George Bernard Shaw
百万富翁的悲哀
心灵寄语
快乐是人精神上的一种愉悦，是一种心灵上的满足。你羡慕百万富翁吗？也许有人的回答是肯定的。但是如果成为百万富翁的交换条件是快乐，你还会交换吗？
The millionaire class，a small but growing one into which any of us may be flung tomorrow by the accidents of commerce，is perhaps the most neglected in the community。As far as I know，this is the first tract that has ever been written for millionaires。
In the advertisements of the manufacturers of the country，I find that everything is produced for the million and nothing for the millionaire。Children，boys，youth，“gents”，ladies，artisans，professional men，even peers，and kings，are catered for；but the millionaire’s custom is evidently not worth having；there are too few of him。Whilst the poorest have their Rag Fair，a duly1organized and busy market in Houndsditch，where you can buy a boot for a penny，you may search the world in vain for the market where the ￡50boot，the special dear line of hats at forty guineas，the cloth of gold bicycling suit，and the Cleopatra claret，four pearls to the bottle，can be purchased wholesale。
Thus the unfortunate millionaire has the responsibility of prodigious2wealth without the possibility of enjoying himself more than any ordinary rich man。Indeed，in many things he cannot enjoy himself more than many poor men do，nor even so much；for a drum major is better dressed；a trainer’s stable lad often rides a better horse；the first-class carriage is shared by office boys taking their young ladies out for the evening；everybody who goes down to Brighton for Sunday rides in the Pullman car；and of what use is it to be able to pay for a peacock’s brain sandwich when there is nothing to be had but ham or beef？
The injustice of this state of things has not been sufficiently considered。A man with an income of ￡25a year can multiply his comfort beyond all calculation by doubling his income。A man with ￡50a year can at least quadruple3his comfort by doubling his income。Probably up to even ￡250a year doubled income means doubled comfort。After that the increment4of comfort grows less in proportion to the increment of income until a point is reached at which the victim is satiated5and even surfeited with everything that money can procure6.
To expect him to enjoy another hundred thousand pounds because men like money，is exactly as if you were to expect a confectioner’s7shop-boy to enjoy two hours more work a day because boys are fond of sweets。What can the wretched8millionaire do that needs a million？Does he want a fleet of yachts，a Rotten Row full of carriages，an army of servants，a whole city of town houses，or a continent for a game preserve？Can he attend more than one theatre in one evening，or wear more than one suit at a time，or digest more meals than his butler？Is it a luxury to have more money to take care of，more begging letters to read，and to be cut off from those delicious Alnaschar dreams in which the poor man，sitting down to consider what he will do in the always possible event of some unknown relative leaving him a fortune，forgets his privation。
