在中国，在商店里买东西的时候能讨价还价，挺有意思。

　　You：You can't bargain at all the places where you go shopping.

　　并不是所有的商店都能。

　　David：And not all people like to bargain.

　　也并不是所有的人都爱讨价还价。

　　You：Yes, for some people if the price is right and they are satisfied with the quality, they may not feel like bargaining and just buy it. But when the price is too high, people might feel like they should bargain.

　　对，有的人觉得如果价位合理，质量也不错，就用不着讨价还价。但如果价格远远超出自己对商品的估价，人们一般就会讨价还价。

　　David：I noticed bargaining is popular with some street vendors like those on the Silk Street. I learned to bargain there. In fact, some foreigners feel uncomfortable to bargain, but I overcame this. Sometimes after I have bargained down the price on something, the shop owner would praise me for my bargaining abilities. I hear you are supposed to haggle the price down to half of the original price.

　　我发现，人们更习惯于和街头小店讨价还价。像秀水街，我就是在那儿学会的。很多外国人买东西时不习惯讨价还价，但我已经习惯了。有时候我砍完价后，店主们还会对我大赞一番。我听说，所有的东西的价格都能砍到一半。

　　You：They told me one third of the price.

　　我听说是三分之一。

　　David：One third of the price?! What?

　　三分之一？不会吧？！

　　You：I guess you didn’t catch that one. Well, do you think it is difficult for foreigners to bargain with Chinese?

　　没人告诉过你，是吧？不管怎么样，你觉得作为外国人讲价难吗？

　　David：Yes. Many westerners think it is impolite to bargain. Some believe the initial price is fair and feel like bargaining would cheat the shop owner.

　　难。很多外国人认为讨价还价很不礼貌。一些人还认为原价就是合理的价格，讲价就等于欺骗店主。

　　You：But some foreigners might regard the RMB value of the item in dollars and consider it a good deal so they don’t bargain.

　　或许有的外国人总是将中国商品的价格折合成美元来看，觉得其实也不贵嘛，所以就不讲价。

　　David：This is more the case for foreign tourists but students and foreigners who live here are already used to the standard prices and the cost of living so they know better.

　　到中国来的游客也许会那样做。但在这里生活和学习的外国人对这儿的物价及生活费用一清二楚。