' I answered.

“当然可以，”我回答道。

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The Officer went through the case with great care.

那个官员非常仔细地检查了箱子。

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All the things I had packed so carefully were soon in a dreadful mess.

我费尽心思整理好的所有东西很快就乱七八糟了。

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I felt sure I would never be able to close the case again.

我确信我再也无法把箱子合上了。

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Suddenly, I saw the Officer's face light up.

突然，我看到那个官员的脸上露出了喜色。

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He had spotted a tiny bottle at the bottom of my case

他发现了一个小瓶子在我的箱子底部

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and he pounced on it with delight.

他欣喜若狂地扑了上去。

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'Perfume, eh?' he asked sarcastically.

“香水，嗯？”他挖苦地问道。

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'You should have declared that.

“你应该申报那个。

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Perfume is not exempt from import duty. '

香水不免除进口关税。”

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'But it isn't perfume, I said. 'It's hair gel. '

“但它不是香水，”我说，“它是发胶。”

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Then I added with a smile,

然后我笑着补充道，

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'It's a strange mixture I make myself.

“这是我自己调制的一种奇怪的混合物。”

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As I expected, he did not believe me.

如我所料，他没有相信我。

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'Try it!' I said encouragingly.

“尝尝看！”我鼓励地说。

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The Officer unscrewed the cap and put the bottle to his nostrils.

那个官员拧开瓶盖，把瓶子凑到鼻孔前。

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He was greeted by an unpleasant smell which convinced him that I was telling the truth.

一股难闻的气味扑鼻而来，这让他相信我说的是实话。

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A few minutes later, I was able to hurry away with precious chalk marks on my baggage.

几分钟后，我带着行李上珍贵的粉笔标记，匆匆离开了。