A happy discovery
一个快乐的发现
What was the 'happy discovery' ?
什么是"快乐的发现"？
Antique shops exert a peculiar fascination on a great many people.
古董店对很多人都有一种特殊的魅力.
The more expensive kind of antique shop
比较贵的古董店
where rare objects are beautifully displayed in glass cases
在玻璃盒中精美展示稀有物品的地方
to keep them free from dust is usually a forbidding place.
让它们远离灰尘通常是一个令人生畏的地方。
But no one has to muster up courage to enter a less pretentious antique shop.
但没有人必须鼓起勇气进入一个不那么自命不凡的古董店。
There is always hope that in its labyrinth of musty, dark, disordered rooms
总有希望，在它的霉味，黑暗，无序的房间迷宫
a real rarity will be found amongst the piles of assorted junk that litter the floors.
一个真正罕见的将被发现之间的各种垃圾堆乱扔地板。
No one discovers a rarity by chance.
没有人偶然发现稀有物.
A truly dedicated bargain hunter must have patience,
一个真正专注的讨价还价猎人必须有耐心,
and above all, the ability to recognize the worth of something when he sees it.
最重要的是，当他看到它时，能够识别事物的价值。
To do this, he must be at least as knowledgeable as the dealer.
要做到这一点，他必须至少像经销商一样知识渊博。
Like a scientist bent on making a discovery,
就像一个一心想发现的科学家,
he must cherish the hope that one day he will be amply rewarded.
他必须珍惜希望有一天他会得到丰厚的回报。
My old friend, Frank Halliday, is just such a person.
我的老朋友弗兰克*哈利迪就是这样一个人。
He has often described to me how he picked up a masterpiece for a mere ￡50.
他经常向我描述他是如何以仅仅50美元的价格买到一件杰作的。
One Saturday morning, Frank visited an antique shop in my neighbourhood.
一个星期六的早晨,弗兰克参观了我附近的一家古董店.
As he had never been there before, he found a great deal to interest him.
由于他以前从未去过那里，他发现了很多东西让他感兴趣。
The morning passed rapidly and Frank was about to leave
早上很快就过去了，弗兰克正要离开
when he noticed a large packing case lying on the floor.
当他注意到一个大包装箱躺在地板上。
The dealer told him that it had just come in,
经销商告诉他，它刚刚进来,
but that he could not be bothered to open it.
但是，他不能打扰打开它。
Frank begged him to do so and the dealer reluctantly prised it open.
弗兰克恳求他这样做，经销商不情愿地撬开它。
The contents were disappointing.
内容令人失望。
Apart from an interesting-looking carved dagger,
除了一把看起来很有趣的雕刻匕首,
the box was full of crockery, much of it broken.
箱子里装满了陶器,大部分都坏了.
Frank gently lifted the crockery out of the box
弗兰克轻轻地把陶器从盒子里拿出来
and suddenly noticed a miniature painting at the bottom of the packing case.
突然注意到包装箱底部有一幅微型画。
As its composition and line reminded him of an Italian painting he knew well,
它的构图和线条让他想起了一幅他熟悉的意大利画,
he decided to buy it.
他决定买下它。
Glancing at it briefly the dealer told him that it was worth ￡50.
经销商简短地看了一眼，告诉他它价值50美元。
Frank could hardly conceal his excitement,
弗兰克几乎无法掩饰他的兴奋,
for he knew that he had made a real discovery.
因为他知道他有一个真正的发现。
The tiny painting proved to be an unknown masterpiece by Correggio
这幅小画被证明是科雷吉奥的一幅不为人知的杰作
and was worth hundreds and thousands of pounds.
价值成百上千英镑。
