---
url: >-
  https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-3/27-nothing-to-sell-and-nothing-to-buy.md
description: 新概念英语第三册：Nothing to Sell and Nothing to Buy。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。
---

# 27 · 不卖也不买

### 第1段

It has been said that everyone lives by selling something. In the light of this statement, teachers live by selling knowledge, philosophers by selling wisdom and priests by selling spiritual comfort. Though it may be possible to measure the value of material goods in terms of money, it is extremely difficult to estimate the true value of the services which people perform for us. There are times when we would willingly give everything we possess to save our lives, yet we might grudge paying a surgeon a high fee for offering us precisely this service. The conditions of society are such that skills have to be paid for in the same way that goods are paid for at a shop. Everyone has something to sell.
Tramps seem to be the only exception to this general rule. Beggars almost sell themselves as human beings to arouse the pity of passers-by. But real tramps are not beggars. They have nothing to sell and require nothing from others. In seeking independence, they do not sacrifice their human dignity. A tramp may ask you for money, but he will never ask you to feel sorry for him. He has deliberately chosen to lead the life he leads and is fully aware of the consequences. He may never be sure where the next meal is coming from, but he is free from the thousands of anxieties which afflict other people. His few material possessions make it possible for him to move from place to place with ease. By having to sleep in the open, he gets far closer to the world of nature than most of us ever do. He may hunt, beg, or steal occasionally to keep himself alive; he may even, in times of real need, do a little work; but he will never sacrifice his freedom. We often speak of tramps with contempt and put them in the same class as beggars, but how many of us can honestly say that we have not felt a little envious of their simple way of life and their freedom from care?

中文理解：有人说，人人都靠出售某种东西谋生。照这种说法，教师出售知识，哲学家出售智慧，牧师出售精神慰藉。实物的价值也许可以用金钱衡量，可别人为我们提供的服务，真正价值多少，却极难估算。有时候，为了保住性命，我们甘愿付出自己拥有的一切；可真要为外科医生提供的救命服务付一大笔钱，又可能心有不舍。社会就是如此：购买技能和到店里购买商品一样，都得付钱。每个人都有可以出售的东西。
流浪汉似乎是这条普遍规律唯一的例外。乞丐为了博取路人的同情，几乎连自己身为一个人的尊严都拿来出卖；真正的流浪汉却不是乞丐。他们没有什么要卖，也不向别人索取什么，不会为了独立而牺牲人格尊严。流浪汉也许会向你讨钱，却绝不会求你可怜他。他有意选择了自己的生活方式，也完全清楚随之而来的后果。他也许不知道下一顿饭在哪里，却摆脱了困扰别人、数也数不清的烦恼。随身家当很少，让他可以轻松地四处迁移。露宿野外，又使他比我们大多数人更亲近自然。为了活下去，他偶尔也许打猎、乞讨或偷窃，真到了万不得已，甚至也会干一点活，但绝不肯牺牲自己的自由。我们常轻蔑地谈论流浪汉，把他们和乞丐混为一谈；可又有多少人能坦然地说，自己从未羡慕过他们那简单、无忧无虑的生活呢？

* **lives by selling**：靠出售……谋生；live by doing，by 后接谋生方式；不是住在商店旁边。

* **In the light of**：考虑到；根据；表示以新信息重新判断，不是物理光线。

* **in terms of**：在……方面；用……衡量；说清具体比较维度，不作为空泛连接词。

* **in the same way**：以同样方式；way前用the same，后面说明相似的做法。

* **the only exception to**：唯一的例外；exception to a rule，介词用 to，不用 of。

* **have nothing to sell**：没有东西可出售；nothing + to do 表没有可做的对象，保留否定。

* **human dignity**：人的尊严；respect / protect / sacrifice dignity；不是外表的体面。

* **fully aware of**：充分意识到；be aware of + 名词，或 aware that + 陈述。

* **free from**：不受……困扰；与 free to do 的自由做某事区分。

* **with ease**：轻松地；修饰动作，表达做起来不费力。

* **in the open**：在户外；本课指露天环境，不是公开信息。

* **keep himself alive**：让自己活下去；keep + 宾语 + alive，alive 描写结果状态。

* **with contempt**：轻蔑地；treat / speak of someone with contempt，注意这是态度而非事实评价。

#### 原文注释 · It has been said that everyone lives by selling something.

注释：①value = worth。②estimate = assess。③perform = do。④possess = have, own。 ⑤grudge = be unwilling to。⑥precisely = exactly。⑦skills = abilities。

\[语法符号讲解] \[1]本句中to estimate 不定式短语作真正的主语，这个主语里面正好包括了一个定语从句，为表示整个部分都是主语，双横线一直画到了最后，但因为不是主语从句，故双横线没有包括点句号。which 为关系代词，在这里作宾语，故 which 的ich 下画横线。

\[2]本句when 引导定语从句，而非时间状语从句，需要留意。在定语从句中， when 为关系副词，在该从句中作状语，在这个 times 后的定语从句中也可以省略；保留 when 能更清楚地标示时间关系。本书在 when 处用中括号标记它在从句中的状语作用。

#### 原文注释 · Tramps seem to be the only exception to this general rule.

注释：①By having to sleep in the open，不得不在露天过夜之意，作原因状语。 ②in times of real need，在确实需要的时候。

#### Summary 摘要

Unlike beggars, real tramps have nothing to sell and require nothing from others. Although they seek independence, they will not sacrifice their human dignity. They choose their own way of life and are aware of the consequences. They may not know where the next meal is coming from, but they do not have the worries that others have. They can travel easily because they have few possessions and when they sleep in the open, they are close to nature. (79 words)

#### Composition 作文 Tramps Are Parasites 流浪汉是寄生虫

\[1]The majority of adults in society contribute to society by working. They work, earn money and pay taxes for the things we all need—hospitals, schools, public transport, the fire brigade, law and order and so on. We don't expect children or very old people to work and pay taxes. But everyone else should. So why should people like tramps and beggars be different?

\[2]Tramps say all they want is their freedom. Well, they may be free, but their freedom is paid for by everyone else in society. There are many unemployed people who simply cannot get a job—but they would work if they could. And many beggars are people who have turned to begging because they cannot find a job. Tramps are not like them. Tramps lead a very selfish way of life and it is a way of life that shows an unwillingness to assume responsibility for others. The rest of us have a home, children, work, and so on. But not tramps!

\[3]Tramps are lazy parasites on society, and if we all had their mentality, society would not exist, for them or anyone else.

\[4]Although we might in some ways be envious of tramps, and although we might envy their freedom, how many of us could be as selfish as them? How many of us could say "I'm going to live exactly as I want, and damn the rest of society!"? I couldn't. (236 words)

## 学完这一课

比较两种工作或学习成果：承认一种易衡量，再说明另一种难在哪。

[Nce · 本册复习台](/new-concept/book-3/review) · [三册选择地图](/new-concept/)

*译文依据整理稿，由本站按中文表达重新校订；解析据吴应时、何景霖整理资料及首轮审校稿；词伙与练习提示为本站学习设计。原PDF第91—93页，2022年2月第3版。*