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That's when our first customers started to arrive. I told Rowley we could argue about this LATER, but for NOW we needed to act like PROFESSIONALS. At first just a few people showed up, but after a while a lot MORE came. And, when they started checking out my stuff, I went into sales mode. One lady seemed interested in a collector's coin I got from my uncle, but she complained that it was DENTED. So I thought fast and told her the REASON it was dented was because it had stopped a bullet in the Second World War.

就在这时，我们的第一批客人上门了。 我告诉罗利，这件事我们回头再吵，眼下得表现得专业点。 一开始只有几个人来，没过多久，更多客人涌来了。 大家开始翻看我的商品时，我立刻进入了卖货模式。 有位女士看上了叔叔送我的收藏币，可她嫌硬币有凹痕。 我脑子转得飞快，告诉她这凹痕是二战时挡子弹留下的。

She didn't seem to BELIEVE me, though, probably because the coin was dated last year. I spent a lot of time trying to close that deal, and I started worrying that people were stealing behind my back. Unfortunately my Theft Prevention Manager was totally useless, because he was busy playing with the magnet set.

不过她好像不信我，这也难怪，毕竟这枚硬币是去年生产的。 我花了好半天想做成这笔生意，还开始担心有人趁我不注意偷东西。 可惜我的防盗经理完全不顶用，他光顾着玩磁铁套装呢。

I told Rowley he'd better start doing his JOB or he was gonna get FIRED. But Rowley said it wasn't a REAL job anyway, because he wasn't getting PAID. I explained that I hadn't SOLD anything yet and didn't have any MONEY to pay him with. So when he said he was LEAVING I told him he could pick out one item from any table and THAT could be his payment. Rowley seemed pretty excited about that idea, and I thought for SURE he'd choose the magnet set. But he headed straight for the Rare Items table instead.

我警告罗利赶紧好好干活，不然就炒他鱿鱼。 可罗利说这本来就不算正经工作，因为他拿不到工钱。 我跟他解释，我还没卖出东西呢，根本没钱给他开工资。 所以他说要走的时候，我让他随便从哪个摊子挑一件东西抵工钱。 罗利对这个主意挺满意，我断定他肯定会选那套磁铁套装。 可他反倒径直走向了稀有商品区。

I explained that those things were for PAYING customers ONLY and that maybe he'd be interested in something from the Fun Toys table. But Rowley wouldn't BUDGE. Eventually he settled on the Vampire Bat Shield. And I was OK with that, because it was really just a broken umbrella. But now Rowley was so worried about BATS that he couldn't concentrate on his job. While Rowley was fooling around with his stupid umbrella, I thought I saw a guy take an action figure from the Collectibles table and stuff it in his pocket. So I ran over to deal with him.

我跟他说这些东西只卖给付钱的顾客，劝他去趣味玩具区挑点别的。 可罗利寸步不让。 最后他挑中了吸血鬼蝙蝠盾。 我其实无所谓，因为那本来就是一把破雨伞改的。 可这下罗利满脑子都怕蝙蝠，根本没法专心干活了。 罗利摆弄他那把破雨伞的时候，我好像看见一个男人从收藏品区拿了个人偶塞口袋里。 所以我赶紧跑过去拦他。

But the only things in the guy's pockets were some used tissues and car keys. I was glad I was staying ALERT, though, because I headed off a major DISASTER.A pickup truck pulled up at the kerb, and some guy from Whirley Street started piling my stuff into the back.

可那个男人的口袋里只有用过的纸巾和车钥匙。 不过我还是挺开心自己保持警惕的，因为我躲开了一场大灾难。一辆皮卡车停在路边，一个惠利街来的家伙正把我的东西往车斗里搬。

I asked him what he was DOING, and he said that since tomorrow was trash day he thought the stuff by the kerb was up for grabs. But I didn't have time to explain the concept of a yard sale to this guy, because all of a sudden I had an even BIGGER problem to deal with. It started to RAIN, and everyone was heading back to their cars. I was worried I might never get this many people to come to a yard sale again, and I wanted to sell SOMETHING to make all the effort worth it. So I went round and marked down the prices on every item.

我问他在干什么，他说明天是收垃圾日，他以为路边这些东西都是没人要的。 可我没时间跟他解释庭院旧货出售是怎么回事，因为我突然碰上了更大的麻烦。 天开始下雨，所有人都往自己的车跑去。 我担心再也凑不到这么多人来我的旧货摊了，总得卖点东西才不白费这一番功夫。 所以我挨个给所有商品降了价。