英语名篇诵读 哨子

The Whistle

哨子

When I was a child of seven years old, my friends, on a holiday, filled my pocket with

coppers¹. I went directly to a shop where they sold toys for children; and being charmed with the

sound of a whistle, that I met by the way in the hands of another boy, I voluntarily offered and

gave 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,

understanding the bargain I had made, told me I had given four times as much for it as it was

worth; put me in mind what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money; and

laughed at me so much for my folly², that I cried with vexation ; and the reflection gave me more

chagrin³ than the whistle gave me pleasure.

This, however, was afterwards of use to me, the impression continuing on my mind; so that

often, when I was tempted⁴ to buy some unnecessary thing, 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 one too ambitious of courting favor, sacrificing his time in attendance, his

repose⁵ , his liberty, his virtue⁶, and perhaps his friends, to attain⁷ it, I have said to myself, this

man gives too much for his whistle.

When I saw another fond of popularity, constantly employing himself in political bustles⁸,

neglecting his own affairs, and ruining them by that man, said I, you pay too much for your

whistle.

When I met with a man of pleasure, sacrificing every laudable improvement of the mind,

or of his fortune, to mere⁹ corporeal¹⁰ sensations , and ruining his health in their pursuit,

Mistaken man, said I, you are providing pain for yourself, instead of pleasure; you give too much

for your whistle.

If I see one fond of appearance, or fine clothes, fine houses, fine furniture, all above his

fortune, for which he contracts debts, and ends his career in a prison, Alas¹¹!say I, he has paid dear,

very dear, for his whistle.

When I see a beautiful sweet-tempered girl married to an ill-natured brute¹² of a husband. What

a pity, say I, that she should pay so much for a whistle!

In short, I conceive that great part of the miseries¹³ of mankind are brought upon them by the

false estimates they have made of the value of things, and by their giving too much for their

whistles.

我七岁那年，一个节假日，我的朋友们往我口袋里塞满了铜币。我立即去了一家儿童

玩具店。因为路上遇到一个小男孩，他手里哨子的声音使我着迷，我便自愿提出并且付出

所有铜币，买了一个口哨，就回了家。我在家里房前屋后不停地吹口哨，对自己的哨声非

常满意，可是却打扰了全家。我的哥哥姐姐、表兄表姐，了解了我的这笔交易，对我说，

以这个哨子的价值，我多付了四倍的钱，告诉我用多付的钱可以买什么样的好东西，他们

嘲笑我做的蠢事，把我弄得懊恼地大哭。回想起来，此事给我带来的懊恼大大超过口哨给

我带来的快乐。

可是，这件事后来对我倒有了用处。这一印象深深刻在我的头脑里，时常，在我想买

一些不必要的东西时，就会对自己说，别花太多的钱买口哨，钱就省下了。

随着我长大，进入社会，观察了人们的行为，我觉得自己遇到了许许多多人，他们也

花了太多的钱买口哨。

当我看到一个热衷于攀附权贵的人，牺牲了时间去恭候别人，牺牲了休息、自由、德

行，也许牺牲了朋友去获取这一切，我就对自己说，此人为哨子花的钱太多了。

当我看见另一人醉心于名望，总是忙于政治琐务，忽视自己的分内之事，把事情搞

砸，我就会说，你花了太多的钱买口哨。

当我碰见一个寻欢作乐的人，沉湎于肉体的享受而牺牲精神的升华，坐失生财的机

遇，毁掉自己的健康，我就会说，误入歧途的人，你不是在寻乐，是在自找苦吃；你为口

哨付的钱太多了。

当我看见一个人喜欢油头粉面、衣冠楚楚，沉迷于香车豪宅，而入不敷出，最后债台

高筑、锒铛入狱。天哪，我会说，他为口哨付出的代价实在太高昂了。

当我看到一个性情温柔的美少女，嫁给了一个粗鲁残忍的男人，我会说，多么令人惋

惜啊，她竟为一只哨子付了这么大的代价！

总之，我认为，人类大部分的灾难都是由他们错误估计事物的价值、为他们的口哨付

出了太过高昂的价格造成的。

1 coppers   

铜( copper的名词复数 )； 铜币

参考例句：

• I only paid a few coppers for it. 我只花了几个铜板买下这东西。
• He had only a few coppers in his pocket. 他兜里仅有几个铜板。

2 folly   

n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话

参考例句：

• Learn wisdom by the folly of others.从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。
• Events proved the folly of such calculations.事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。

3 chagrin   

n.懊恼；气愤；委屈

参考例句：

• His increasingly visible chagrin sets up a vicious circle.他的明显的不满引起了一种恶性循环。
• Much to his chagrin,he did not win the race.使他大为懊恼的是他赛跑没获胜。

4 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

5 repose   

v.(使)休息；n.安息

参考例句：

• Don't disturb her repose.不要打扰她休息。
• Her mouth seemed always to be smiling,even in repose.她的嘴角似乎总是挂着微笑，即使在睡眠时也是这样。

6 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

7 attain   

vt.达到，获得，完成

参考例句：

• I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。
• His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。

8 bustles   

热闹( bustle的名词复数 )； （女裙后部的）衬垫； 撑架

参考例句：

• She bustles about cooking breakfast in a most officious manner. 她为准备早餐忙得团团转。
• Everyone bustles during rush hours. 上下班时间每个人都忙忙碌碌的。

9 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

10 corporeal   

adj.肉体的，身体的；物质的

参考例句：

• The body is the corporeal habitation of the soul.身体为灵魂之有形寓所。
• He is very religious;corporeal world has little interest for him.他虔信宗教，对物质上的享受不感兴趣。

11 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

12 brute   

n.野兽，兽性

参考例句：

• The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。
• That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。

13 miseries   

n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人

参考例句：

• They forgot all their fears and all their miseries in an instant. 他们马上忘记了一切恐惧和痛苦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• I'm suffering the miseries of unemployment. 我正为失业而痛苦。 来自《简明英汉词典》