Customs Officers are quite tolerant these days, but they can still stop you when you are going through the Green Channel and have nothing to declare. Even really honest people are often made to feel guilty. The hardened professional smuggler,on the other hand,is never troubled by such feelings, even if he has five hundred gold watches hidden in his suitcase. When I returned from abroad recently, a particularly officious young Customs Officer clearly regarded me as a smuggler.
   'Have you anything to declare?'he asked,looking me in the eye.
   'No,'I answered confidently.
   'Would you mind unlocking this suitcase please?'
   'NOt at all,'I answered.
    The Officer went through the case with great care. All the things I had packed so carefully were soon in a dreadful mess. I felt sure I would never be able to close the case again. Suddenly,I saw the Officer's face light up. He had spotted a tiny bottle at the bottom of my case and he pounced on it with delight.
   'Perfume,eh?'he asked sarcastically. 'You should have declared that.'Perfume is not exempt from import duty.'
   'But it isn't perfume,'I said. 'It's hair gel.'Then I added with a smile,'It's a strange mixture I make myself.'
    As I expected,he did not believe me.
   'Try it!'I said encouragingly.
    The Officer unscrewed the cap and put the bottle to his nostrils. The Officer unscrewed the cap and put the bottle to his nostrils. He was greeted by an unpleasant smell which convinced him that I was telling the truth. A few minutes later,I was able to hurry away with precious chalk marks on my baggage.

 

参考译文：
现在的海关官员往往相当宽容。但是，当你通过绿色通道，没有任何东西需要申报时，他们仍可以拦住你。甚至是最诚实的人也常被弄得觉得有罪似的。而老练的职业走私犯却能够处之泰然。即使在手提箱里藏着500只金表。最近一次，我出国归来，碰上一位特别好管闲事的年轻海关官员，他显然把我当成了走私犯。
“您有什么需要申报的吗？”他直盯着我的眼睛问。
“没有。”我自信地回答说。
“请打开这只手提箱好吗？”
“好的。”我回答说。
那位官员十分仔细地把箱子检查了一遍。所有细心包装好的东西一会儿工夫就乱成了一团。我相信那箱子再也关不上了。突然，我看到官员脸上露出了得意的神色。他在我的箱底了现了一只小瓶，高兴地一把抓了起来。
“香水，嗯？”他讥讽地说道，“你刚才应该申报，香水要上进口税的。”
“不，这不是香水，”我说，“是发胶。”接着我脸带微笑补充说：“这是一种我自己配制的奇特的混合物。”果不出所料，他并不相信我。
“你就闻一闻吧！”我催促说。
海关官员拧开瓶盖，把瓶子放到鼻子底下。一股怪味袭来，使他相信了我说的是真话。几分钟后，我终于被放行，手提划着宝贵的粉笔记号的行李，匆匆离去。

 

New words and expression 生词和短语
★Guilty  adj.犯罪的，违法的
-- He felt guilty when he did what he shouldn't have done.
-- He said that with a guilty smile.
Guilt (n.罪行, 内疚)              guiltily (adv.有罪地, 有罪似地)
反义词：innocent (adj.清白的, 无罪的)              innocence (n.清白)

★tolerant  adj.宽容的         Tolerantly (adv.)
-- A tolerant person must be easy going.  一个宽容的人一定是很好相处的。
Tolerance (n.宽容, 忍受, 容忍)              Tolerate (vt.忍受, 容忍)
Tolerable (adj.可忍受的)          hardship (n.困苦, 艰难, 辛苦)
-- The hardship is tolerable. 这种困苦还是可以忍受的。

★declare  v.申报

★hardened  adj.有经验的（侧重于老练的）
-- a hardened player  /  a hardened thief
experienced  adj.富有经验的 (侧重于有经验的)
-- an experienced teacher

