雙語散文:一支哨子的代價
一支哨子的代價
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, and went whistling all over the house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all the family. My brothers and sisters 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 vexation. Thinking 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 did 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".
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 who had fine clothes, fine houses, fine furniture, fine earrings, all above his fortune, and for which he had run into debt, "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".
在我七歲那年的一個假日，我的朋友們在我的口袋裏塞滿了銅幣。我便立刻去了一家兒童玩具專賣店。走在路上時，我看到一個男孩手拿哨子，那哨音是那麼令人陶醉，於是我傾盡口袋裏的錢買了一支。然後我就回到家中，走到哪吹到哪。我對哨子非常滿意，但是哨音卻吵得全家不得安寧。當我向自己的兄弟姐妹和堂兄弟姐妹們講起買哨子這筆交易時，他們都說我付了哨子本身價值的四倍的價錢。他們還提醒我，那些多付的錢可以用來買些什麼好東西，並且嘲笑我是多麼愚蠢，這使我惱羞成怒，不禁哭了起來。一想到這件事，我就懊悔不已，並且這種懊悔遠遠超過了當初哨子給我帶來的樂趣。
不過這件事後來讓我受益匪淺。因爲那支哨子的印象頻頻在我腦海中浮現，所以當我趨於誘惑想買自己不需要的東西時，我便對自己說，“別爲那隻哨子花費過多，”這樣就把錢節省下來了。在我長大成人，走向社會，目睹了人們的所作所爲後，我覺得我碰到了許許多多“爲一隻哨子花費過多”的人。
如果我結識了這樣一個吝嗇鬼——他一心只顧斂財、守財，卻放棄了生活上的種種舒適，放棄了施善於他人帶來的樂趣，放棄了作爲一個同胞的所有尊嚴，放棄了友誼的歡樂，那麼我就要說：“可憐的傢伙，你爲你的哨子付出的代價太大了。”當我遇到一個浪蕩子，他既不思增長才智，也不想增加財富，而只是一味尋歡作樂，甚至糟蹋自己的健康，“迷途的人，”我要說，“你不是在爲自己尋找樂趣，而在自討苦吃。你爲你的哨子花費過多了。”如果我看到有人相貌姣好，身穿華麗的衣服，住着漂亮的房子，用精緻的傢俱，戴着好看的耳環，這一切花費都超過了他的財力，因此落得個債臺高築的境地，“唉”，我說，“他爲他的哨子花費得太多、太多了！”總而言之，人類的不幸很大程度上是因爲對事物作了錯誤的估價——換句話說，“爲他們的哨子付出的代價太大了。”
