從秀水街到王府井，從南鑼鼓巷到紅橋市場，在街邊小店或批發市場里“尋寶”的外國游客幾乎隨處可見。當然，琳瑯滿目的商品讓他們流連忘返的同時也難免會多花一些冤枉錢。那么，面對部分小販的漫天要價和窮追猛打，外國顧客們應該怎么辦呢？讓我們一起來看看Amirah總結的砍價四部曲吧！

Battle of the Bargain

By Amirah Ahmad 莘綺 注

“Come here, girl. Look here,” she says to me as she fingers a shirt. “Very good quality. Hand-made.”

“No, I don’t want it,” I reply.

“Okay, I’ll give you a special price. Just for you,” she whispers back in my ear and taps an outrageous¹ number into her Hello Kitty calculator.

I didn’t buy that specific shirt but I have done my fair² share of shopping in China. From electronics to clothes to accessories³ , I’ve bought it all. Although I’m always wary whenever I leave the market, thinking that I could have gotten the same things for cheaper. Just because of the different texture of my hair, the different shade of my face, and the accent of voice, shopping at a market is ten times more difficult for me than a Chinese local⁴. I am lied to, I am given higher prices, and I must argue with the vendor for a long time before the price is right. Often times, even that price is still too high.

From the looks of it, bargaining can seem fun. You and the vendor get to know each other as she asks you which country you’ve travelled from to get to China and you ask her which province she originated from. You and her exchange some laughs. It’s all fun and games until you ask what the price is. From that point on it’s a battle between two people who were once friends but now enemies. The battle is a difficult one, but I am always ready for the challenge.

After travelling to several places and visiting a good portion of⁵ markets, I’ve begun the process of learning how to bargain. However, it is important to realize that bargaining is not a skill you can perfect. It is an exchange of words and gestures and actions that culminate into an art, and just like a piece of artwork it will never be completed⁶. However, I’ve taken the time to share what I know about bargaining.

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1. outrageous: 令人吃驚的，離譜的。

2. fair: 應得的，應有的。

3. accessories: 飾品，配飾。

4. 就是由于我與其他人不同的發質，不同的臉型，不同的口音，我在中國市場買東西要比中國本地人難上十倍。texture: 質感。

5. a good portion of: 一大部分。

6. 討價還價是言語、手勢和行動交流的一種藝術，并且就像藝術品一樣，永遠不會完成。culminate：達到頂峰。