★professional  adj.职业的，专业的
-- a professional player 一个职业的选手

★smuggler  n.走私者

★officious  adj.爱管闲事的     /    Officiousness (n.)
-- A lot of old ladies are officious.
Officious  adj.多管闲事的, 非官方的, 非正式的, 专横的
-- civil（adj.全民的, 市民的, 公民的, 国民的）
-- servant（n.仆人）
-- civil servant  n.文职人员,公务员,公仆,(联合国等机构的行政人员)
-- officious civil servant  爱管闲事的的公务员
-- an officious police officer  专横的的警官
Officiously（adv.多管闲事的, 非正式的, 非官方的）
official  adj.官方的, 官员的, 正式的
-- An official inquiry will be made into this matter.（inquiry  n.质询, 调查）
  此事将进行一次官方调查。

★Confidently  adv.自信地（= with confidence 充满信心的）
-- He went to do the work confidently.
Confident (adj.自信的, 确信的)
Confidence (n.信心)
-- have confidence 有信心 /  gain confidence 获得信心
in confidence (悄悄的,秘密的) = secretly
take sb into one's confidence  以某人为心腹
-- The boss takes his secretary into his confidence.

dreadful  adj.可怕的，一团糟的 （= frightful  adj.糟糕的, 讨厌的）
dreadful（侧重于可怕的, 乱七八糟的）
-- The room is dreadful  /  a frightful day
fearful（表示胆怯的, 恐惧的）
-- she felt fearful particularly when she went out at night.（adv.独特地, 显著地）

★pounce  v.猛抓，扑住

★perfume  n.香水（人造的）
★fragrance （抽象名词）n.芬芳, 芳香, 香气, 香味

★sarcastically  adv.讽刺地
★exempt  adj.被免除的

★duty  n.税
-- Customs Duty 关税  /   duty free 免税的
-- Stamp Duty 印花税 （stamp  n.邮票, 印花, 图章, 标志）
同义词：tax  n.税, 税款, 税金
-- income tax 所得税

★gel  n.凝胶

★mixture  n.混合物     
mix（v.使混和, 混淆, 混合）  -- mix sth With
-- Oil does not mix with water. 油不能和水融合在一起
    
★unscrew  v.拧开
★nostril  n.鼻孔
★chalk  n.粉笔

baggage  n.行李
同义词：luggage（n.行李, 皮箱）

trouble  vt.(使)烦恼, 麻烦, 打扰
hide  vt.vi.（hid, hidden, hiding）隐藏
eh  int.(表示惊奇、疑问等) 啊，嗯
particular（adj.特殊的, 特别的, 独特的）
particularly（adv.异常地,显著地,特别地,格外,尤其）
import  n.进口, 进口货(常用复数), 输入
encouraging（adj.鼓励的）                   encouragingly（adv.鼓励的）
greet  vt.问候, 向...致意, 映入眼帘
convince  vt.使确信, 使信服

 

Text 课文讲解：
What was the Customs Officer looking for?
Customs Officers are quite tolerant these days, but they can still stop you when you are going through the Green Channel and have nothing to declare.
the Green Channel = the Custom Office
我们在运用形容词、动词时, 往往需要用副词来强调。
Really（表示“真正的”）
-- a really officious person
particularly（强调“特别, 尤其是”）
absolutely（强调“绝对的”）
completely = entirely = fully = thoroughly（强调“完全的, 彻底的”）
extremely（强调“特别, 特别是”）
fairly  adv.相当地, 还算（语气一般）
-- a fairly gook book. 一本还算可以的书。
very（语气程度强烈“非常”）
-- a very good book. 一本非常好的书。
rather 语意程度接近fairly, 注意不冠词的位置。
-- a fairly good book.
-- a rather good book = rather a good book (更常用)
quite right / quit wrong / quite mistaken / quite sure
even really honest people...
a particularly officious young Customs officer...

Even really honest people are often made to feel guilty.
are made to feel guilty
make, have, let及感官性动词see, hear, notice, feel 用于主动语态, 符合宾语不定式的符号to
应省略。但这种结构改成被动式时, 不定式符号to必须还原。
-- We heard someone come up the stairs.
-- Someone was heard to come up the stairs.

