美国的废品聚散地和跳蚤市场

87 美国的废品聚散地和跳蚤市场

DATE=8-20-01
TITLE=THIS IS AMERICA #1078 -  Yard Sales and Flea¹ Markets
BYLINE=Jerilyn Watson

VOICE ONE: 
Every weekend, many Americans drive around looking for things to buy.  They are taking part in an unusual kind of outdoor (1)treasure hunt.  I'm Shirley Griffith.
VOICE TWO: 
And I'm Rich Kleinfeldt  A report about (2)yard sales and (3)flea markets is our story today on the VOA Special English program THIS IS AMERICA. 
((THEME))
VOICE ONE:
 "Everybody loves a (4)bargain" is a well-known saying.  A bargain is a good deal.  It is something you get for less than its (5)value.  One person's useless, ugly, or broken object can be another person's bargain.  That is why so many Americans do not throw things away.  They put them outside their house.  They put on a "For Sale" sign.  And, as simple as that, they have a yard sale.
In some parts of the country, such a sale might be called a (6)garage sale or a moving sale.  Whatever the name, the activity is the same.  People sell things they no longer want.
VOICE TWO:
Over the years, many people's houses fill up with objects: Books no one wants to read any more.  Baby clothes for the child  who is now a university student.
These objects are no longer useful to the first owner.  Yet it seems (7)wasteful to throw them away.  Often, people must make a decision about things when they move to a different house. "Let's have a yard sale," they say. "Then we will not have to move the things we do not use anymore.  And we can make a little money at the same time."
VOICE ONE:
The sellers³ put a paid (8)announcement in a local newspaper.  It tells when and where the yard sale will take place.  It lists some of the things to be sold.  These sales are very popular during weekends in spring, summer, and autumn.  On one weekend, for example, you can find announcements for almost two-hundred yard sales around Washington⁴, D-C. 
Early in the morning, all the things to be sold are carried out of the house.  Then they sit all day in the sunlight⁵ -- like tired guests at a party -- waiting for someone to take them home.
VOICE TWO:
Just about anything can be sold at a yard sale.  Sometimes, there are more clothes than anything else.  Cooking (9)equipment is also popular.  So are old toys, tools, books, tables, and chairs. Then there are objects called "white elephants."  A white elephant is something you think is extremely⁶ (10)ugly or useless.
It may be an electric light shaped like a fish.  You feel a sharp (11)pain whenever you look at it.  To someone else, however, it might be a thing of beauty and joy.
Usually, the seller² puts a price on each object at a yard sale.  However, that price can almost always be (12)negotiated.  The price of a table, for example, might be marked "Ten Dollars."  But the seller probably will accept eight dollars.  By the end of the day, if the table has not been sold, the seller probably will accept much less. 
VOICE TWO:
(13)Serious buyers also spend time getting ready for yard sales.  They collect the newspaper announcements.  Then they make lists of the sales they want to attend.  Some use maps to plan their trip.  They want to get to as many sales as possible. 
A man who lives near the Middle Western city of Chicago filled his home almost completely⁷ with (14)furniture and window (15)coverings from yard sales.  He said he was able to travel to Japan with the money he saved.
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
VOICE TWO:
New things in stores cost more than some people can pay.  So, they are happy to find a painting, a warm coat, or a chair for ten or fifteen dollars.  Perhaps they find dishes for twenty dollars that would cost one-hundred dollars in a store. 
Some (16)professional⁸ dealers⁹ in old objects also go to yard sales.  They may find a valuable object for a small amount of money.  Then they will re-sell it in their own store. . .usually at a much higher price. 
Other people go because they enjoy the hunt. They like to find beautiful or unusual things that are being sold for less than their value.  They may find a piece of old furniture, for example, that is worth a lot of money after it is (17)repaired. 
VOICE ONE:
Some people go to yard sales to find a (18)special thing that they collect.  It may be old toy trains, for example, or paintings of dogs.  Experts say more Americans are collecting old things now than ever before.  The most popular things to collect are small objects: old money, (19)stamps, (20)dolls, (21)bottles, baseball cards, toys and advertising¹⁰ signs.
