Antique shops exert a peculiar fascination on a great many people. The more expensive kind of antique shop where rare objects are beautifully displayed in glass cases to keep them free from dust is usually a forbidden place.
    古董店总是对很多人呈现出一种奇特的魅力。高档点的古董店为了防尘，都会把展品漂亮地陈列在玻璃柜子里，那里往往令人望而却步。
    PS: exert a peculiar fascination on, 呈现一种奇特的魅力

    But no one has to muster up courage to enter a less pretentious antique shop. There is always hope that in its labyrinth of musty, dark, disordered rooms a real rarity will be found amongst the piles of assorted junk that little the floors.
    而对那些防护措施少的古董店，无论是谁都敢鼓起勇气往里闯。人们也总是希望在发霉、黑暗、无序的房间里，垃圾遍地的地上发现一件珍品。
    PS: muster up courage to, 鼓起勇气往里冲

    No one discovered a rarity by chance. A truly dedicated bargain hunter must have patience, and above all, the ability to recognize the worth of something when he sees it.
    很少人可以得幸发现一件珍品。一个真正的垃圾佬必须具备耐心，而且所有的一切都必须以有能力鉴别他目之所及展品的价值为基础。
    PS: bargain hunter, 垃圾佬，淘宝达人

    To do this, he must be at least as knowledgeable as the dealer. Like a scientist bent on making a discovery, he must cherish the hope that one day he will be amply rewarded.（常用句）
    为了达成这些，他至少与卖家知道至少等量的知识。就好像科学家会献身于他所发现的事情一样，抱有“付出终有回报”的信念。

    My old friend, Frank Halliday, is just such a person. He has often described to me how he picked up a masterpiece for a mere ￡50.
    我的老朋友，弗兰克·霍勒迪，就是这样的人。他有一次跟我讲他只花了50磅就淘了一个杰出精品的故事。

    One Saturday morning, Frank visited an antique shop in my neighborhood. As he had never been there before, he found a great deal to interest him. The morning passed rapidly and Frank was about to leave when he noticed a large packing case lying on the floor.
    某个周六早晨，他去了我隔壁的一家古董店。因为他之前从没去过，所以他看到了好多有趣的玩意。这个上午很快就过去了，他准备离开的时候，发现地上有一个体积很大的货箱。
    PS: be about to, 即将…

    The dealer told him that it had just come in, but that he could not be bothered to open it. Frank begged him to do so and the dealer reluctantly prised it open. The contents were disappointing.
    老板跟他说这箱子刚到不久，他还没心情打开。弗兰克求他打开看看，老板就勉强地打开了。但是箱内的东西令人失望。
    PS: could not be bothered to, 没心情做某事…

    Apart from an interesting-looking carved dagger, the box was full of crockery, much of it broken. Frank gently lifted the crockery out of the box and suddenly noticed a miniature painting at the bottom of the packing case.
    除了一柄精致的匕首以外，箱内都是陶器，大部分都碎了。弗兰克慢慢地把这些碎片拿出来，然后他发现箱底有一幅微型画。

    As its composition and line reminded him of an Italian painting he knew well, he decided to buy it. Glancing at it briefly, the dealer told him that it was worth ￡50. Frank could hardly conceal his excitement, for he knew that he had made a real discovery. The tiny painting proved to be an unknown masterpiece by Correggio and was worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
    这幅画的线条和结构使他意识到这是幅意大利画，所以他决定买下来。老板简单瞟了一眼，告诉他这画值50磅。弗兰克难以掩饰他的激动，因为他知道这是真玩意。这幅小画其实是柯勒乔未面世的杰作，价值几十万英镑！
    PS: Glancing at it briefly, 撇一眼，这个动作是老板做的，因为后边跟了“the dealer”.
    PS++: could hardly conceal one’s excitement, 难以掩饰某人的激动