Notes

(1) great: very enjoyable, splendid, unusually good

(2) sure: (colloq. esp. U.S.A.) certainly

(3) for almost as long: for almost as long as with the first buyer

(4) over lunch: while having lunch

(5) Ernest Hemingway ([5E:nist 5hemiNwei]) (1898-1961): an influential US novelist and short story writer whose style was widely emulated (仿效)

(6) to laugh in his face: 当面嘲笑他

(7) felt a little foolish: felt a little embarrassed

(8) Mr. Needle says hello: Mr. Needle sends his greetings to you.

(9) Robert Browning ([5rRbEt `braJnIN]) (1812-1889): a famous English poet of the 19th century. The two lines at the beginning of the second letter are in imitation of his poem “Home — Thoughts, from Abroad”.

(10) The Thames ([temz]) River: 泰晤士河

(11) Julius Caesar ([`dVU:ljEs 5si:zE]) (100—44 B.C.): Roman statesman, general and historian

(12) the Angles ([5AN^lz]), the Jutes([dVu:ts]), the Saxons ([5sAksnz]): the three ancient Germanic tribes which invaded Britain in the 5th century after the downfall of the Roman Empire

the Danes ([deInz]): one of the Scandinavian invaders of England in the 9th and 10th centuries 斯堪的纳维亚地区的丹麦人

the Vikings ([5vaIkINz]): any of the Scandinavian sea robbers who raided the coasts of Europe, the British Isles, Iceland and Greenland in the period from the 8th century to the 10th century 北欧海盗

(13) Bloomsbury ([5blu:mzberi]): a district in London. In the late 19th century, it became the main intellectual and cultural centre of London, and in the 20th century between the world wars it was the centre for a number of writers and other intellectuals known as the “Bloomsbury Group”, whose principal figures included Virginia Woolf.

(14) Virginia Woolf ([vE5dVInIE 5wulf]) (1882-1941): English novelist and critic

(15) T.S. Eliot ([5eljEt]) (1888-1965): major 20th century English poet and critic

(16) Piero della Francesca ([frAn`tFeskE]) (1420-1492): Italian painter

(17) Rosetta ([rEu5zetE]) Stone: 罗塞达碑 （1799年在尼罗河口的罗塞达城发现的埃及古碑，上刻埃及象形文，俗体文和希腊三种文字）

(18) Sherlock Holmes: the main character in many stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) 福尔摩斯

(19) Sam (Samuel) Johnson (1709-1784): English man of letters, poet, critic, and essayist.

Translation

1. Why, I kept wondering, does he wear suits instead of blue jeans.

我对他为什么穿套装而不穿牛仔服总感到纳闷。

2. He knows the clothes business form top to bottom.

他对服装这个行业算是精通到家了。

3. You once told me that you should know your buyers ont just as buyers, but as people.

你曾对我说过不要把你的买主只当买主来对待，要把他们作为人去了解。

4. We got two very big orders as a result of all that talking.

这些谈话使我们成交了两笔大买卖。

5. Bloomsbury is more than just the home of great artists. It is also the home of great art.

布卢姆斯伯里不只是艺术大师聚居的地方，它也是伟大艺术的故乡。

more than表示“不仅仅是”、“非但……尤其是”、“何止……简直”等意思：

e.g. Work is more than a necessity for most human beings; it is the focus of their life, the source of their identity and creativity.

对大多数人而言，工作不仅仅是必须做的事情，而且是生活的焦点，是个性和创造性的源泉。

6. “When you tire of London, you tire of life!”

厌弃伦敦就是厌弃生活。

7. When you speak a foreign language you can only say what you can say. But when you speak your own language, you can say what you want to.

在讲外语时，你只能讲出你会说的事情；而在讲母语时，你能畅所欲言。

8. I was very interested in what kind of business these men were in. But nobody talked business! What a waste of time!

我感兴趣的是他们所从事的生意。但竟然没有人谈生意！这简直是浪费时间！

9. Well, I wanted to laugh in his face. I don’t know anyone by this name.

我真想当面嘲笑他一番，我并不认识叫这个名字的人。

10. I can’t wait to get back to Atlanta!

我恨不得马上回到亚特兰大！

11. The Thames River runs right through the center of the city. Someone once called the Thames “liquid history”.

泰晤士河正好流过市中心，因此有人称之为“流动的历史”。