Most people who go to yard sales, however, are not looking for anything special.  They might buy an object simply because it costs so little.  They enjoy negotiating¹¹ over prices, even if they really do not need the object.  Later, they may hold their own yard sale to sell all the things they have bought.
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
VOICE TWO:
A flea market is similar to a yard sale, only bigger.  Flea markets get their name from small, (22)wingless insects called fleas¹².  Fleas jump on to animals or humans and hide in their hair.  Some people say the expression "flea market" comes from the fear that fleas may be hiding in the old things you buy at such a market. 
Some flea markets are (23)community events.  Many families bring things to sell.  The event may be held at a school or in a park.  Some schools and (24)churches hold flea markets once a year to (25)earn money for special projects.  Most flea markets, however, are held on weekends during spring, summer, and autumn. 
VOICE ONE:
Professional dealers' flea markets are more organized than yard sales or community flea markets.  Sellers usually must get a trader's (26)license from the local government.  They must collect tax on everything they sell. 
Some people get all their earnings¹³ by selling things at flea markets.  Others have traditional jobs and earn a little extra money at flea markets.   Some dealers at a flea market sell lots of different things.  Others sell just one kind of thing.  It may be glass objects or old farm equipment.  Many professional flea markets sell only (27)antiques¹⁵.  In America, things are considered antique¹⁴ if they are at least one-hundred years old. 
VOICE TWO:
One of the largest flea markets in the world is held in the state of California¹⁶.  On the second Sunday of every month, buyers look at objects offered by more than two-thousand sellers.  This (28)huge event is the Rose Bowl Flea Market.  It takes place in the famous sports center in Pasadena, California.   In sunshine or during rain, sellers show all kinds of things: books, records, (29)fishbowls, (30)seashells, doghouses. 
Arts and (31)crafts¹⁷ are offered at the Rose Bowl Arts and Crafts Outdoor (32)Festival, in connection with the Rose Bowl Flea Market.  The only objects not (33)permitted for sale (34)include food, animals, and guns.
VOICE ONE:
Another famous market is called "The World's Longest Outdoor Sale."  This event is held each year along a road that runs through the southern states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama.  The sale is seven-hundred-twenty-five kilometers long. 
The twelfth yearly¹⁸ sale was held last Thursday through Sunday.  More than two-thousand people (35)lined up to sell things.  They included antiques, art, farm tools, home-made¹⁹ food, even cats and dogs.  Thousands of people stopped their cars and looked over the goods at "The World's Longest Outdoor Sale."
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
VOICE TWO:
To some people, flea markets and yard sales are a sign that Americans are too (36)concerned with (37)material (38)possessions.  They ask: Why do people spend so much time buying things they probably do not need?  Is it some basic human (39)desire to trade or to get something for almost nothing? 
Some people have a strong desire to collect old objects such as toys or dolls.  Perhaps they may be trying to (40)recapture the happy times when they were children.
VOICE ONE:
To other people, yard sales are simply a way to have fun.  In some communities, ten or twenty families may have a yard sale on the same weekend.  These are important social (41)gatherings.  A busy working mother in Cleveland said she would never have met so many people who live near her without yard sales. 
Other people say yard sales help the (42)environment.  Old things are re-used instead of being thrown away.
In any case, experts say buying and collecting objects at yard sales and flea markets are more popular than ever in America.  Hunting for unusual (43)items is a sport for some people.  For others, it is a way of life.
((THEME))
VOICE TWO:
This program was written by Shelley Gollust and Jerilyn Watson.  It was produced by Lawan Davis.  I'm Rich Kleinfeldt.
VOICE ONE:
And I'm Shirley Griffith.  Join us again next week for another report about life in the United²⁰ States on the Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.

