Too Dear for the Whistle
得不偿失
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 whislte 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.
在我七岁那年的一个假日，我的朋友们在我的口袋里塞满了铜币。我便立刻去了一家儿童玩具专卖店。走在路上时，我看到一个男孩手拿哨子，那哨音是那么令人陶醉，于是我倾尽口袋里的钱买了一支。然后我就回到家中，走到哪吹到哪。我对哨子非常满意，但是哨音却吵得全家不得安宁。当我向自己的兄弟姐妹和堂兄弟姐妹们讲起买哨子这笔交易时，他们都说我付了哨子本身价值的四倍的价钱。他们还提醒我，那些多付的钱可以用来买些什么好东西，并且嘲笑我是多么愚蠢，这使我恼羞成怒，不禁哭了起来。一想到这件事，我就懊悔不已，并且这种懊悔远远超过了当初哨子给我带来的乐趣。
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 many,very many,who"gave too much for whistle."When I saw some men too eager for a court 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."
不过这件事后来让我受益匪浅。因为那支哨子的印象频频在我脑海中浮现，所以当我趋于诱惑想买自己不需要的东西时，我便对自己说，“别为那只哨子花费过多，”这样就把钱节省下来了。在我长大成人，走向社会，目睹了人们的所作所为后，我觉得我碰到了许许多多“为一只哨子花费过多”的人。
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 whitle."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,and ends his career in a prison."Alas," said I,"he has paid 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".
如果我结识了这样一个吝啬鬼——他一心只顾敛财、守财，却放弃了生活上的种种舒适，放弃了施善于他人带来的乐趣，放弃了作为一个同胞的所有尊严，放弃了友谊的欢乐，那么我就要说：“可怜的家伙，你为你的哨子付出的代价太大了。”当我遇到一个浪荡子，他既不思增长才智，也不想增加财富，而只是一味寻欢作乐，甚至糟蹋自己的健康，“迷途的人，”我要说，“你不是在为自己寻找乐趣，而在自讨苦吃。你为你的哨子花费过多了。”如果我看到有人相貌姣好，身穿华丽的衣服，住着漂亮的房子，用精致的家具，戴着好看的耳环，这一切花费都超过了他的财力，因此落得个债台高筑的境地，“唉”，我说，“他为他的哨子花费得太多、太多了！”总而言之，人类的不幸很大程度上是因为对事物作了错误的估价——换句话说，“为他们的哨子付出的代价太大了。”
