WHEN going down the Tigris and Euphrates rivers many years ago with a party of English travelers I found myself under the direction of an old Arab guide whom we hired up at Bagdad, and ! have often thought how that guide resembled our barbers in certain mental characteristics. He thought that it was not only his duty to guide us down those rivers, and do what he was paid for doing, but also to entertain us with stories curious and weird, ancient and modern, strange and familiar. Many of them I have forgotten, and ! am glad I have, but there is one I shall never forget.
The old guide was leading my camel by its halter along the banks of those ancient rivers, and he told me story after story until I grew weary of his story-telling and ceased to listen. I have never been irritated with that guide when he lost his temper as I ceased listening. But I remember that he took off his Turkish cap and swung it in a circle to get my attention. I could see it through the corner of my eye, but I determined not to look straight at him for fear he would tell another story. But although I am not a woman, I did finally look, and as soon as I did he went right into another story.
很多年前，我和一支英国旅行队一起沿着底格里斯河及幼发拉底河沿河而下。导游是我们在巴格达雇的一位阿拉伯老向导，直到现在我还经常想起他，我觉得他在某些精神特征上与我们非常接近。他觉得既然拿了我们的报酬，就应该履行职责，带领我们沿河而下，而且还应该讲些各种各样的故事逗我们开心，缓解旅途中的劳累。他讲的故事既有古代的也有现代的，既有我们熟悉也有不熟悉的。他那些千奇百怪的故事我大多已经忘得干干净净了，但值得庆幸的是，其中有一个我却永生难忘。
记得当时这位可爱的老向导抓着缰绳，牵着我的骆驼沿着那条古老的河流向前走，一路上都在不停地讲故事，我后来实在有点厌烦。不想再听下去了。老向导看我不再听了很生气，但我并不恼火。我透过眼角的余光看到他摘下那顶土耳其帽子用力挥舞，想吸引我的注意，我决定不用正眼看他，免得他接着讲故事。但尽管我不是女人，却也难敌好奇心，最后还是忍不住看了他一眼，结果他立即又开始了下一个故事。
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