(1) treasure [treV[] n. 财宝, 财富, 珍品, 财产; vt. 珍爱, 珍惜, 储
(2) yard [ja:d] n. 院子, 码
(3) flea [fli:] n. 跳蚤, 低廉的旅馆，生蚤的动物
(4) bargain [ba:gin]n. 契约, 合同, 成交商品, 便宜货; v. 议价
(5) value [vAlju:]n. 价值, 估价, 评价, 价格, [数]值, 确切涵义; vt.
(6) garage [gA'ra:V] n. 汽车间, 修车厂, 车库; v. 放入车库
(7) wasteful [weistful] adj. 浪费的, 不经济的
(8) announcement [E'naJsm[nt] n. 宣告, 发表, 一项公告, 一项私人告示
(9) equipment [i'kwipm[nt] n. 装备, 设备, 器材, 装置, 铁道车辆,
(10) ugly [Qgli] adj. 丑陋的, 难看的
(11) pain [pein] n. 痛苦, 疼, 痛, 劳苦, 努力
(12) negotiate [ni'g[JFieit] v. (与某人)商议, 谈判, 磋商, ,买卖, 让渡
(13) serious [siEriEs] adj. 严肃的, 认真的, 严重的
(14) furniture [f:nitF[] n. 家具, 设备, 储藏物
(15) cover [kQvE] n. 盖子, 封面, 藉口; vt. 覆盖, 铺, 掩饰, 保护,
(16) professional [prE'feFEnl] n. 自由职业者, 专业人员, 职业运动员,
(17) repair [ri'peE] n. 修理, 修补; vt. 修理, 修补, 补救, 纠正
(18) special [speFl] n. 特派员, 专车, 专刊; adj. 特别的, 特殊的,
(19) stamp [stAmp] n. 邮票, 印花, 印, 图章, 标志, 印记, 跺脚, 顿足
(20) doll [dR:l] n. 洋娃娃, 玩偶, 美丽但无头脑的女子, <俚>美男子
(21) bottle [bRtl] vt. 用瓶装; n. 瓶子
(22) wingless [wiNlis]n. 翅, 翅膀, 翼, 飞翔, 机翼, 派别; vt. 装以翼,
(23) community [kE'mju:niti] n. 公社, 团体, 社会, (政治)共同体, 共有,
(24) church [tF:tF] n. 教堂, 礼拜堂, 教会, 教派, [宗]礼拜
(25) earn [:n] vt. 赚, 挣得, 获得; v. 赚得, 获得
(26) license [lais[ns] n. 许可(证), 执照; vt. 许可, 特许; v. 许可
(27) antique [An'ti:k] n. 古物, 古董
(28) huge [hju:dV] adj. 巨大的, 极大的, 无限的
(29) fishbowl [fiFb[Jl] n. 玻璃鱼缸
(30) Seashell [si:Fel] n. 海贝壳
(31) craft [kra:ft] n. 工艺, 手艺
(32) festival [festivEl] n. 节日, 喜庆日, 音乐节, 戏剧节, 喜庆, 欢宴,
(33) permit [pE'mit]v. 许可, 允许, 准许; n. 通行证, 许可证, 执照
(34) include [in'klu:d] vt. 包括, 包含
(35) line up  v. 整队, 排列起
(36) concern [kEn's:n] vt. 涉及, 关系到; n. (利害)关系, 关心, 关注,
(37) material [m['ti[ri[l] n. 材料, 原料, 物资, 素材, 布料; adj. 物质
(38) possession [p['zeFn] n. 拥有, 占有, 所有, 着迷, 领土, 领地, 财产
(39) desire [di'zaiE] vt. 想望, 期望, 希望, 请求(官方丈礼); n. 愿望, 心
(40) recapture [ri'kAptFE] n. 取回, 夺回, 政府对公司超额收益或利润的征
(41) gathering [gAT[riN] n. 聚集, 收款
(42) environment [in'vai[r[m[nt] n. 环境, 外界
(43) item [ait[m] n. (可分类或列举的)项目, 条款, (消息、情报等的)

