胡敏读故事记托福词汇028：从小事做起 Starting Small
They say it’s best to start with something small when you’re trying to build a business. So I started with belt buckles. It’s a good building block for a clothing business. Fortunately, I had a buddy already in the business so he helped me to set up a store.
他们说当你要建立一个企业时，最好先从小事做起。于是，我开始做皮带扣生意，这是服装生意的一大基础。幸运的是，我有个哥们是搞这生意的，于是他帮我开了一家商店。
The buckles I sell are made out of bronze. Bronze is a brownish colored metal that matched every color of clothing including brown garments. They’re not at all brittle. In fact, they are strong and long lasting. My buckles are made in ffice:smarttags" />Spain by the best craftsmen alive since the Bronze Age. I save a lot of money by exporting them in bulky contains that are filled to the brim.
我卖的皮带扣是铜质的。铜是一种呈棕色的金属，它能搭配各种颜色(自然包括棕色)的服装。我卖的皮带扣绝不是一碰就碎的东西，相反它结实耐用。我的皮带扣由青铜器时代以来最优秀的工匠在西班牙制成。我将满载皮带扣的巨大集装箱出口，从而攒了不少的钱。
The clothing business is very competitive and it can be brutal at times. I suppose it’s better than selling light bulbs. Some customers are rather brusque and don’t seem to like conversation. It doesn’t bother me. I try to run a brisk business by selling most of my products in bulk at a discount. As long as I keep to my budget, I can make a profit,
服装业竞争激烈，有时竞争相当残酷。我想这还是比卖灯泡好。有些顾客相当粗鲁，也不愿多说话。不过我不在乎。通过以优惠价批量出售大部分产品，我努力把企业办得兴旺发达。只要我严格按照预算行事，就能盈利。
My goal is to broaden my business by the end of the year by adding belts and hats to my product line. I also want to publish a brochure of my goods. If I succeed at making a good profit, maybe I can buy that house by the brook that I’ve always wanted.
我的目标是到年底扩大经营范围，将皮带和帽子加入生产线。我还想出版一本产品介绍手册。如果我能大笔盈利，也许我会买下小溪边我梦寐以求的房子。
Every time I feel exhausted by the demands of my business, I close my eyes and dream of that house. I think of the cool water coming from the nearby brook. I imagine the sweet smell of flower buds in the garden. And I picture myself sitting in a big bathtub full of bubbles.
每当我被生意上的种种需求折腾得筋疲力尽时，我就会闭上眼睛，梦见那栋房子。我想到屋旁小溪里的溪水的清凉;我想象着花园里蓓蕾的芬芳;我想象着自己坐在一个满是泡泡的大浴缸里。
Words:
brim n. 边;边缘;n. 满溢
brisk adj. 活泼的，轻快的;兴隆的，繁忙活跃的
brittle adj. 易碎的
broaden vt. 放宽，变阔，扩大
brochure n. 小册子
bronze n. 青铜，铜像;古铜
Bronze Age 青铜器时代
brook n. 小河
brown n./adj. 褐色的，棕色的;vt. (使)成褐色，晒黑
brownish adj. 呈褐色的
brusque adj. (指人及人的举止等)粗暴和唐突，无礼的
brutal adj. 野蛮的，残忍的，冷酷无情的
bubble n. 气泡，水泡
buckle n. 带扣;v. (使)变弯曲
bud n. 芽，蓓蕾;vi. 发芽
buddy n. 密友，伙伴
budget n. 预算
building block 积木;基础材料
bulb n. (花)球茎，球形物
bulk n. 大批;大部分;大小，体积
bulky adj. 庞大的;笨重的
