Words:
commerce n. 商業
commercial adj. 商業的，貿易的
commercialize vt. 使商業化，使商品化
commission vt. 委任，任命；委托，委托制作
commit vt. 犯（錯誤），干（壞事）
commitment n. 信奉，支持；許諾，委托事項
committed adj. 忠心耿耿的，效忠的
committee n. 委員會
commodious adj. 寬敞的
commodity n. 商品，日用品
commonplace adj. 平凡的
commonsense adj. 具有常識的
commotion n. 騷動，動亂
communal adj. 公共的；公社的
community n. 社區；社會
commuter n. 通勤者；經常往返者
compact adj. 緊湊的，緊密的；簡潔的；小巧的，袖珍的；【美】（汽車）小型的；vt. 壓縮；使密集
compaction n. 壓緊
companion n. 同伴，同事
“What’s the commotion?” I asked. In the commodity business, it’s commonplace for people to be shouting and running around. But this was different. “Is there some kind of incredible Christmas sale?” I muttered to myself. Personally, I’m not fond of the way merchants commercialize every holiday. It gets worse every year.
Suddenly, my sectary blasted through my office door. “The President called. He wants to commission you to advise the committee on farm commerce. He says that the local commissioner recommended you for the job because you’re the most committed commercial lawyer in the farming community. What shall I tell him? The commonsense answer would be yes, wouldn’t it?”
I took three deep breaths. Of course the answer should be yes. Who wouldn’t want a job with a food salary and commodious living quarters? I could give up being a commuter and trade in my compact car. No more using communal toilets. I suppose my status would never leave me short of female companions. On the other hand, advising the committee is a twenty-four-hour-a-day commitment. When would I find time for my hobbies? I don’t think my dog will like it if I turn our daily one-hour walk into a five-minute compaction. Then again, he’s only a dog. It’s not like I’m committing a crime. In fact, with the extra money I earn, I can hire someone to walk him for two hours every day.
Smiling, I looked up at my secretary. “Suzette, call the President and tell him I’m in my way.”
“亂哄哄的吵什么呀？”我問道。在商品買賣這一行，人們喊叫著跑來跑去是很平常的事。但今天不一樣。“是不是又有什么讓人傻眼的圣誕節特大甩賣呀？”我嘟囔著。就我而言，我很討厭每次過節時商人們搞的這些商業化的炒作，這些玩藝兒一年不如一年。
突然，我得秘書咣的一聲撞進辦公室。“總統打過來電話，他想委任您作農業貿易委員會的顧問。他說當地專員推薦您擔任這一職務，因為您是農業社區中最忠誠的商業律師。我應該怎樣答復總統？按常識來講，應該回答Yes，對吧？”
我做了第三次深呼吸。回答當然應該是Yes。誰會不要一個薪水高、住房寬敞的工作呢？我可以不用再做個上下班做公車的乘客，也可以把我的小型汽車折價換新車。不用再去公共廁所。我想憑我的地位身邊的女性伴侶應該不會少。再者，給委員會做顧問可是一天24小時的義務。我什么時候會有時間搞我的業余愛好呢？我想我的狗會很不高興，它每天1小時的散步被我壓縮成5分鐘的溜達了。可他不過是條狗嘛。我又不是在犯罪。實際上，等我掙了更多的錢，就能雇人每天陪他走上兩個小時了。
我微笑著抬起頭對秘書說：“蘇澤特，給總統打電話，告訴他我已經能動身了。”
