Amir ran（语境补充词）/ræn/ Harbor Foods, a hardy（难的、艰苦的）/'hɑ:di/ neighborhood（语境补充词）/ˈneɪbərˌhʊd/ franchise（公民权、特权）/'fræntʃaiz/ selling salmon（鲑鱼、大麻哈鱼）/'sæmәn/, pasta, perfume（香水、香气）/'pә:fju:m/, and thrift（节约、茂盛）/θrift/ goods. When a freezer failed, stock began to perish（毁灭、丧生）/'periʃ/ and profit to wither（使凋谢、使消亡）/'wiðә/. A bank advertised a lucrative（有利益的、获利的）/'lu:krәtiv/ loan with a rate akin（同类的、同族的）/ә'kin/ to a public grant. Amir, indebted（负债的、受惠的）/in'detid/ after a slow season, was apt（有...倾向的、易于的）/æpt/ to accept. He was not naive（天真的、纯真的）/nɑ:'i:v/, however, so he summoned（召唤、召集）/'sʌmәn/ Helen, the bank adviser, and Luis, his accountant（会计人员、会计师）/ә'kauntәnt/, before the offer could expire（在报价失效前）/ˌbiˈfɔr ðə ˈɔfər kʊd ɪkˈspaɪr/. A dissident（意见不同的、持不同政见的）/'disidәnt/ consumer group from the local polytechnic（各种工艺的、工艺教育的）/.pɒli'teknik/ also offered free contract advice.

Helen presented a panorama of benefits（全面展示好处）/pərˈzɛnəd ə ˌpænərˈæmə əv ˈbɛnəfɪts/, but Luis began to skim（脱脂乳、擦过）/skim/ the contract. The bank would deduct（扣除、减去）/di'dʌkt/ an arrangement fee, levy（税款、所征的人数）/'levi/ a monthly charge, and require equity（公平、公正）/'ekwiti/ in the shop as security. Amir could incur（招致、蒙受）/in'kә:/ a penalty if he repaid（语境补充词）/riˈpeɪd/ early; irrespective of sales（不论销售情况）/ˌɪrəˈspɛktɪv əv seɪlz/, interest would continue. Luis said, “The low rate is a pretext（借口、托词）/'pri:tekst/ unless we calculate every fee（计算每项费用）/ˈkælkjəˌleɪt ˈɛvəri fi/.” Helen replied, “The terms are tentative（试验）/'tentәtiv/, and I can ask the lender to reshuffle（重新洗牌、改组）/ri:'ʃʌfl/ them.”

The collateral（旁系亲属、担保品）/kә'lætәrәl/ schedule included a delivery（递送、交付）/di'livәri/ van, a lifting jack（插座、千斤顶）/dʒæk/, a bicycle pedal（踏板、脚蹬子）/'pedl/, and even a saddle（鞍、马鞍）/'sædl/ used for store promotions（晋级、创建）/prәu'mәuʃәn/. A separate auction（拍卖）/'ɒ:kʃәn/ clause could let the bank sell them after deadlock（僵局、停顿）/'dedlɒk/. Amir pictured the plight（困境、窘境）/plait/ of a mortal（不免一死的、人类的）/'mɒ:tәl/ business stripped like a corpse（尸体）/kɒ:ps/ while a rival spectator（观众、目击者）/spek'teitә/ watched. He would not indulge（纵情于、使高兴）/in'dʌldʒ/ the bank's intrigue（阴谋、复杂的事）/in'tri:g/ or let a monopoly（垄断、专卖权）/mә'nɒpәli/ inflict（施以、加害）/in'flikt/ needless（不需要的、不必要的）/'ni:dlis/ loss. Luis, acting as mentor rather than foe（作为导师而非对手）/ˈæktɪŋ ɛz ˈmɛnˌtɔr ˈrəðər ðən foʊ/, advised him to distinguish temporal cash pressure from permanent surrender（区分暂时现金压力与永久让渡）/dɪˈstɪŋgwɪʃ ˈtɛmpərəl kæʃ ˈprɛʃər frəm ˈpərmɑˌnɛnt sərˈɛndər/.

Amir said, “I want the shop to prosper（繁荣、兴隆）/'prɒspә/, but I will not risk everything for a trivial（琐碎的、不重要的）/'tiviәl/ discount.” Helen answered, “Then let us remove the early-payment（语境补充词）/early-payment/ penalty and cap the fee（给费用设上限）/kæp ðə fi/.” Their business intercourse（交往、交流）/'intәkɒ:s/ stayed civil despite a relentless debate（尽管争论激烈仍保持文明）/steɪd ˈsɪvəl dɪˈspaɪt ə rɪˈlɛntlɪs dəˈbeɪt/. Helen's repute（名望、名气）/ri'pju:t/ mattered, and she did not scorn（轻蔑、藐视）/skɒ:n/ a careful borrower. She explained that a cub（幼兽、年轻人）/kʌb/ business might crave quick money, while an established firm could survive an overflow（溢值、超值）/.әuvә'flәu/ of costs. Amir gave a cautious wink（眨眼、使眼色）/wiŋk/, not consent.

Luis built（语境补充词）/bɪlt/ three forecasts. Under the original loan（在原贷款方案下）/ˈəndər ðə ərˈɪʤənəl loʊn/, depreciation（价值减低、减价）/di.pri:ʃi'eiʃәn/ would diminish（(使)减少、(使)变小）/di'miniʃ/ the collateral while charges mounted. The van would depreciate（贬值）/di'pri:ʃieit/ even faster under a delivery patrol（巡逻、巡逻员）/pә'trәul/. Under a revised loan, Amir could preserve cash without being forced to sell a parrot（鹦鹉、应声虫）/'pærәt/ mascot（福神、吉祥的东西）/'mæskәt/ or other odd asset. A third option was an investor（投资者）/in'vestә/, but that could create a new foe（仇敌、反对者）/fou/ and dilute control. The figures ended the deadlock. Helen removed the penalty and reduced the fee; Amir chose a smaller sum. The decision was not in vogue（时尚、时髦）/vәug/ or dramatic, but it kept（语境补充词）/kɛpt/ the shop from being saddled with mortal risk and protected its chance to prosper（保护其发展机会）/prəˈtɛktɪd ɪts ʧæns tɪ ˈprɑspər/.