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哨　子

The Whistle

本杰明？富蘭克林 / Benjamin Franklin

I received my dear friend’s 2 letters， one for Wednesday and one for Saturday. This is again Wednesday. I do not deserve one for today， because I have not answered the former. But， indolent as I am， and averse to writing， the fear of having no more of your pleasing epistles， if I do not contribute to the correspondence， obliges me to take up my pen； and as Mr. B. has kindly sent me word that he sets out tomorrow to see you， instead of spending this Wednesday evening， as I have done its namesakes， in your delightful company， I sit down to spend it in thinking of you， in writing to you， and in reading over and over again your letters.

I am charmed with your description of Paradise， and with your plan of living there； and I approve much of your conclusion， that， in the meantime， we should draw all the good we can from this world. In my opinion we might all draw more good from it than we do， and suffer less evil， if we would take care not to give too much for whistles. For to me it seems that most of the unhappy people we meet with become so by neglect of that caution.

You ask what I mean？ You love stories， and will excuse my telling one of myself.

When I was a child of 7 years old， my friends， on a holiday， filled my pocket with coppers. 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 folly， that I cried with vexation； and the reflections gave me more chagrin 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 tempted to buy some unnecessary things， 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 court favor， sacrificing his tine in attendance on levees， his repose， his liberty， his virtue， and perhaps his friends， to attain 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 bustles， neglecting his own affairs， and ruining them by that neglect， he pays， indeed， said I， too much for his whistle.

If I knew a miser， who gave up every kind of comfortable living， all the pleasure of doing good to others， all the esteem of his fellow-citizens， and the joys of benevolent friendship， for the sake of accumulating wealth， poor 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 mere corporeal 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， fine equipages， all above his fortune， for which he contracts debts， and ends his career in a prison， Alas！ say I， he has paid dear， very dear， for his whistle.

When I see a beautiful sweet-tempered girl married to an ill-natured brute 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 miseries 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.

Adieu， my dear friend， and believe me ever yours very sincerely and with unalterable affection.

我親愛的朋友，我已經收到你的兩封來信，周三、周六各一封。時光飛逝，一眨眼，又到了周三。我今天不再祈求收到你的來信，因為以前的信，我還沒來得及回復。我承認自己懶惰，又不愛寫信，可是如果不回信的話，我又怕自己再也收不到你那令人開心的來信。想到這里，我便不得不拿起筆來了。B先生好心地告訴我，他想明日去你的家中拜訪，而不是在今天晚上。坐在桌前心里想著與你快樂的接觸，我整個晚上都在想念你，給你寫回信，并反復閱讀你的來信。

我著迷于你對天堂的描述，羨慕你去那里生活的計劃，并認可你的大部分觀點，在這樣的基礎上，我們一定要最大限度地從這個世界中吸取所有的善。在我看來，如果我們注意不在哨子上付出太大的代價，我們很有可能從這個世界吸取更多的善，遭受更少的惡。因為對我來說，我們所見過的悶悶不樂的人中，大部分是由于對這一警示不予理睬而釀成了大禍。

你或許會問，我說的是什么意思？你喜歡聽故事，那么請允許我講一個發生在我身上的故事。

故事發生在我7歲那年。因為是假日，我的口袋被幾位朋友塞滿了銅幣。我趕忙直奔一家兒童玩具店。在去往商店的路上，我看到一個小男孩手中有只哨子。他吹出的哨音婉轉動聽，我情不自禁地著迷了。于是，我掏出所有的錢換了他那只哨子。然后，回到家后，我便吹著哨子四處游蕩。我對自己的哨子愛不釋手，而全家人卻因為哨聲苦不堪言。我的哥哥、姐姐、堂兄、堂姐、表兄、表姐得知了我買哨子的價錢后，告訴我，我買這只哨子多花了3倍的價錢，還告訴我用那些剩下的錢可以買到哪些好東西，并肆意嘲笑我的愚蠢。我懊惱地哭了起來。這件事帶給我的苦惱，遠多于哨子帶給我的快樂。

不過，這件事一直留在我的記憶中，給我日后的人生帶來了很多益處。從那以后，每當我想去買一些不必要的東西時，就對自己說，不要為哨子支付太多金錢，于是我便能省下錢。

長大后，步入社會，遇到了很多人，觀察人們的行為，最后我發現，他們都為自己的哨子付出了過高的代價。

當我看見一個過分熱衷于趨炎附勢，為尋求會見掌權之人，而不惜犧牲自己的睡眠、自由、德行甚至朋友的人時，我便對自己說，這個人為了他的哨子付出了昂貴的代價。

當我看見另一個人醉心于名望，一次又一次投身于政界的紛擾之中，忽視了自己的分內之事，最后因這種忽視而毀了自己的人生時，我說，他確實為哨子付出了昂貴的代價。

當我得知一個守財奴，為了積累財富，寧愿放棄舒適的生活、行善的樂趣、同胞的尊重和友愛帶來的歡愉時，我會說，可憐的人啊，為了哨子，你付出了昂貴的代價。

當我遇到一個沉湎于享樂，為了追求肉體上的享受，犧牲一切精神或物質上值得稱道的改進，甚至不惜毀掉自己健康的人時，我說，誤入歧途的人啊，你是有福不享，自討苦吃，為了哨子，你付出了昂貴的代價。

當我看到一個人追求外在，或沉迷于精致的服裝、豪華的住宅、富麗的家具、漂亮的馬車，入不敷出、債臺高筑，最后被投進監獄時，我說，天哪！為了哨子，他付出了如此昂貴的代價。

當我看到一個美麗動人、性情溫順的女孩，嫁給一個粗野、殘忍的丈夫時，我說，真是可惜，為了哨子，她付出了昂貴的代價。