Imagine it’s April 1849, you are a tailor from upstate New York, but after a five week journey, you and your cousin arrived in St. Louis just yesterday. It’s a stop on your way to the gold fields of California, and hopefully to riches.
While your cousin is buying some supplies you’ll need at a nearby store, you watch the crowds bustling around you, there are more people here than you have seen in your life. All of them would be miners like you.
They are buying shovels, lanterns, food, everything they’ll need when they stake their claims in California. It is more competition for gold than you realize.
Soon your cousin emerges from the store, but he is empty handed. “Where are the supplies”？ “Well. Bad news, he is asking 40 dollars”. “40 dollars for three barrels of pork? That wouldn’t be more than 20 dollars back home”. “I know, that what I told them. I refused to pay such a ridiculous price. But other people are forking over for it. The store’s shelves are nearly bare. What would we do now”?
Between you and your cousin, you have just 50 dollars left. If you pay what this store is asking, it will just about wipe you out. But you are worried about wasting time searching for cheaper prices.
“Well, I don’t think we have a choice. We have to pay the 40 dollars”. “You can’t be serious”. “What other options do we have? I mean, we need get going. Looking at these people. Even an hour’s delay could mean the difference between staking a good claim and getting stuck with a barren one”.
Your cousin shakes his head in disgust. But you can tell he knows you are right. So together you head back inside the store and get in line.
When you reach the counter. The owner looks to you and your cousin up and down. You swallow hard. “Well, We’d like three barrels of pork”. “”All right. That’ll be 50 dollars”. “50? You told my cousin here 40”. “Well, I am now saying 50”. “Sir, I left my wife and my whole family back home. By return empty handed, we’re finished. Please, this is the all money we’ve got”.
“Look, I get the same stories 10 times a day. See that line behind you? They got money. So if you can’t pay, step aside.” The store owner crosses his arms. You are sputtering mad, you could punch him right in the teeth.
But there is nothing you can do. You’ve got to get to the gold field and fast. So you reach into your pocket, and grab your last 50 dollars. The owner snatches it out of your hand.
You hope like hell those three barrels of pork would be enough to sustain you till you can reach California, and hopefully get you hands on some of the gold.
生词注释 Word Explanation
bustling: /ˈbʌslɪŋ/ adj. 熙熙攘攘的，忙乱的
stake: /steɪk/ n. 股本，赌注。 v. 拿……冒险，以……打赌
barrel: /ˈbærəl/ n. 桶。
fork: /fɔːrk/ n. 餐叉，岔路，支流。 v. （道路、河流等）分岔，（不情愿地）大把花钱，付出。
sputter: /ˈspʌtər/ v. 气急败坏地说，结结巴巴地讲；飞溅出，喷出，唾沫飞溅。
snatch: /snætʃ/ v. 一把抓住，立马夺下；夺去，抢走；抓住机会做（某事）；侥幸获得（胜利），险胜。