雙語閱讀：一雙襪子

以下是小編整理的哲理類英語美文欣賞：一雙襪子， 希望對你有所啓發。

A Pair of Socks

One fine afternoon I was walking along Fifth Avenue,when I remembered that it was necessary to buy apair of socks. I turned into the first sock shop thatcaught my eye, and a boy clerk who could not havebeen more than seventeen years old came forward. “What can I do for you, sir?” “I wish to buy a pair ofsocks.” His eyes glowed. There was a note ofpassion in his voice. “Did you know that you hadcome into the finest place in the world to buysocks?” I had not been aware of that, as myentrance had been accidental. “Come with me,” said the boy, ecstatically. I followed him to therear of the shop, and he began to haul down from the shelves box after box, displaying theircontents for my delectation.

一個晴朗的下午,我沿第五大街而行,忽然想起需要買雙襪子｡我拐進看到的第一家襪店,一個不到17歲的少年售貨員迎上來:“先生,我能爲您效勞嗎?” “我想買雙短襪｡” 他雙眸滿是熱情,聲音飽含激情:“您知道您來到了世界上最好的襪店嗎?”我倒並未意識到這點,我不過是隨便進來的｡ “隨我來,”男孩欣喜若狂地說｡我跟着他往裏走｡他開始從貨架上拽下一個又一個盒子,向我展示裏面的襪子,讓我欣賞｡

“Hold on, lad, I am going to buy only one pair!” “I know that,” said he, “but I want you to seehow marvelously beautiful these are. Aren’t they wonderful?” There was on his face anexpression of solemn and holy rapture, as if he were revealing to me the mysteries of hisreligion. I became far more interested in him than in the socks. I looked at him in amazement. “My friend,” said I, “if you can keep this up, if this is not merely the enthusiasm that comesfrom novelty, from having a new job, if you can keep up this zeal and excitement day afterday, in ten years you will own every sock in the United States.”

“停一停,孩子,我只買一雙!”“我知道,”他說,“但我想讓您瞧瞧這些襪子是多麼漂亮､令人讚歎!難道它們不棒嗎!”他的臉色莊嚴而虔誠,就像是在向我透露他的信仰中的奧祕似的｡我對他遠遠超過了對襪子的興趣｡我吃驚地打量着他｡“我的朋友,” 我說,“如果你能這樣保持下去,如果這熱情並不僅僅緣於新奇,緣於找到份新工作,如果你能日復一日地保持這種熱心和激情,不出十年,全美的每一雙襪子都將是從你手中賣出去的｡”

My amazement at his pride and joy in salesmanship will be easily understood by all who readthis article. In many shops the customer has to wait for someone to wait upon him. And whenfinally some clerk does deign to notice you, you are made to feel as if you were interruptinghim. Either he is absorbed in profound thought in which he hates to be disturbed or he isskylarking with a girl clerk and you feel like apologizing for thrusting yourself into suchintimacy.

他顯示出對你和他拿着工資去賣的東西毫無興趣｡然而,就是這樣一個如此冷漠的售貨員,或許當初也是滿懷希望和熱情開始工作的｡天天枯燥乏味的苦差事令他不堪忍受,新鮮感磨去了,惟一的樂趣只能在工作之外找到｡他成了一個機械的､沒有幹勁的售貨員｡機械呆板之後便是笨拙無能｡隨後,看到比他年輕､工作熱情比他高的售貨員得到了提拔,在他之上,他於是變得煩躁刻薄｡此時便到了他職業生涯的最後階段｡他不再有用了｡

He displays no interest either in you or in the goods he is paid to sell. Yet possibly that veryclerk who is now so apathetic began his career with hope and enthusiasm. The daily grindwas too much for him; the novelty wore off; his only pleasures were found outside of workinghours. He became a mechanical, not inspired, salesman. After being mechanical, he becameincompetent; then he saw younger clerks who had more zest in their work, promoted overhim. He became sour. That was the last stage. His usefulness was over.

I have observed this melancholy decline in the lives of so many men in so many occupationsthat I have come to the conclusion that the surest road to failure is to do things e are many teachers in schools and colleges who seem duller than the dullest of theirpupils; they go through the motions of teaching, but they are as impersonal as a telephone.

我觀察到,很多職業中的太多人在人生道路上都有這種可悲的墮落｡由此我得出結論:機械地應付差事是離失敗最近的路｡大中小學裏的許多教師,似乎比他們最最遲鈍的學生還要呆滯;他們似乎也搞搞教學,卻毫無人的感情,就如同一部電話機｡