If Only

Having worked at 7-Eleven store for two years, I thought I had become successful at what our manager calls "customer relations." I firmly believed that a friendly smile and an automatic "sir," "ma'am" and "thank you" would see me through any situation tht might arise from soothing impatient or unpleasant people to apologizing for giving out the wrong change. But the other night an old woman shattered my belief that a glib response could smooth over the rough spots of dealing with other human beings.

  • glib: speaking or spoken in a confident way, but without careful thought or honesty. 花言巧语的，油嘴滑舌的;（说话）不诚恳的，未经思考的。

The moment she entered, the woman presented a sharp contract to our shiny store with its bright lighting and neatly arranged shelves. Waling as if each step were painful, she slowly pushed open the glass door and hobbled down the nearest aisle. She coughed dryly, wheezing with each breath.On a forty-degree night, she was wearing only a faded print dress, a thin sweater too small to button, and black slippers with the backs cut out to expose calloused heels. There were no stockings or socks on her blue-veined legs.

  • wheezing: to make a high, rough noise while breathing because of some breathing difficulty.（因呼吸困难而）发出粗重的呼吸声，喘息，发出呼哧呼哧声。
  • calloused: If feet or hands are calloused, they are covered with hard areas of skin.（手或脚）长着老茧的。

After rolling around the store for several minutes, the old woman stopped in front of the rows of canned vegetables. She picked up a can of corn and started with a strange intensity at the label. At that point, I decided to be a good, polite employee and asked her if she needed help. As I stood close to her, my smile became harder and harder to maintain; her red-rimmed eyes were partially closed by yellowish crusts; her hands were covered with layer upon layer of grime, and the stale smell of sweat rose in a thick vaporous cloud from clothes.

  • rim: the outer, often curved or circular, edge of something.（圆形物的）外缘，边缘。
  • grime: a layer of dirt on skin or on a building. 污垢，尘垢，积垢。

"I need some food," she muttered in reply to my bright "Can I help you?"

"Are you looking for corn, ma'am?"

"I need some food," she repeated. "Any kind."

"Well, the corn is ninety-five cents," I said in my most help voice. "Or, if you like, we have a special on bread today."

"I can't pay." she said.

For a second, I was tempted to say, "Take the corn." But the employee rules flooded into my mind: Remain polite, but do not let customers get best of you. Let them know you are in control. For a moment, I even entertained the idea that this was some sort of test, and that this woman was someone from the head office, testing my loyalty. I responded dutifully, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't give away anything for free."

  • get the best of: 获胜，打败，从中获益。

The old woman's face collapsed a bit more, if that were possible, and her hands trembled as she put the can back on the shelf. She shuffled past me toward the door, her torn and dirty clothing barely covering hre bent back.

  • shuffle: to walk by pulling your feet slowly along the ground rather than lifting them. 拖着脚走，曳足而行。

Moments after she left, I rushed out the door with the can of corn, but she was nowhere in sight. For the rest of my shift, the image of the woman haunted me. I had been young, healthy, and smug. She had been old, sick and desperate. Wishing with all my heart that I had acted like a human being rather than a robot, I was saddened to realize how fragile a hold we have on our better instincts.

  • smug: too pleased or satisfied about something you have achieved or something you know. 沾沾自喜的，自鸣得意的。