There were times when it felt to Hamid as if he had been in the shop always and that his life would end there. He no longer felt discomfort, nor did he hear the secret mutterings of the dead hours of night that had once emptied his heart in dread（畏惧）. He knew now that they came from the seasonal（季节的） swamp（沼泽） that divided the city from the townships and which teemed（大量出现） with life. The shop was in a good position at a major crossroads from the city suburbs（市郊）. He opened it at first light when the earliest workers were shuffling by and did not shut it again until all but the last dragglers had trailed（跟踪） home. He liked to say that at his station he saw all of life pass him by.

  At peak（山顶） hours he would be on his feet all the time, talking and bantering with the customers, courting them and taking pleasure in the skill with which he handled（拿） himself and his merchandise（商品）. Later he would seem exhausted（排出） under the boxed seat that served as his tail.