The hardened professional smuggler, on the other hand, is never troubled by such feelings, even if he has five hundred gold watches hidden in his suitcase.
even if he has five hundred gold watches hidden in his suitcase.
= Even if/though he has five hundred golden watches that are hidden in his suitcase.
hidden in his suitcase（过去分词短语作定语, 修饰watches）
On the one hand..., on the other hand…。
-- On the one hand we could stay and help you, but on the other hand it might be better if you
 went to help him instead.
When I returned form abroad recently, a particularly officious young Customs Officer clearly regarded me as a smuggler.

'Have you anything to declare?' he asked, looking me in the eye.
looking me in the eye 两眼直盯盯的注视着我
= look sb in the face = stare sb in the eyes = look directly at sb
-- Not one of the men dared look him in the eye. 没有人敢正眼看他。

'No', I answered confidently.
'Would you mind unlocking this suitcase please?'       'Not at all,' I answered.
Would you mind unlocking this suitcase, please?
注意：mind后面的动名词形式

The Officer went through the case with great care.   
The Officer went through the case with great care.
= The Officer examined the case carefully
with great care  强调相当的仔细

All the things I had packed so carefully were soon in a dreadful mess.
in a mess  乱作一团
介词in 和名词搭配，表示一种状态
-- in good order  秩序井然  /  -- in good health 身体健康
-- in a good mood 心情好  /  -- in a good temper 脾气好

Suddenly, I saw the Officer's face light up.
light up 喜气洋洋, 容光焕发
-- Marsha’s face lit up when she saw her old friend.
-- His face lighted up at the small triumph.（n.胜利, 成功）
-- Tom really lighted up when he saw the new bicycle.
Light的过去式与过去分词即可以是lit, 也可以是lighted.
-- 但是如果运用过去分词作定语, 表示被点燃的, 要用lighted。
-- a lighted cigar 一支被点燃的雪茄
-- a lighted stick 点燃的火炬

He had spotted a tiny bottle at the bottom of my case and he pounced on it with delight.
with delight  欣喜若狂地 （with和抽象名词搭配, 表示内心充满了一种感情）
-- with confidence 自信地  /  -- with care 细心地
-- with pride 骄傲地  /  -- with delight 欣喜若狂地
pounce on  向...猛扑过去, 对...大做文章
-- The policeman pounced on the thief. 警察向小偷猛扑过去。
-- Don't pounce on my mistake. 不要对我的错误大做文章。

'Perfume, eh?' he asked sarcastically. 'You should have declared that. Perfume is not exempt from import duty.'
should have和过去分词搭配（表示本应该做某事却没有做, 具有谴责性的味道）
-- You should have arrived here five minutes earlier.
-- You should have told me about it.
shouldn't have done 本不应该做某事
exempt  v.免除 adj.被免除的（be exempt from）
-- Drinks are not exempt from import duty. Perfume is not exempt from import duty either.

'But it isn't perfume,' I said. 'It's hair gel.' Then I added with a smile, 'It's a strange mixture I make myself.'

As I expected, he did not believe me.
As：关系代词（引导非限制性定语从句, 它所指代的内容就是主句的整个句子的含义）
-- As we know, the earth is round. 众所周知, 地球是圆的。
-- As I mentioned  正如我所提及的
-- As I soon learned, he was English himself. 正如我很快得知的,他也是英国人。
关系代词as和which的区别：
as所引导的非限制性定语从句, 可用在主句之前。
which引导的非限制性定语从句, 只能用在主句之后。

'Try it!' I said encouragingly.
Encouragingly 副词形式

He was greeted by an unpleasant smell which convinced him that I was telling the truth.
Greet
1> vt.问候, 向...致意
2> vt.觉察到, 呈现在...眼前, 在...耳边
-- I woke up and was greeted by a bird's song.  当我醒来时, 耳边是鸟鸣声。
-- Inside the room a dreadful mess greeted us. 当我进入房间，眼前是一堆乱七八糟的东西。
-- When he went into the kitchen, a smell greeted him.

