The community centre stood in a quiet suburb near the outskirts of the county.
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这座社区服务中心坐落在郡城边缘附近一个安静的郊区。
Reading 09：A Busy Day at the Community Service Centre
社区服务中心忙碌的一天
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第1段
It had formerly been an inn and, for a short period, a youth hostel.
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它从前是一家小旅馆，也曾在短时间内被用作青年旅舍。
Now its primary purpose was to provide practical services indoors while keeping the lawn and playground open to local families.
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如今，它的主要用途是在室内提供各种实用服务，同时向当地家庭开放草坪和游乐场。
Under the auspices of the county council, the centre held an unusual market day once a month.
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在郡议会的支持下，中心每月举办一次别具一格的集市日。
第2段
Mara, the manager, arrived early with a large envelope under one arm and a handbag over the other shoulder.
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经理玛拉很早就到了，一只胳膊下夹着一个大信封，另一侧肩上挎着手提包。
Inside the envelope was a diagram showing where every stall should go.
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信封里有一张示意图，标明每个摊位应该设在哪里。
Volunteers had to assemble several tables, unfold the signs, place cushions onto the wooden seats, and carry boxes into the main hall via a side entrance.
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志愿者们必须组装几张桌子、展开标牌、把坐垫放到木椅上，并经由侧门把箱子搬进主厅。
The plan seemed perfectly clear, but an enormous delivery van was blocking the bottom of the entrance ramp.
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计划看起来十分清楚，可一辆巨大的送货车却堵住了入口坡道的下端。
第3段
“Oh, what an awful start,” Mara said.
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“唉，开局真糟糕。”玛拉说道。
The driver had been unlucky: one wheel had sunk into a soft spot beside the lawn.
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司机运气不好：一个车轮陷进了草坪旁边的一块松软地面。
Anyway, the volunteers stayed alert.
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不管怎样，志愿者们仍保持警觉。
They moved the smaller boxes aside and used a strong board to counterbalance the load.
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他们把较小的箱子移到一旁，并用一块结实的木板来平衡载重。
The van finally emerged from the mud, and the clear entrance enabled the remaining sellers to enter.
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货车终于从泥地里脱困，畅通的入口也让其余卖家得以进入。
第4段
The hall soon began to resemble a small bazaar.
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大厅很快就开始像一个小型集市。
At the center of the room, a bakery sold warm bread, while a cafe offered tea, coffee, and chewing gum.
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房间中央，一家面包店出售热面包，而一家咖啡馆则供应茶、咖啡和口香糖。
The cafeteria at the back served a moderate luncheon, and the canteen prepared hotdog rolls and popcorn for children.
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后面的自助餐厅供应分量适中的午餐，食堂则为孩子们准备了热狗面包和爆米花。
Each meal ration was small but reasonably priced, and the soup had an intense flavour.
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每份餐食的分量不大，但定价合理，而且汤的味道十分浓郁。
A restaurant owner from the mall supplied extra bowls because there was a temporary shortage.
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由于碗暂时短缺，购物中心的一位餐馆老板额外提供了一些碗。
He also promised to return with food for supper.
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他还答应带着晚餐食品回来。
第5段
Other sellers brought a remarkable variety of goods.
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其他卖家带来了种类格外丰富的商品。
A boutique displayed a pretty handbag and a tiny purse.
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一家精品店陈列着一个漂亮的手提包和一个小巧的钱包。
A household stall offered a mattress, a cushion, a mop, and a metal pail.
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一个家居用品摊位出售床垫、坐垫、拖把和金属桶。
Beside it, a pottery maker arranged cups made of fine china and placed a slate sign at the front.
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在它旁边，一位陶器制作者摆好了精美瓷器制成的杯子，并在前方放了一块石板招牌。
The bookstall shared space with a local bookstore, while a drugstore handed out basic health leaflets.
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书摊与当地一家书店共用场地，而一家药店则分发基础健康宣传单。
One trader sold imported cloth at a discount; another explained how wholesale prices affected the cost of each commodity.
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一名商贩打折出售进口布料；另一名商贩则解释批发价格如何影响每件商品的成本。
第6段
The council had agreed to waive the table fee for small charities.
