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1、TheMiddleEasternBazaarTheMiddleEasternbazaartakesyoubackhundreds---eventhousands---ofyears.TheoneIamthinkingofparticularlyisenteredbyaGothic-archedgatewayofagedbrickandstone.Youpassfromtheheatandglareofabig,opensquareintoacool,darkcavernwhichextendsasfarastheeyecansee,losingitselfintheshadowydista
2、nce.Littledonkeyswithharmoniouslytinklingbellsthreadtheirwayamongthethrongsofpeopleenteringandleavingthebazaar.Theroadwayisabouttwelvefeetwide,butitisnarrowedeveryfewyardsbylittlestallswheregoodsofeveryconceivablekindaresold.Thedinofthestall-holder;cryingtheirwares,ofdonkey-boysandportersclearinga
3、wayforthemselvesbyshoutingvigorously,andofwould-bepurchasersarguingandbargainingiscontinuousandmakesyoudizzy.Thenasyoupenetratedeeperintothebazaar,thenoiseoftheentrancefadesaway,andyoucometothemutedcloth-market.Theearthenfloor,beatenhardbycountlessfeet,deadensthesoundoffootsteps,andthevaultedmud-b
4、rickwallsandroofhavehardlyanysoundstoecho.Theshop-keepersspeakinslow,measuredtones,andthebuyers,overwhelmedbythesepulchralatmosphere,followsuit.OneofthepeculiaritiesoftheEasternbazaaristhatshopkeepersdealinginthesamekindofgoodsdonotscatterthemselvesoverthebazaar,inordertoavoidcompetition,butcollec
5、tinthesamearea,sothatpurchaserscanknowwheretofindthem,andsothattheycanformacloselyknitguildagainstinjusticeorpersecution.Inthecloth-market,forinstance,allthesellersofmaterialforclothes,curtains,chaircoversandsoonlinetheroadwayonbothsides,eachopen-frontedshophavingatrestletablefordisplayandshelvesf
6、orstorage.Bargainingistheorderofthecay,andveiledwomenmoveataleisurelypacefromshoptoshop,selecting,pricinganddoingalittlepreliminarybargainingbeforetheynarrowdowntheirchoiceandbeginthereallyseriousbusinessofbeatingthepricedown.Itisapointofhonourwiththecustomernottolettheshopkeeperguesswhatitisshere
7、allylikesandwantsuntilthelastmoment.Ifhedoesguesscorrectly,hewillpricetheitemhigh,andyieldlittleinthebargaining.Theseller,ontheotherhand,makesapointofprotestingthatthepriceheischargingisdeprivinghimofallprofit,an
