Jane Austen's letters contain very many references (1) to shopping. Most of her shopping was done by buying from travelling salesmen, shopping in small country villages and in Bath . The best shopping however was to be found in London , a city which she visited many times. During Jane Austen's time London was not only the largest city in England , it was the largest city in Europe and therefore the civilized (2) world. The shops of London were also more numerous (3) and more luxurious (4) than anywhere else. They were the showcases (5) of the country, with people that Napoleon (6) had described (7) as ‘a nation of shopkeepers'.

（ 1 ） references ： 提及

（ 2 ） civilized ： 文明的，

（ 3 ） numerous ： 许多的，

（ 4 ） luxurious ： 豪华的

（ 5 ） showcases ： 玻璃陈列柜

（ 6 ） Napoleon ： 拿破仑