365个英语简短小故事-73. Priced to Sell!

It can be a lonely, depressing job. Not for the successful realtors, of course. Their job is almost glamorous¹. Some of them, the most successful, work with wealthy people who live in, buy, and sell beautiful houses in beautiful neighborhoods. But for a new realtor, life is hard.

A realtor has to pass a comprehensive test, and then take continuing education credit classes annually². He (or she) has to join a realty company and attend meetings regularly. He has to spend hours on the computer researching the latest properties that are being offered for sale. He has to make "cold calls" to potential clients. These cold calls are uncomfortable for the realtor and annoying to potential clients.

Once a realtor gets a client, he must chauffeur³ the client from one property to another, patiently explaining this and that while answering questions about these and those. It’s always a contest between the seller trying to get as much as he can for his house and the buyer trying to pay as little as he can for the same house. Neither one wants to give in. On top of it all, the seller often lies, proclaiming that there are no problems with his house—“No, sir, absolutely none whatsoever⁴.”

The realtor has to put up with the seller’s lies and the buyer’s cries of poverty, and in the end he hears these same words from the buyer: “I don’t know. Let me think about it."

 

1 glamorous   

adj.富有魅力的；美丽动人的；令人向往的

参考例句：

• The south coast is less glamorous but full of clean and attractive hotels.南海岸魅力稍逊，但却有很多干净漂亮的宾馆。
• It is hard work and not a glamorous job as portrayed by the media.这是份苦差，并非像媒体描绘的那般令人向往。

2 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

3 chauffeur   

n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车

参考例句：

• The chauffeur handed the old lady from the car.这个司机搀扶这个老太太下汽车。
• She went out herself and spoke to the chauffeur.她亲自走出去跟汽车司机说话。

4 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。