英语四六级典藏笔记（4）
目录英语四六级典藏笔记（4）Nothing to Sell and Nothing to Buy. 1Illusions of Pastoral Peace .3Speed and Comfort .6Our Neighbour, the River .9 经典美文Nothing to Sell andNothing to BuyIt has been said that everyone lives by selling something. In the light of thisstatement, teachers live by selling knowledge, philosophers by selling wisdomand priests by selling spiritual comfort. Though it may be possible to measurethe value of material goods in terms of money, it is extremely difficult toestimate the true value of the services which people perform for us. There aretimes when we would willingly give everything we possess to save our lives, yetwe 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 waythat goods are paid for at a shop. Everyone has something to sell.Tramps seem to be the only exception to his general rule. Beggars almost sellthemselves as human beings to arouse the pity of passers-by. But real trampsare not beggars. They have nothing to sell and require nothing from others. Inseeking independence, they do not sacrifice their human dignity. A tramp mayask you for money, but he will never ask you to feel sorry for him. He hasdeliberately chosen to lead the life he leads and is fully aware of theconsequences. He may never be sure where the next meal is coming from, buthe is free from the thousands of anxieties which afflict other people. His fewmaterial possessions make it possible for him to move from place to place withease. By having to sleep in the open, he gets far closer to the world of naturethan most of us ever do. He may hunt, beg, or steal occasionally to keep himselfalive; he may even, in times of real need, do a little work; but he will neversacrifice his freedom. We often speak of tramps with contempt and put them inthe same class as beggars, but how many of us can honestly say that we havenot felt a little envious of their simple way of life and their freedom from care?1/ 11 经典美文参考译文：不卖也不买据说每个人都靠出售某种东西来维持生活。根据这种说法，教师靠卖知识为生，哲学家靠卖智慧为生，牧师靠卖精神安慰为生。虽然物质产品的价值可以用金钱来衡量，但要估算别人为我们为所提供的服务的价值却是极其困难的。有时，我们为了挽救生命，愿意付出我们所占有的一切。但就在外科大夫给我们提供了这种服务后，我们却可能为所支付的昂贵的费用而抱怨。社会上的情况就是如此，技术是必须付钱去买的，就像在商店里要花钱买商品一样。人人都有东西可以出售。在这条普遍的规律前面，好像只有流浪汉是个例外，乞丐出售的几乎是他本人，以引起过路人的怜悯。但真正的流浪并不是乞丐。他们既不出售任何东西，也不需要从别人那儿得到任何东西，在追求独立自由的同时，他们并不牺牲为人的尊严。流浪汉可能会向你讨钱，但他从来不要你可怜他。他是故意在选择过那种生活的，并完全清楚以这种方式生活的后果。他可能从不知道下顿饭有无着落，但他不像有人那样被千万桩愁事所折磨。他几乎没有什么财产，这使他能够轻松自如地在各地奔波。由于被迫在露天睡觉，他比我们中许多人都离大自然近得多。为了生存，他可能会去打猎、乞讨，偶尔偷上一两回;确实需要的时候，他甚至可能干一点儿活，但他决不会牺牲自由。说起流浪汉，我们常常带有轻蔑并把他们与乞丐归为一类。但是，我们中有多少人能够坦率地说我们对流浪汉的简朴生活与无忧无虑的境况不感到有些羡慕呢?2/ 11 经典美文Illusions ofPastoral PeaceThe quiet life of the country has never appealed to me. City born and city bred.I have always regarded the country as something you look at through a trainwindow, or something you occasional visit during the weekend. Most of myfriends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at the mere mention ofthe country. Though they extol the virtues of the peaceful life, only one ofthem has ever gone to live in the country and he was back in town within sixmonths. Even he still lives under the illusion that country life is somehowsuperior to town life. He is forever talking about the friendly people, the cleanatmosphere, the closeness to nature and the gentle pace of living. Nothing canbe compared, he maintains, with the first cockcrow, the twittering of birds atdawn, the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastures. This idyllicpastoral scene is only part of the picture. My friend fails to mention the longand friendless winter evenings in front of the TV - virtually the only form ofentertainment. He says nothing about the poor selection of goods in the shops,or about those unfortunate people who have to travel from the country to thecity every day to get to work. Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hourjourney each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyondme. They could be saved so much misery and expense if they chose to live inthe city where they rightly belong.If you can do without the few pastoral pleasures of the country, you will findthe city can provide you with the best that life can offer. You never have totravel miles to see your friends. They invariably live nearby and are alwaysavailable for an informal chat or an evening's entertainment. Some of my