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议会已经同意免除小型慈善机构的摊桌费。
Larger businesses paid a few extra bucks, and the money covered cleaning and security.
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规模较大的商家多付了几块钱，这些钱用于支付清洁和安保费用。
This dual system had required considerable discretion.
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这套双轨制度在制定时需要相当审慎的判断。
Some traders wanted every fee removed, but a final consensus emerged: the policy was appropriate because it helped new sellers without placing the entire cost on volunteers.
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一些商贩希望取消所有费用，但大家最终形成了共识：这项政策是合适的，因为它既帮助了新卖家，又没有让志愿者承担全部成本。
第7段
In the midst of the crowd, music began.
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人群之中，音乐响了起来。
A student played the guitar, keeping a lively beat while children passed a ball across the playground.
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一名学生弹着吉他，保持着轻快的节拍；与此同时，孩子们在游乐场上传球。
A photographer took a group photo, and an art teacher called one child’s painting a masterpiece.
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一位摄影师拍了一张合影，一位美术老师则称一个孩子的画作是杰作。
A glimmer of afternoon light fell across the picture.
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一缕午后的微光落在画面上。
An old cassette player also worked, although its sound was seemingly weak.
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一台旧盒式磁带播放机也还能使用，尽管它的声音似乎有些微弱。
The scene grew lively, yet the music did not hamper conversation; instead, it appeared to conduce to a relaxed atmosphere.
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现场变得热闹起来，但音乐并没有妨碍交谈；相反，它似乎有助于营造轻松的气氛。
第8段
The afternoon was not free of problems.
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下午也并非毫无问题。
One seller tried to dump damaged boxes behind the building, and Mara strictly refused.
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一名卖家试图把破损的箱子丢在楼后，玛拉严词拒绝了。
Another had forgotten a staple for a display board.
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另一名卖家忘了带固定展示板所需的一枚订书钉。
A volunteer found one, then tucked the receipt into the seller’s envelope.
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一名志愿者找到了一枚，随后把收据塞进了卖家的信封里。
Strong wind caused a canvas roof to wave and threatened to heighten the risk near the entrance.
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强风吹得帆布顶棚不断摆动，并可能加剧入口附近的危险。
The team changed its strategy, tied the frame down, and moved the lightest goods aside.
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团队改变了策略，把框架牢牢系住，并将最轻的商品移到一旁。
第9段
Happily, no one was injured.
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值得庆幸的是，没有人受伤。
The crowd was immense but mostly patient, and the service desk remained at the forefront of the event.
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人群规模很大，但大多数人都很有耐心，而服务台始终处在活动服务的最前沿。
Staff answered questions about the site, pointed visitors toward the nearest bus stop, and gave a useful tip about parking in the vicinity.
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工作人员回答有关场地的问题，为来访者指明最近的公交车站，还提供了一条在附近停车的实用建议。
They also checked the source of several products.
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他们还核查了几种产品的来源。
The trend toward local goods was obviously growing, but an overseas label did not necessarily mean an item was better.
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购买本地商品的趋势显然正在增强，但海外标签并不一定意味着商品更好。
第10段
By evening, the market had produced an unprecedented result: nearly every stall had sold something.
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到了傍晚，集市取得了前所未有的成果：几乎每个摊位都卖出了商品。
The prospect of a permanent weekly market now seemed possibly true rather than merely hopeful.
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如今，每周永久开设集市的前景似乎有可能成真，而不再只是一种愿望。
Mara was grateful, but she did not ignore the nasty moments.
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玛拉心怀感激，但她并没有忽视那些令人不快的时刻。
Furthermore, she knew that success depended largely on careful preparation, not luck.
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此外，她知道成功主要依靠周密准备，而不是运气。
The team listed one vital upgrade for next month: brighter lights near the entrance.
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团队列出了下个月一项至关重要的改进：在入口附近安装更明亮的灯。
As the final families left, the hall looked almost magnificent.
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当最后几户家庭离开时，大厅看起来几乎称得上壮观。
The volunteers put the last boxes away, swept the floor, and agreed that the day had been difficult, useful, and worth repeating.
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志愿者们收好最后几个箱子，清扫了地面，并一致认为这一天虽然辛苦，却很有意义，值得再次举办。