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Collecting
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People tend to amass possessions, sometimes without being aware of doing so. Indeed they can have a delightful surprise when they find something useful which they did not know they owned. Those who never have to move house become indiscriminate collectors of what can only be described as clutter. They leave unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics for years, in the belief that they may one day need just those very things. As they grow old, people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons, lack of physical and mental energy, both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away, and sentiment. Things owned for a long time are full of associations with the past, perhaps with relatives who are dead, and so they gradually acquire a value beyond their true worth.
Some things are collected deliberately in the home in an attempt to avoid waste. Among these I would list string and brown paper, kept by thrifty people when a parcel has been opened, to save buying these two requisites. Collecting small items can easily become a mania. I know someone who always cuts sketches out from newspapers of model clothes that she would like to buy if she had the money. As she is not rich, the chances that she will ever be able to afford such purchases are remote; but she is never sufficiently strong-minded to be able to stop the practice. It is a harmless habit, but it litters up her desk to such an extent that every time she opens it, loose bits of paper fall out in every direction.
Collecting as a serious hobby is quite different and has many advantages. It provides relaxation for leisure hours, as just looking at one's treasures is always a joy. One does not have to go outside for amusement, since the collection is housed at home. Whatever it consists of, stamps, records, first editions of books, china, glass, antique furniture, pictures, model cars, stuffed birds, toy animals, there is always something to do in connection with it, from finding the right place for the latest addition, to verifying facts in reference books. This hobby educates one not only in the chosen subject, but also in general matters which have some bearing on it. There are also other benefits. One wants to meet like-minded collectors, to get advice, to compare notes, to exchange articles, to show off the latest find. So one's circle of friends grows. Soon the hobby leads to travel, perhaps to a meeting in another town, possibly a trip abroad in search of a rare specimen, for collectors are not confined to any one country. Over the years, one may well become an authority on one's hobby and will very probably be asked to give informal talks to little gatherings and then, if successful, to larger audiences. In this way self-confidence grows, first from mastering a subject, then from being able to talk about it. Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom.
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整篇课文
People tend to amass possessions, sometimes without being aware of doing so. Indeed they can have a delightful surprise when they find something useful which they did not know they owned. Those who never have to move house become indiscriminate collectors of what can only be described as clutter. They leave unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics for years, in the belief that they may one day need just those very things. As they grow old, people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons, lack of physical and mental energy, both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away, and sentiment. Things owned for a long time are full of associations with the past, perhaps with relatives who are dead, and so they gradually acquire a value beyond their true worth.
Some things are collected deliberately in the home in an attempt to avoid waste. Among these I would list string and brown paper, kept by thrifty people when a parcel has been opened, to save buying these two requisites. Collecting small items can easily become a mania. I know someone who always cuts sketches out from newspapers of model clothes that she would like to buy if she had the money. As she is not rich, the chances that she will ever be able to afford such purchases are remote; but she is never sufficiently strong-minded to be able to stop the practice. It is a harmless habit, but it litters up her desk to such an extent that every time she opens it, loose bits of paper fall out in every direction.
Collecting as a serious hobby is quite different and has many advantages. It provides relaxation for leisure hours, as just looking at one's treasures is always a joy. One does not have to go outside for amusement, since the collection is housed at home. Whatever it consists of, stamps, records, first editions of books, china, glass, antique furniture, pictures, model cars, stuffed birds, toy animals, there is always something to do in connection with it, from finding the right place for the latest addition, to verifying facts in reference books. This hobby educates one not only in the chosen subject, but also in general matters which have some bearing on it. There are also other benefits. One wants to meet like-minded collectors, to get advice, to compare notes, to exchange articles, to show off the latest find. So one's circle of friends grows. Soon the hobby leads to travel, perhaps to a meeting in another town, possibly a trip abroad in search of a rare specimen, for collectors are not confined to any one country. Over the years, one may well become an authority on one's hobby and will very probably be asked to give informal talks to little gatherings and then, if successful, to larger audiences. In this way self-confidence grows, first from mastering a subject, then from being able to talk about it. Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom.
人们往往不知不觉，就积攒起了许多东西。偶尔找出一件有用的物品，却完全不记得自己还有，倒也能带来惊喜。那些从不用搬家的人，什么都留，渐渐收集了一屋子只能称作杂物的东西。多余物件在抽屉、柜子和阁楼里一放就是好多年，只因他们相信，将来某天，自己也许正好会需要它。年纪大了，人们还会因为另外两个原因继续积攒：一是没有足够的体力和心力去翻找、清理、丢弃，二是舍不得。陪伴多年的东西，承载着对过去的种种回忆，也许还让人想起已经去世的亲人，于是渐渐有了超出实际用途的价值。
有些东西则是为了避免浪费，有意留在家里的。比如，节俭的人拆开包裹后，会留下绳子和牛皮纸，省得下次还要买。不过，攒小东西很容易上瘾。我认识一个人，总爱从报纸上剪下时装款式图，想着有钱就买。她并不富裕，真正买得起的机会很渺茫，却又总下不了决心改掉这个习惯。这虽不是什么有害的嗜好，却把书桌塞得满满当当，每次打开抽屉，零碎纸片都会四处飞落。
把收藏当作一项认真的爱好，就完全不同了，而且好处很多。闲暇时光有了放松的方式，光是看看自己的宝贝，就总能让人高兴。藏品就在家里，找乐趣也不必出门。不论收藏的是邮票、唱片、初版本书籍、瓷器、玻璃器皿、古董家具、画作、汽车模型、鸟类标本，还是玩具动物，总有相关的事情可做：给新藏品找合适的位置，或翻参考书核实资料。这个爱好不光让人了解所收藏的对象，还能学到许多与之有关的知识。此外，人也会想结识志同道合的收藏者，向他们请教、交流心得、交换藏品，展示最新的发现，朋友圈便逐渐扩大。不久，爱好还会带来旅行：也许去另一座城参加聚会，也许远赴海外寻找一件罕见藏品，因为收藏者遍布各国。多年以后，你可能成了自己所爱领域的行家，受邀先给小聚会做些轻松的分享，反响好，再面对更多听众。自信也就这样增长：先是因为精通一个领域，再是因为能把它讲给别人听。收藏如此充实而有益地占据了空闲，让人感到满足，也就顾不上感到无聊了。
学完这一课
用 what can be described as… 谨慎地给一类现象命名。
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213—216页，2022年2月第3版。