03-02-01-圣诞欢歌 [13]
．They were rich and important， and he had often done business with them．
‘How are you？’said one．
‘How are you？’replied the other．
‘Well！’said the first．‘The old man has died at last，has he？’
‘So they tell me，’replied the second．‘Cold，isn't it？’
‘Nice and frosty for Christmas．Good morning！’
Not another word．That was the end of their meeting．
Scrooge wondered why the spirit wanted him to hear these conversations．What could they mean？The dead man could not be his partner Jacob，because he was already dead．
Scrooge watched carefully，trying to understand．He looked round for his own shadow，but could not see himself anywhere．‘Perhaps that's not surprising，’he thought，‘because if I change my life，and I'm planning to do that，I won't be the same person in the future！’Just then he noticed the spirit，standing quiet and dark beside him， with its pointing hand．He felt the unseen eyes staring fixedly at him behind the black robe Scrooge's body shook，and he felt cold．
They left the busy offices and banks，and went to another part of the capital，where Scrooge had never been before．The streets were narrow and dirty，the houses miserably poor，the people unwashed and half-dressed．Down one street there was a small shop， where an old man was sitting waiting for customers．His business was buying old furniture or clothes，and selling them again，to the poorest people in London．As Scrooge and the spirit watched，three women arrived at the shop door at the same time， each carrying a large bundle．They looked very surprised and a little ashamed to see each other．Suddenly they all started laughing．
‘Ladies，you couldn't find a better place to meet，’said Joe， the old man，getting up．‘Now come inside，and show me what you've got to sell．’
Inside，the first woman put her bundle on the table and said，‘I don't care if everybody knows where this comes from！ We all have to take care of ourselves！ He always did！’
‘That's right，’agreed the second woman．
‘Very true，’agreed the third．
‘Does a dead man need these things？’continued the first woman．‘And why was he so mean while he was alive？’We all worked for him，didn't we？ Cleaned his house，washed his clothes，cooked his soup？ And what did we get？Three shillings a week！It's no surprise that he died alone， with no friends around him！’
‘You never spoke a truer word，’said the second．
‘He was a bad man，we all know that，’said the third．
‘Now what have we here？’said old Joe，opening the women's bundles．‘Buttons，pencils，boots，silver spoons，some excellent bed-curtains，blankets and—a very good shirt，’he added，feeling the fine cotton．
‘Yes，it was his best，’said the first woman．‘They put it on him after he died．But he doesn't need it now that he's dead！And the blankets and bed-curtains！He doesn't need them either！
‘You took the shirt off a dead body，and the blankets and curtains off his bed，while he was lying there！Well，well！’said Joe，shaking his head．‘Here's your money．’And he counted out several shillings into the women's hands．
‘Ha ha ha！’laughed the first woman．‘He frightened everyone away when he was alive，and we've made money out of him now that he's dead！ Ha ha ha！’
Scrooge felt sick and angry at the same time．‘Spirit，’he said，‘I see now．I could be that unhappy man．Good Heavens， what's this？’
Joe and the women had disappeared，and Scrooge was standing in a dark room．Opposite him was a bed， with no blankets or curtains．A light shone down from above，on to the body of a dead man，covered with a sheet．
‘How sad，’thought Scrooge，‘to die with no friends or family around him！ To lie in an empty room，with no candles or flowers，and robbed of his clothes！To know that nobody loves him， because he loved nobody in his life！Money can't buy a happy life，or a peaceful death！’He looked at the spirit， whose hand was pointing at the man's covered head．It would be easy to lift the sheet，and see who the man was．But for some reason Scrooge could not do it．
‘Spirit，’he said，‘this is a terrible place．Let's go！’
Still the ghost's unmoving finger pointed at the man's head．
‘I understand you
‘How are you？’said one．
‘How are you？’replied the other．
‘Well！’said the first．‘The old man has died at last，has he？’
‘So they tell me，’replied the second．‘Cold，isn't it？’
‘Nice and frosty for Christmas．Good morning！’
Not another word．That was the end of their meeting．
Scrooge wondered why the spirit wanted him to hear these conversations．What could they mean？The dead man could not be his partner Jacob，because he was already dead．
Scrooge watched carefully，trying to understand．He looked round for his own shadow，but could not see himself anywhere．‘Perhaps that's not surprising，’he thought，‘because if I change my life，and I'm planning to do that，I won't be the same person in the future！’Just then he noticed the spirit，standing quiet and dark beside him， with its pointing hand．He felt the unseen eyes staring fixedly at him behind the black robe Scrooge's body shook，and he felt cold．
They left the busy offices and banks，and went to another part of the capital，where Scrooge had never been before．The streets were narrow and dirty，the houses miserably poor，the people unwashed and half-dressed．Down one street there was a small shop， where an old man was sitting waiting for customers．His business was buying old furniture or clothes，and selling them again，to the poorest people in London．As Scrooge and the spirit watched，three women arrived at the shop door at the same time， each carrying a large bundle．They looked very surprised and a little ashamed to see each other．Suddenly they all started laughing．
‘Ladies，you couldn't find a better place to meet，’said Joe， the old man，getting up．‘Now come inside，and show me what you've got to sell．’
Inside，the first woman put her bundle on the table and said，‘I don't care if everybody knows where this comes from！ We all have to take care of ourselves！ He always did！’
‘That's right，’agreed the second woman．
‘Very true，’agreed the third．
‘Does a dead man need these things？’continued the first woman．‘And why was he so mean while he was alive？’We all worked for him，didn't we？ Cleaned his house，washed his clothes，cooked his soup？ And what did we get？Three shillings a week！It's no surprise that he died alone， with no friends around him！’
‘You never spoke a truer word，’said the second．
‘He was a bad man，we all know that，’said the third．
‘Now what have we here？’said old Joe，opening the women's bundles．‘Buttons，pencils，boots，silver spoons，some excellent bed-curtains，blankets and—a very good shirt，’he added，feeling the fine cotton．
‘Yes，it was his best，’said the first woman．‘They put it on him after he died．But he doesn't need it now that he's dead！And the blankets and bed-curtains！He doesn't need them either！
‘You took the shirt off a dead body，and the blankets and curtains off his bed，while he was lying there！Well，well！’said Joe，shaking his head．‘Here's your money．’And he counted out several shillings into the women's hands．
‘Ha ha ha！’laughed the first woman．‘He frightened everyone away when he was alive，and we've made money out of him now that he's dead！ Ha ha ha！’
Scrooge felt sick and angry at the same time．‘Spirit，’he said，‘I see now．I could be that unhappy man．Good Heavens， what's this？’
Joe and the women had disappeared，and Scrooge was standing in a dark room．Opposite him was a bed， with no blankets or curtains．A light shone down from above，on to the body of a dead man，covered with a sheet．
‘How sad，’thought Scrooge，‘to die with no friends or family around him！ To lie in an empty room，with no candles or flowers，and robbed of his clothes！To know that nobody loves him， because he loved nobody in his life！Money can't buy a happy life，or a peaceful death！’He looked at the spirit， whose hand was pointing at the man's covered head．It would be easy to lift the sheet，and see who the man was．But for some reason Scrooge could not do it．
‘Spirit，’he said，‘this is a terrible place．Let's go！’
Still the ghost's unmoving finger pointed at the man's head．
‘I understand you