又中又英｜Have no clue about something

When Amazon first released the Kindle in 2007, I had no clue what it was. Amazon charged an astronomical price of US$399 but all the Kindles were sold out in less than six hours. It remained out of stock for five months. I often saw people at US airports and on planes using a Kindle. The first version of the Kindle was unavailable outside the US. I was living in Hong Kong at the time. That’s why I felt like a country bumpkin not knowing what it was. If you have no clue about something it means you don’t know what it is.

An astronomical price means a very expensive price. A country bumpkin is a person from a rural area who is considered to be stupid. It was only after I read a news article about the Kindle a few years later that I knew it was an e-reader. I was not interested, preferring to read actual books instead. My younger brother, who alternates between living in New York and Florida, came to see me at my niece’s house in Atlanta before I returned to Hong Kong. He showed me his Kindle. It was so light and easy to use that he sold me on getting one.

To sell someone on something means to convince that person it is good or useful. I love reading but never liked holding a heavy book and turning pages while reading in bed before sleeping. I am now the proud owner of a Kindle! The version I have lets me touch a word to know its meaning. My niece, like many people, prefers books and will never buy a Kindle.

当亚马逊于二零零七年首次推出Kindle时，我完全不知道（had no clue）它是甚么来的。亚马逊当时收取三百九十九元的天价（astronomical price），但所有的Kindles不够六小时便卖光，然后足足缺货了五个月。我不时见到人在美国机场和飞机上用Kindle。第一代的 Kindle并未在美国以外的地区供应。我当时在香港居住，因此我不知道它是何物，感到自己像个大乡里（country bumpkin）。若你 have no clue about something，意即你对它毫无头绪、一无所知。

An astronomical price是指非常昂贵的价钱。A country bumpkin是被视为愚昧无知的乡巴佬。直到数年后我读到一则新闻报道，才知道 Kindle是个电子阅读器。我当时并不感兴趣，情愿看实体书。我那长期在纽约和佛罗里达州两边住的弟弟，在我回香港前，到亚特兰大我侄女的家中探望我。他给我看他的Kindle。它真的很轻，亦便于使用，终于打动了我（sold me）自己也买一部。

To sell someone on something是指去说服某人那物件是好或有用的。我喜爱阅读，但从不喜欢睡前在床上捧着重甸甸的书，翻书页阅读。现在我很自豪也拥有一部Kindle！我有的那个版本让我能按一个字就知道它的意思。像其他许多人一样，我侄女较喜欢实体书，也永远不会买Kindle。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