Merchant of Bagdad - 1

In the reign ¹ of Haroun-al-Raschid, there lived in Bagdad a merchant named Ali Cogia, who, having neither wife nor child, contented ² himself with the modest profits produced by his trade. He had spent some years quite happily in the house his father had left him, when three nights running he dreamed that an old man had appeared to him, and reproached him for having neglected the duty of a good Mussulman, in delaying so long his pilgrimage（朝拜） to Mecca. , ,Ali Cogia was much troubled by this dream, as he was unwilling ³ to give up his shop, and lose all his customers. He had shut his eyes for some time to the necessity of performing this pilgrimage, and tried to atone ⁴ to his conscience by an extra number of good works, but the dream seemed to him a direct warning, and he resolved to put the journey off no longer. , ,The first thing he did was to sell his furniture and the wares ⁵ he had in his shop, only reserving to himself such goods as he might trade with on the road. The shop itself he sold also, and easily found a tenant⁶（承租人） for his private house. The only matter he could not settle satisfactorily was the safe custody ⁷ of a thousand pieces of gold which he wished to leave behind him. , , ,"My brother, you have probably heard that I am staffing with a caravan ⁹ in a few days for Mecca. I have come to ask whether you would do me the favour to keep this vase of olives for me till I come back?" , ,The merchant replied readily, "Look, this is the key of my shop: take it, and put the vase wherever you like. I promise that you shall find it in the same place on your return." , ,The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。,He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足 。