 

 

1 flea   

n.跳蚤

参考例句：

• I'll put a flea in his ear if he bothers me once more.如果他再来打扰的话，我就要对他不客气了。
• Hunter has an interest in prowling around a flea market.亨特对逛跳蚤市场很感兴趣。

2 seller   

n.售货者，畅销品

参考例句：

• I hope for this book to become a best seller.我希望这本书会成为一本畅销书。
• She drove a hard bargain with the seller.她狠杀卖主的价。

3 sellers   

n.卖者( seller的名词复数 )；卖方；销售者；销售商

参考例句：

• buyers and sellers transacting business 进行交易的买方和卖方
• All manner of hawkers and street sellers were plying their trade. 形形色色的沿街小贩都在做着自己的买卖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 Washington   

n.华盛顿特区(是美国首都)

参考例句：

• His birthplace is Washington,but he lives in San Francisco.他出生于华盛顿，但住在旧金山。
• They, together with my father,have gone to Washington.他们和我父亲一起去华盛顿了。

5 sunlight   

n.日光，阳光，日照

参考例句：

• The room was flooded with warm and golden sunlight.房间充满着温暖、金色的阳光。
• In the bright sunlight she had to narrow her eyes.在强烈阳光下她必须眯着双眼。

6 extremely   

adv.极其，非常，极度

参考例句：

• The film is extremely good,I just cannot miss it.这部电影太精彩了，我非看不可。
• The old man was extremely difficult to get along with.这个老人极难相与。

7 completely   

adv.完全地，十分地，全然

参考例句：

• She never completely gave up hope.她从不完全放弃希望。
• I feel completely in the dark on this question.这件事使我感到茫然。

8 professional   

adj.专业的；职业的；n.专业人员；职业运动员

参考例句：

• He is a professional tennis player.他是一名职业网球运动员。
• I need a professional to sort out my finances.我需要专业人士为我管理财务。

9 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

10 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

11 negotiating   

n. 谈判 动词negotiate的现在分词

参考例句：

• They were coerced into negotiating a settlement. 他们被迫通过谈判解决。
• We want to get all the parties back to the negotiating table. 我们想把有关各方拉回到谈判桌上来。

12 fleas   

n.跳蚤( flea的名词复数 )；爱财如命；没好气地（拒绝某人的要求）

参考例句：

• The dog has fleas. 这条狗有跳蚤。
• Nothing must be done hastily but killing of fleas. 除非要捉跳蚤，做事不可匆忙。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

14 antique   

adj.古时的，古代的；n.古物，古器，古玩

参考例句：

• The Sunday antique market is a happy hunting ground for collectors.周日的古董市场是收藏家的淘物乐园。
• I saw the vase in the window of an antique shop.我在一家古玩店的橱窗里看见了这个花瓶。

15 antiques   

n.古玩，古董，古物( antique的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The room was furnished with antiques. 房间里摆放了古董。
• a priceless collection of antiques 价值连城的古文物收藏

16 California   

n.加利福尼亚(美国)

参考例句：

• He was elected governor of the state of California.他当选为加州州长。
• We were driving on a California freeway.我们正沿着加利福尼亚的一条快车道驾车行驶。

17 crafts   

n.工艺( craft的名词复数 )；行业；飞机；飞行器

参考例句：

• traditional crafts like basket-weaving 像编篮子之类的传统工艺
• an arts and crafts emporium 工艺品商店

18 yearly   

adj.每年的，一年一度的；adv.一年一次地

参考例句：

• The flower show is a yearly event in our town.我们镇上的花展一年举行一次。
• The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。

19 home-made   

adj.自制的

参考例句：

• The instruments used are all home-made.所用的仪器都是国产的。
• The restaurant serves plain home-made meals.那个餐馆供应简单的家常菜。

20 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。