中英文本

41.The Mover
41.搬运家具的人
When Scott had to move from China to America, he decided it would be best not to ship things by air.
司各特不得不从中国搬到美国，这时他想最好不要通过航空公司托运行李。
That was too expensive.
因为那样太贵了。
Instead he compared ocean-shipping companies.
相反，他比较了几家海运公司。
He called so often that he got to know their phone numbers by heart.
他打了很多电话，所以记住了他们的电话号码。
By and by he decide that Cargo Max was the cheapest by comparison.
终于他认为比较来说，Cargo Max是最便宜的。

When the movers came, Scott discovered by chance that the head mover was a friend's friend.
等到搬运家具的人到了之后，司各特偶然发现他们的头儿是一个朋友的朋友。
They had traveled western China together twenty years earlier by any means possible.
20年前他们曾一起用一切可能的办法在中国的西部旅游。
Once, during a landslide, they had escaped death by inches.
有一次他们遇上了塌方，他们差点儿丢了性命。
It was only by instinct that they had jumped to a lower ledge on a cliff.
完全是凭着本能他们才跳到了一座山崖低一点的岩架上。
Now, he said, travel had improved by leaps and bounds and he could get a package by mail to Urumqi in days, whereas it used to take weeks.
他说现在旅游发展非常迅速，收到通过邮局寄到乌鲁木齐的包裹只要几天就行了，而过去却要好几个星期。
As they continued packing, Scott also saw that this man was by and large the strongest man he had ever met.
随着他们继续打包，司各特还继续发现这个人总的来说是他遇见的最强壮的男人。
He picked up a box by hand that was too heavy for two other men on his team.
他用手拎起一只箱子，而其他两个人也会觉得太沉。
Scott was impressed!
司各特真是佩服极了！
It was by far the best moving experience Scott had.
这是他搬家中最难忘的一次。
When they were all done Scott gave them a huge tip.
在他们干完活的时候，司各特给了他们一笔相当可观的小费。
He didn't want it.
他们却说不要。
Scott almost had to make him accept it by force.
司各特几乎要强逼他接受了。
Finally he accepted, saying that he would by all means make sure the shipment arrived on time.
最后他收下，他说他会尽一切办法保证行李按时运到。
It did. And Scott now recommends this mover to everyone who asks!
确实是按时运到了。现在只要有人问，司各特就会把这个搬运家具的人推荐给他。

重点讲解

1.by and by 不久以后
例句：By and by the ice in the river will melt.
河里的冰不久就会溶化。
2.get to know 了解，认识
例句：It should be fun. You'll get to know a lot of people.
一定会很好玩的。你还会结识很多人。
3.by any means 无论如何，总之
例句：We're not winning that battle yet by any means.
不管怎么说，我们还没有打胜这一仗。
4.by instinct 出于本能
例句：She appeared to know it by instinct.
她似乎凭着本能就认出了它。
5.by mail 邮寄，通过写信
例句：He made up the books into a parcel and sent it to his friend by mail.
他把书包成一包，邮给他的朋友。
6.by all means 一定，务必，尽一切办法
例句：I'll buy you an English reader by all means.
我一定给你买本英语读本。