A few minutes later, I was able to hurry away with precious chalk marks on my baggage.
Precious  adj.宝贵的, 贵重的

Special difficulties 难点
Canada  n.加拿大
Canadian  adj.加拿大的 n.加拿大人
Expectation  n.期待, 预料
France  n.法国, 法兰西
French  n.法国人, 法语 adj.法国的, 法国人的, 法语的
Germany  n.德国
German  n.德国人, 德语 adj.德国的, 德国人的, 德语的
Danish  n.丹麦语 adj.丹麦的
Denmark  n.丹麦（北欧国家,首都哥本哈根）
Copenhagen  n.哥本哈根
Tivoli  n.提沃利（意大利中部一城市）

 

Multiple choice questions 多项选择 
Choose the correct answers to the following questions:
1.What makes really honest people feel guilty when going through Customs?
(a)Having five hundred gold watches hidden in their suitcases
(b)The particularly officious way Customs Officers always ask questions
(c)The fact that they are treated as potential smugglers.
(d)Carrying things which are not exempt from import duty.
C    potential（adj.潜在的, 可能的）

2.What made the Customs Officer's face light up?
(a)Knowing how difficult it would be for the writer to close his case.
(b)Seeing the bottle of hair gel which he could charge duty on
(c)The idea of having found something which should have been declare.
(d)Discovering an unopened bottle of perfume at the bottom of the case.
C    what提问名词回答     idea（n.想法, 念头）

3.The writer was in a hurry to get away because____
(a)he had grown impatient at having taken so long to get through Customs.
(b)he was anxious to get away from the unpleasant smell.
(c)he was afraid he might still be stopped for smuggling.
(d)he was trying to escape with precious chalk marks.
A    smuggle（n.走私, 偷带 v.走私）

4.The Customs Officer asked him______he had anything to declare.
(a)that   (b)what   (c)for   (d)whether
D

5."Have you anything to declare?" he asked, looking______.
(a)direct to me  (b)me directly   (c)directly at me   (d)in my direction
C    look him in the eyes/face = look directly at him

6."Would you ____please?"
(a)unlock kindly this suitcase  (b)kindly unlock this suitcase   (c)unlock this suitcase kindly   (d)be kind to unlock this suitcase.
B    would you kindly do sth please? （一种有礼貌的请求）

7.He told him he_____it.
(a)ought to have declared   (b)must have declared   (c)had to declare   (d)needed to declare
A    should = ought to

8._____the cap, the Officer put the bottle to his nostrils.
(a)Having unscrewed   (b)Unscrewed   (c)Being unscrewed  (d)With unscrewed
A     Having finished his homework, he went to bed.

9.Customs Officers are quite tolerant these days. They are____.
(a)tolerable   (b)placid   (c)easy-going   (d)negligent
C    easy-going（adj.好相处的, 随和的）
tolerable（adj.可容忍的  能忍耐的）placid（adj.平静的）negligent（adj.疏忽的, 粗心大意的）

10.A hadened professional amuggler feels_____his behaviour.
(a)unashamed of   (b)unwronged by   (c)unshocked by   (d)guiltless of
 A    feel ashamed of…  为…感到羞愧
unashamed（adj.不害羞的, 不知耻的）
guiltless（adj.无罪的, 无辜的）

11.As I expected, he was _____
(a)incomprehensible   (b)incredible   (c)incredulous   (d)sceptical
D
incomprehensible（= unable to be understood）adj.不能理解的
technical（adj.专业性的, 技术的, 技术上的）
-- The article is full of incomprehensible technical expressions.
Incredible（= unbelievable）adj.难以置信的, 不可思议的
-- What you said is incredible. Incredulous（adj.怀疑的, 不轻信的）
-- He is an incredulous person. Skeptical（unwilling to believe）adj.好怀疑的, 怀疑的

12.I was able to hurry away with precious chalk markd on my ______
(a)handbags  (b)luggage  (c)casement   (d)equuipment
  baggage（n.行李, <军队的>行装）= luggage（n.行李, 皮箱）
casement（n.门式窗）
equipment（n.装备, 设备, 器材, 装置）