And yet there is no sympathy for this hidden sorrow of Plutocracy。The poor alone are pitied。Societies spring up in all directions to relieve all sorts of comparatively happy people，from discharged prisoners in the first rapture of their regained liberty to children revelling in the luxury of an unlimited appetite；but no hand is stretched out to the millionaire，except to beg。In all our dealing with him lies implicit the delusion that he has nothing to complain of，and that he ought to be ashamed of rolling in wealth whilst others are starving。
乔治·伯纳德·肖
百万富翁虽然是很小的一个阶层，却正在迅速扩大。我们当中任何人随时都可能由于做生意发了横财，而进入百万富翁的行列。然而这是最被这个社会所忽视的阶层。据我所知，这还是第一篇为百万富翁鸣不平的文章。
从我们这个国家所有制造商的广告中，我发现一切都是为普通大众而生产的，而没有专为百万富翁生产的东西。儿童、少年、青年、绅士、贵妇、工匠、专家，甚至贵族和国王，他们的需要都能得到满足；但是百万富翁的光临显然不值得期待，因为他们只是一小部分人。穷光蛋可以去他们的旧货商场，那里的市场货源充足，生意兴隆，在那里你能买到一便士一双的靴子；而全世界的旧货市场都不会出现五十英镑一双的靴子；那里既没有四十几尼一顶的高档帽子，也不会有金线织品的自行车服，或是克娄巴特拉女王牌红葡萄酒，四颗珍珠才能买来一瓶。
所以，不幸的百万富翁不仅要肩负着掌管巨额财富的重担，而他享受到的却不可能比普通的有钱人好多少。事实上，在许多方面，他的享受并不比许多穷人多，甚至比不上穷人。因为一名军乐队的指挥穿得更华丽，驯马师的马童骑的马更俊美；那些服侍年轻贵妇们晚间兜风的勤杂人员也能享受到头等车厢的待遇；凡是去布赖顿过星期天的人们，都乘普尔曼轿车。一个能买得起孔雀脑做的三明治的百万富翁，碰到只有火腿或牛肉三明治的供应，也只是无可奈何！
此类不公平的情况还远没有讲完。若一个人每年收入是25英镑，一旦他的收入增加一倍，他可以享受到的东西顿时提高了许多倍。倘若一个人每年收入50英镑，一旦收入增加一倍，他可以享受到的至少是以前的四倍。或许每年收入高达250英镑的人，双倍的收入也还意味着双倍的享受。但是从那之后，与收入增长的速度相比，他享受程度的比例就越来越小，超过一定的限额后，他便成了财富的牺牲品，正如乐极生悲，他对于金钱所能买到的一切都会感到厌烦。
因为人人都喜欢金钱，你会认定百万富翁多赚十万英镑便会高兴，就像是因为小孩子都喜欢吃糖果，你就以为糖果店的小伙计乐意每天加班两小时一样。可怜的百万富翁究竟要怎么花那百万英镑？难道他需要一个游艇舰队吗？他的马车需要占满海德公园骑马道那么多吗？还是需要一支军队那么多的仆人？住房要整个城市那么大？或是需要一整块大陆作为他狩猎的场所？他能同时去好几个戏院看戏吗？他能同时身穿好几套衣服？一天能比他的管家多吃几餐吗？难道有更多的钱财去管理，有更多的求助信要看，也是值得庆贺的事？穷人有自己的黄粱美梦，也可以坐下来幻想，假若哪天一位素未谋面的亲戚给他留下一大笔财产时他该如何消受，这时穷人会暂时忘记自己的穷困——这种情况并不是完全不可能的；而百万富翁却没有这种黄粱美梦可以做了，难道这可以称作是一种乐事？
然而，对于富豪们内心隐藏着的这些悲哀，竟然无人表示同情。人人都只怜悯穷人。社会现在正全方位地救助一些人，那些人其实比百万富翁更加幸福——这些人从重获自由的获释囚徒，到那些为饱餐一顿而欢喜雀跃的穷苦的儿童。可是没有人向百万富翁伸出援手，除非是向他们乞求。在我们对百万富翁的认识中，我们无疑还有这么一种偏见，固执地认为他不但没有什么可抱怨的，而应该感到羞愧，因为他在钱窝里打滚而别人却在忍饥挨饿。
V
词汇空间
ocabulary
1.duly adj。 按期的，适当的
2.prodigious adj。 巨大的，惊人的
3.quadruple adj。 四倍的
4.increment n。 增加，增长
5.satiated adj。 满足的，饱满的
6.procure v。 取得，获得
7.confectioner n。 糖果店
8.wretched adj。 可怜的，悲惨的
9.plutocracy n。 富豪
文化链接
Culture Background
1.骑马道（Rotten Row）
Rotten Row（骑马道）是英国伦敦海德公园的一个景点。该公园是国王亨利八世于1536年创建的一个猎场，在那里他可以招待来访贵宾。在17世纪，国王查尔斯建立了供王室随从的马车游行炫耀的一个叫圆圈的轨道。当威廉和玛丽在1689年成为国王和王后，他们创造了一个从海德公园到肯辛顿宫游行的路线。此路被称为“Route de Roi”即有名的骑马道（Rotten Row）。
2.布莱顿（Brighton）
布莱顿是英格兰南部的海滨城市，地处“大伦敦”区域南部，距离伦敦市区仅1小时路程。同时，布莱顿是著名的旅游度假城市，有着“海滨伦敦”美誉。这个紧邻伦敦的城市，以历史、文化、包容和美丽的景色而出名。作为海滨城市，与其他地方的海滩大都是沙滩不同，布莱顿以其密布鹅卵石的海滩而著称。
3.乔治·伯纳德·肖（George Bernard Shaw）
乔治·伯纳德·肖，爱尔兰剧作家，1925年因为作品具有理想主义和人道主义而获诺贝尔文学奖，其喜剧作品《卖花女》（Pygmalion）因被好莱坞改编为卖座电影《窈窕淑女》（My Fair Lady）而家喻户晓。他的《贝多芬百年祭》已经选入高中课改教材。
妙语拾珠
1.To expect him to enjoy another hundred thousand pounds because men like money，is exactly as if you were to expect a confectioner’s7shop-boy to enjoy two hours more work a day because boys are fond of sweets。
因为人人都喜欢金钱，你会认定百万富翁多赚十万英镑便会高兴，就像是因为小孩子都喜欢吃糖果，你就以为糖果店的小伙计乐意每天加班两小时一样。
2.After that the increment4of comfort grows less in proportion to the increment of income until a point is reached at which the victim is satiated5and even surfeited with everything that money can procure6.
但是从那之后，与收入的增长的速度相比，他享受程度的比例就越来越小，超过一定的限额后，他便成了财富的牺牲品，正如乐极生悲，他对于金钱所能买到的一切都会感到厌烦。