Hafid lingered before the bronze mirror,
海菲在铜镜前徘徊，
and studied his reflected image in the polished metal.
打量着自己。
"Only the eyes, have retained their youth,"
“只有眼睛还和年轻时一样。”
he murmured as he turned away, and moved slowly across the spacious marble floor.
他一边自言自语着，一边转过身慢慢地在敞亮的大理石地板上走着。
He passed between black onyx columns
他拖着年迈的步伐
rising to support ceilings burnished with silver and gold,
在黑色的玛瑙柱子之间穿行，
and his aging legs carried him past tables carved from Cyprus and ivory.
走过几张雕刻着象牙花饰的桌子。
Tortoise shell gleamed from couches, and divans
卧榻和长沙发椅发着龟甲的微光。
and the walls, inlaid with gems,
镶嵌着宝石的墙壁上，
shimmered with brocades of the most painstaking design.
织锦的精美图案闪闪发光。
Huge palms grew placidly in bronze vessels
古铜花盆里，硕大的棕榈枝叶静静地生长着，
framing a fountain of alabaster nymphs,
沐浴在石膏美人的喷泉中。
while flower boxes, encrusted with gems
缀满宝石的花坛
competed with their contents for attention.
和里面的花儿竞相争宠。
No visitor to Hafid's palace could doubt, that he was indeed,
凡是来过海菲着座华丽的大厦的客人

a person of great wealth.
都会说他是一个巨富。
The old man passed through an enclosed garden,
老人穿过一个有围墙的花园，
and entered his warehouse,
走进大厦的另一边
which extended beyond the mansion for five hundred paces.
约五百步远的仓房。
Erasmus his chief bookkeeper, waited uncertainly, just beyond the entryway.
他的总管伊拉玛正在入口处等他。
"Greetings sire."
“老爷好。”
Hafid nodded and continued on in silence.
海菲点了点头，继续默默的走着。
Erasmus followed, his face unable to disguise concern
伊拉玛一脸困惑地跟在后面，
at the master's unusual request for a meeting in this place.
他不懂主人为什么选择这个地方会面。
Near the loading platforms,
主仆二人走到卸货台边，
Hafid paused to watch goods being removed from baggage wagons
海菲停下脚步，看着一包包货物从马车上台下来，
and counted into separate stalls.
分门别类地堆放在仓库里。
There were wools fine linens parchment honey
这些货中有小亚细亚的羊毛、细麻、羊皮纸、蜂蜜、
carpets, and oil from Asia Minor;
地毯和油类，
glass figs nuts and balsam from his own country;
本地生产的玻璃、无花果、胡桃、香精、
textiles and drugs from Palmyra;
帕尔迈拉岛的衣料和药材，
ginger cinnamon and precious stones from Arabia;
阿拉伯的生姜、肉桂和宝石，
corn paper granite alabaster, and basalt from Egypt;
埃及的玉米、纸张、花岗岩、雪花石膏和黑色瓷器，
tapestries from Babylon;
巴比伦的挂毯，
paintings from Home;
罗马的油画，
and statues from Greece.
以及希腊的雕像。