Notes on the text
课文注释

1  a delicate shade of green，淡绿色。

2  If you were to ask，这里用was/were加动词不定式来表示过去预计发生并且发生了的事情。

3  come into the possession of，占有，得到。

4  cure someone of…，治好某人的……。

5  on the spot，当场。

6  put out，烦恼，不安，不高兴。

7  out of stock，脱销。

8  keep a straight face，板着面孔，一本正经。

参考译文

我的堂兄哈里在他的书房里一直摆着一只形状古怪的大瓶子。尽管那只瓶子呈淡绿色，但细心的客人很快就会发现瓶里装的是一种看上去黏稠、颜色发灰的东西。要是你问哈里瓶里装着什么，他会告诉你是香水泥。如果你表示怀疑或惊奇，他会立即请你闻一闻，然后取出一些抹在你的皮肤上。这一简单的试验会消除你可能存有的一切疑虑。瓶里装的的确是香水泥。哈里是如何得到这种稀奇古怪的东西的，这里有个有趣的故事，而且他挺爱把它讲给别人听。此外，得到这瓶香水泥还治好了他多年的一个坏习惯。

哈里曾认为走进一家名贵化妆品商店，荒唐地提出要买一种根本不存在的商品是件很开心的事儿。他会当场编造出一些稀奇古怪的货名。他走进商店后，会提出要一种名叫“香影”的新型香水或者什么“不溶浴皂”。要是女售货员告诉他从未听说过这些东西，他会装出十分遗憾和不安的样子。他爱听售货员说他想像出来的那种东西暂时脱销，于是他就煞有介事地许诺改天再来光顾。当然，他再也不会来了。我实在想像不出哈里在这些表演中是怎样装出一本正经的样子的。

毋须暗示哈里就会向你讲起他买下那瓶珍贵香水泥的经过。一天，他去伦敦一家高级商店要买一种叫“密诺莱特”的东西，店员露出诧异的神色。哈里又慢慢地、一字一顿地说了一遍这个词，那个女售货员还是迷惑不解地摇了摇头。哈里便进一步解释“密诺莱特”是一种质地坚硬、状似琥珀的东西，可以用来除去雀斑。他的解释显然对女售货员有些启示。她一个货架接着一个货架地寻找，拿出各种各样稀奇古怪的化妆品，但没有一样能够符合哈里的要求。哈里装出不高兴的样子时，女售货员答应为他定货。哈里为他的骗术而感到洋洋得意，又提出要买香水泥。他原想女售货员会惊奇地望着他，不知所措，没料到这回该轮到他自己吃惊了。因为那女售货员听完哈里的话后，马上眼睛一亮，拿出几瓶东西放在柜台上让哈里挑选。哈里只好认输。他挑出一个看上去最小的瓶子，谨慎地问了价。他庆幸自己只破费了20英镑便得以脱身。他把那只宝贵的瓶子放在腋下夹着，溜之大吉。从那以后，他认识到自己发明的小小恶作剧是要付出很大代价的。在他书房的书柜里摆着的那瓶形状古怪的香水泥就是他第一次也是最后一次购买的稀有化妆品。

Multiple choice questions
多项选择题

Choose the correct answers to the following questions.

Comprehension 理解

1  The essence of the joke, from Harry's point of view, was that ______ .

a．he would take up the shop assistants' time without having to buy anything

b．he enjoyed inventing fanciful names for outlandish products

c．the shop assistants usually tried very hard not to disappoint him

d．he was amused at the idea that he knew something the shop assistants didn't

2  On Harry's visits to expensive cosmetics shops, he ______ .

a．always thought up a name for some nonexistent item before going into the shop

b．would walk out angrily if the assistant did not entertain his request

c．was delighted if the shop assistant believed the product actually existed

d．seldom bought the products he asked for as they were out of stock

3  When Harry was presented with several bottles of perfumed mud, he ______ .

a．was surprised, as he had only expected one such bottle to be produced

b．told the shop assistant he was defeated

c．felt obliged to offer twenty pounds for the smallest bottle

d．picked up the smallest bottle, hoping it wouldn't be too expensive

Structure 结构

4  The bottle is filled with what ______ a thick, greyish substance. (1. 4)

a．must be

b．seems to be

c．would be

d．would appear

5  He thought ______ funny to ask for goods that do not exist. (11. 12-13)

a．that was

b．it being

c．it

d．they were

6  He requested goods that do not exist, ______ he would invent names on the spot. (1. 13)

a．when

b．to which

c．for what

d．for which

7  He loved ______ that the product was out of stock. (11. 15-16)

a．when he was told

b．it when he was told

c．it to be told

d．that he was told

8  It was then that Harry decided the game he had invented might prove expensive and ______ since. (11. 30-31)

a．he has not played it

b．had not played it

c．he does not play it

d．did not play it

Vocabulary 词汇

9  He likes to relate how he came into possession of this ______ stuff. (11. 9-10)

a．foreign

b．rural

c．weird

d．unlikely

10  This explanation evidently ______ something to the woman…(1. 23)

a．sensed

b．reminded

c．informed

d．meant

11  Harry put on his act of being ______ annoyed… (11. 24-25)

a．slightly

b．little

c．barely

d．grossly

12  He felt that for a mere twenty pounds, he had ______ . (11. 29-30)

a．got a real bargain

b．made a fortunate choice

c．little to lose

d．had a lucky escape