Lesson 26 Wanted a large biscuit tin

During a radio programme, a company of biscuit manufacturers once asked listeners to bake biscuits and send them to their factory.

有一次，在電臺播放的節目里，一個生產餅干的公司請聽眾烘制餅干送到他們的工廠去。

Lesson 26 Wanted a large biscuit tin

They offered to pay $10 a pound for the biggest biscuit baked by a listener.

他們愿意以每磅10美元的價錢買下由聽眾烘制的最大的餅干。

Lesson 26 Wanted a large biscuit tin

The response to this competition was tremendous.

這次競賽在聽眾中引起極其熱烈的反響。

Lesson 26 Wanted a large biscuit tin

Before long, biscuits of all shapes and sizes began arriving at the factory.

不久，形狀各異，大小不一的餅干陸續送到工廠。

Lesson 26 Wanted a large biscuit tin

One lady brought in a biscuit on a wheelbarrow.

一位女士用手推車運來一個餅干，

Lesson 26 Wanted a large biscuit tin

It weighed nearly 500 pounds.

重達500磅左右。

Lesson 26 Wanted a large biscuit tin

A little later, a man came along with a biscuit which occupied the whole boot of his car.

相隔不一會兒，一個男子也帶來一個大餅干，那個餅干把汽車的行李箱擠得滿滿的。

Lesson 26 Wanted a large biscuit tin

All the biscuits that were sent were carefully weighed.

凡送來的餅干都仔細地稱量。

Lesson 26 Wanted a large biscuit tin

The largest was 713 pounds.

最重的一個達713磅，

Lesson 26 Wanted a large biscuit tin

It seemed certain that this would win the prize.

看來這個餅干獲獎無疑了。

Lesson 26 Wanted a large biscuit tin

But just before the competition closed,

但就在競賽截止時間將到之際，

Lesson 26 Wanted a large biscuit tin

a lorry arrived at the factory with a truly colossal biscuit which weighed 2,400 pounds.

一輛卡車駛進了工廠，運來了一個特大無比、重達2，400磅的餅干。

Lesson 26 Wanted a large biscuit tin

It had been baked by a college student who had used over 1,000 pounds of flour, 800 pounds of sugar, 200 pounds of fat, and 400 pounds of various other ingredients.

它是由一個大學生烘制的，用去1，000多磅的面粉、800磅食糖、200磅動物脂肪及400磅其他各種原料。

Lesson 26 Wanted a large biscuit tin

It was so heavy that a crane had to be used to remove it from the lorry.

餅干份量太重了，用了一臺起重機才把它從卡車上卸下。

Lesson 26 Wanted a large biscuit tin

The manufacturers had to pay more money than they had anticipated, or they bought the biscuit from the student for $24,000.

餅干公司不得不付出比他們預計多得多的錢，因為為買下那學生烘制的餅干他們支付了24，000美元。

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy

It has been said that everyone lives by selling something.

據說每個人都靠出售某種東西來維持生活。

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy

In the light of this statement, teachers live by selling knowledge,

根據這種說法，教師靠賣知識為生，哲學家靠賣智慧為生，

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy

philosophers by selling wisdom and priests by selling spiritual comfort.

牧師靠賣精神安慰為生。

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy

Though it may be possible to measure the value of material good in terms of money,

雖然物質產品的價值可以用金錢來衡量，

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy

it is extremely difficult to estimate the true value of the services which people perform for us.

但要估算別人為我們為所提供的服務的價值卻是極其困難的。

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy

There are times when we would willingly give everything we possess to save our lives,

有時，我們為了挽救生命，愿意付出我們所占有的一切。

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy

yet we might grudge paying a surgeon a high fee for offering us precisely this service.

但就在外科大夫給我們提供了這種服務后，我們卻可能為所支付的昂貴的費用而抱怨。

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy

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.

社會上的情況就是如此，技術是必須付錢去買的，就像在商店里要花錢買商品一樣。

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy

Everyone has something to sell.

人人都有東西可以出售。

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy

Tramps seem to be the only exception to this general rule.

在這條普遍的規律前面，

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy

Beggars almost sell themselves as human being to arouse the pity of passers-by.

好像只有流浪漢是個例外，乞丐出售的幾乎是他本人，以引起過路人的憐憫。

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy

But real tramps are not beggars.

但真正的流浪并不是乞丐。

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy

They have nothing to sell and require nothing from others.

他們既不出售任何東西，也不需要從別人那兒得到任何東西，

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy

In seeking independence, they do not sacrifice their human dignity.

在追求獨立自由的同時，他們并不犧牲為人的尊嚴。

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy

A tramp may ask you for money, but he will never ask you to feel sorry for him.

游浪漢可能會向你討錢，但他從來不要你可憐他。