「英語夜讀」Too Dear for the Whistle（內附音頻）

2018-12-13 20:55:00 英語週報

英語夜讀：

美文原文

Too Dear for the Whistle

When I was a child of seven years old, my friends, on a holiday, filled my pocket with coppers. I went at once to a shop where they sold toys for children. Being charmed with the sound of a whistle that I had seen by the way, in the hands of another boy, I handed over all my money for one. I then came home, went whistling all over house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all my family. My brother and sister and cousins, when I told of the bargain I had made, said I had given four times as much as the whistle was worth. they put me in mind of what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money, and laughed at me so much for my folly that I cried with vaxation, think about the matter gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me pleasure.

This, however, was afterwards of use to me, for the impression continued on my mind. so that often, when I was tempted to buy something I do not need. I said to myself. "Don't give too much for the whistle," and I saved my money. As I grew up, came into the world and observed the actions of men. I thought I met with many, very many, who "gave too much for the whistle." When I saw some man too eager for cout favour, wasting his time at court gatherings, giving up his rest, his liberty, his virtue, and perhaps his friends, for royal favour, I said to myself --"This man gives too much for the whistle." When I saw another fond of popularity, constantly taking part in political affairs, neglecting his own business, and ruining it by neglect ,"He pays, indeed ," said I, "too dear for his whistle."

If I knew a miser who gave up every kind of comfortable living, all the pleasure of doing good to others, all the esteem of his fellow citizens and the joys of friendship, for the sake of gathering and keeping wealth --"Poor man." said I, "you pay too dear for your whistle."When I met a man of pleasure, who did not try to improve his mind or his fortune but merely devoted himself to having a good time, perhaps neglecting his health,"Mistaken man," said I, "you are providing pain for yourself, instead of pleasure; you are paying too dear for your whistle." If I saw someone fond of appearance of who had fine clothes, fine houses, fine furniture, fine earrings, all above his fortune, and for which he had run into debt, and ends his career in a prison. "Alas," said I, "he has paid dear, very dear, for his whistle." In short the miseries of mankind are largely due to their putting a false value on things --to giving "too much for their whistles".

美文翻譯

得不償失的哨子

當我還是一個七歲的孩子的時候，有一次過節，朋友們往我的衣袋裡塞滿了銅幣。我立刻向一家賣兒童玩具的店鋪跑去。半路上，我卻被另一個男孩手中的哨子聲吸引住了，於是就主動要求用我所有的銅幣換了他的哨子。然後我回到家裡，吹著哨子滿屋子轉，非常得意，卻打擾了全家人。我的哥哥、姐姐和表姐們知道了我所做的這筆交易，便告訴我，為了這個哨子我付出了比它原價高四倍的錢。他們還使我懂得，用那些多付的錢可以買到多少好東西啊。大夥兒都笑我傻，竟使我懊惱地哭了。回想這件事給我帶來的悔恨遠遠超過了那隻哨子所給我的快樂。

不過，這件事情後來卻對我很有用處，它一直保留在我的記憶中。因此當我常常打算買一些不必要的東西時，我便自己說。“不要為哨子花費太多”，於是便節省了錢。當我長大走進社會，觀察了人們的所作所為，我感到，我遇到許許多多的人，他們都“為一隻哨子付出了過高的代價”。當我看見一個人過分熱衷於恩寵榮祿，把自己的光陰在侍候權貴、謀求接見之中。為了得到這種機會，他不惜自己的休息、自由、品德。甚至自己的朋友。我便對自己說，“這個人為他的哨子付出了太高的代價”。當我看見另一些人醉心於名望，無休止地投身於政界的紛擾之中，而他自己的事情卻被忽視、被耽誤了，我說，“他的確也為了他的哨子付出了過高的代價”。

如果我聽說有個守財奴，他為了積累財產而寧願放棄各種舒適的生活，放棄一切為別人做好事的樂趣，所有的同鄉們對他的尊重，以及慷慨無私的友誼的歡樂。“可憐的人啊”，我說，“為了你的哨子，你付出了過高的代價。”當我遇到一個尋歡作的人，他不願使自己精神上或命運方面得到一切可讚美的改善，而僅僅為了達到肉體上的享受，為了這種追求損害了自己的身體。“誤入歧途的人啊”，我就說，“你真是有福不享自找苦吃；為了你的哨子，你付出了太高的代價啊”。如果我看到一個人沉迷於外表，或者是漂亮的裝束，講究的住宅，上等的傢俱，精緻的耳環，這一切都遠遠超出了他收入的水平。為了得到這一切，他舉借外債，最後以被投進監獄而告終。“天哪！”我說，“為了他的哨子，他付出了太高太高的代價。”總之，我認為，他們所遭受的人類很大一部分的悲苦都是由於他們對事物的價值所做出錯誤的估價而造成的，都是“為他們的哨子付出了太高的代價”。