Lesson 27：Nothing to sell and nothing to buy
没有东西可卖也没有东西可买
It has been said thateveryonelives byselling something.In the light ofthisstatement, teachers live by selling knowledge,philosophersby selling wisdom andpriestsby sellingspiritualcomfort. Though it may be possible tomeasurethe value of material goodin terms ofmoney, it isextremelydifficult toestimatethe true value of theserviceswhich peopleperformfor us.There are times whenwe wouldwillinglygive everything wepossessto save our lives, yet we mightgrudgepaying a surgeon a high fee for offering uspreciselythis service.The conditions of society are such that skills have to be paid forin the same way thatgoods are paid for at a shop. Everyone has something to sell.
Trampsseem to be the onlyexception to this general rule. Beggars almost sell themselves ashuman beingsto arouse the pity of passers-by. But real tramps are not beggars.They have nothing to sell and require nothing from others. In seekingindependence, they do not sacrifice their humandignity. A tramp may ask you for money, but he will never ask you tofeel sorry forhim. He hasdeliberatelychosen to lead the life he leads and is fully aware of theconsequences. He may never be sure where the next meal iscoming from, but he isfree fromthe thousands ofanxietieswhichafflictother people. His few material possessions make it possible for him to move from place to placewith ease. By having to sleepin the open, hegets far closer tothe world of nature than most of us ever do. He may hunt, beg, or stealoccasionallyto keep himself alive; he may even,in times ofreal need, do a little work; but he will neversacrificehis freedom.We oftenspeak oftramps withcontemptand put them in the same class as beggars, but how many of us can honestly say that we have not felt a littleenviousof their simple way of life and their freedom from care?
第50篇---New Year Resoutions 新年决心。这篇初读就觉得有鲁迅杂文般的质感，既讽刺又幽默。 从开篇的The New Year is a time for resoluions, 新年是一个下决心的好时候，就开始开启嘲讽技能。Mentally(只是心理上)， at least, most of us could compile formidable lists of 'dos' and 'don't',至少我们个人精神上都会制定一个令人望而生畏的“要做什么”“不能做什么”的清单。前两句读起来就非常辛辣了。从高级词汇的使用角度来讲，recur 完全可以作为happen的同义替换词； year in and year out 年复一年，是不是比我们用烂掉的time after time, again and again, year after year 要好上很多。类似的还有很多完全可以在雅思写作或者口语里面运用到的短语，如 monotonous regularity; beyond attainment; slip back into our bad old ways; pitfalls;assiduously; taunts and jibes，都很实用而且地道。
第41篇---illusions of pastoral peace.宁静田园生活的幻想。稍微改头换面一下，就是一篇绝美的雅思作文题或者口语回答的范本啊！ 比如经典的口语老题：Do you enjoy living in countryside? 回答： Yes, I do. I think countrylife is somehow superior to town life. I love everything about it such as friendlypeople there, the clean atmosphere, the closeness to nature and the gentle peace of life.Nothing in city can be compared with the first cockcrow, the twittering of birds at dawn and the sights of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastures. 有没有有没有一种背到就是赚到的感觉？