新概念美音版第三冊 Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy 不賣也不買

 
Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy不賣也不買
         
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.

聽錄音，然後回答以下問題。

Listen to the tape then answer the question below.

What is the most important thing for a tramp?

    It has been said that everyone lives by selling something. In the light of this statement, teachers live by selling knowledge, philosophers by selling wisdom and priests by selling spiritual comfort. Though it may be possible to measure the value of material good in terms of money, it is extremely difficult to estimate the true value of the services which people perform for us. There are times when we would willingly give everything we possess to save our lives, yet we might grudge paying a surgeon a high fee for offering us precisely this service. The conditions of society are such that skills have to be paid for in the same way that goods are paid for at a shop. Everyone has something to sell.

    Tramps seem to be the only exception to this general rule. Beggars almost sell themselves as human being to arouse the pity of passers-by. But real tramps are not beggars. They have nothing to sell and require nothing from others. In seeking independence, they do not sacrifice their human dignity. A tramp may ask you for money, but he will never ask you to feel sorry for him. He has deliberately chosen to lead the life he leads and is fully aware of the consequences. He may never be sure where the next meal is coming from, but his is free from the thousands of anxieties which afflict other people. His few material possessions make it possible for him to move from place to place with ease. By having to sleep in the open, he gets far closer to the world of nature than most of us ever do. He may hunt, beg, or stead occasionally to keep himself alive; he may even, in times of real need, do a little work; but he will never sacrifice his freedom. We often speak of my even, in times of real need, do a little work; but he will never sacrifice his freedom. We often speak of tramps with contempt and put them in the same class as beggars, but how many of us can honestly say that we have not felt a little envious of their simple way of life and their freedom from care?

New words and expressions 生詞和短語

     philosopher
n.   哲學家

     wisdom
n.   智慧

     priest
n.   牧師

     spiritual
adj. 精神上的

     grudge
v.   不願給，舍不得給

     surgeon
n.   外科大夫

     passer-by
n.   過路人（複數 passers-by)

     dignity
n.   尊嚴

     deliberately
adv. 故意地

     consequence
n.   後果，結果

     afflict
v.   使苦惱，折磨

     ease
n.   容易

     nature
n.   大自然

     contempt
n.   蔑視的

     envious
adj. 嫉妒的    

參考譯文

    據說每個人都靠出售某種東西來維持生活。根據這種說法，教師靠賣知識為生，哲學家靠賣智慧為生，牧師靠賣精神安慰為生。雖然物質產品的價值可以用金錢來衡量，但要估算別人為我們為所提供的服務的價值卻是極其困難的。有時，我們為了挽救生命，願意付出我們所占有的一切。但就在外科大夫給我們提供了這種服務後，我們卻可能為所支付的昂貴的費用而抱怨。社會上的情況就是如此，技術是必須付錢去買的，就像在商店裏要花錢買商品一樣。人人都有東西可以出售。

    在這條普遍的規律前麵，好像隻有流浪漢是個例外，乞丐出售的幾乎是他本人，以引起過路人的憐憫。但真正的流浪並不是乞丐。他們既不出售任何東西，也不需要從別人那兒得到任何東西，在追求獨立自由的同時，他們並不犧牲為人的尊嚴。遊浪漢可能會向你討錢，但他從來不要你可憐他。他是故意在選擇過那種生活的，並完全清楚以這種方式生活的後果。他可能從不知道下頓飯有無著落，但他不像有人那樣被千萬樁愁事所折磨。他幾乎沒有什麽財產，這使他能夠輕鬆自如地在各地奔波。由於被迫在露天睡覺，他比我們中許多人都離大自然近得多。為了生存，他可能會去打獵、乞討，偶爾偷上一兩回；確實需要的時候，他甚至可能幹一點兒活，但他決不會犧牲自由。說起流浪漢，我們常常帶有輕蔑並把他們與乞丐歸為一類。但是，我們中有多少人能夠坦率地說我們對流浪漢的簡樸生活與無憂無慮的境況不感到有些羨慕呢？