选择字号:【大】【中】【小】 | 关灯
护眼
|
XV L.S.D.
关注小说网官方公众号(noveltingroom),原版名著免费领。
Anybody who really wishes to talk simple truth about money at the present time is confronted by a very serious practical difficulty. He must put himself in opposition1 to the overwhelming body of public opinion, and resign himself to being regarded either as a poseur2, a crank, or a fool. The public is in search of happiness now, as it was a million years ago. Money is not the principal factor in happiness. It may be argued whether, as a factor in happiness, money is of twentieth-rate importance or fiftieth-rate importance. But it cannot be argued whether money, in point of fact, does or does not of itself bring happiness. There can be no doubt whatever that money does not bring happiness. Yet, in face of this incontrovertible and universal truth, the whole public behaves exactly as if money were the sole or the principal preliminary to happiness. The public does not reason, and it will not listen to reason; its blood is up in the money-hunt, and the philosopher might as well expostulate with an earthquake as try to take that public by the button-hole and explain. If a man sacrifices his interest under the will of some dead social tyrant3 in order to marry whom he wishes, if an English minister of religion declines twenty-five thousand dollars a year to go into exile and preach to New York millionaires, the phenomenon is genuinely held to be so astounding4 that it at once flies right round the world in the form of exclamatory newspaper articles! In an age when such an attitude towards money is sincere, it is positively5 dangerous—I doubt if it may not be harmful—to persist with loud obstinacy6 that money, instead of being the greatest, is the least thing in the world. In times of high military excitement a man may be ostracised if not lynched for uttering opinions which everybody will accept as truisms a couple of years later, and thus the wise philosopher holds his tongue—lest it should be cut out. So at the zenith of a period when the possession of money in absurd masses is an infallible means to the general respect, I have no intention either of preaching or of practising quite all that I
点击
收听单词发音

1
opposition
![]() |
|
n.反对,敌对 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2
poseur
![]() |
|
n.装模作样的人 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3
tyrant
![]() |
|
n.暴君,专制的君主,残暴的人 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4
astounding
![]() |
|
adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊,使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5
positively
![]() |
|
adv.明确地,断然,坚决地;实在,确实 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6
obstinacy
![]() |
|
n.顽固;(病痛等)难治 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7
privately
![]() |
|
adv.以私人的身份,悄悄地,私下地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8
lustful
![]() |
|
a.贪婪的;渴望的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9
ostentation
![]() |
|
n.夸耀,卖弄 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10
undoubtedly
![]() |
|
adv.确实地,无疑地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11
guild
![]() |
|
n.行会,同业公会,协会 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12
bind
![]() |
|
vt.捆,包扎;装订;约束;使凝固;vi.变硬 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13
aloof
![]() |
|
adj.远离的;冷淡的,漠不关心的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14
banal
![]() |
|
adj.陈腐的,平庸的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15
condemn
![]() |
|
vt.谴责,指责;宣判(罪犯),判刑 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16
lavish
![]() |
|
adj.无节制的;浪费的;vt.慷慨地给予,挥霍 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17
expenditure
![]() |
|
n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出;使用,消耗 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18
shareholders
![]() |
|
n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19
immediate
![]() |
|
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20
touching
![]() |
|
adj.动人的,使人感伤的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21
paramount
![]() |
|
a.最重要的,最高权力的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22
meditation
![]() |
|
n.熟虑,(尤指宗教的)默想,沉思,(pl.)冥想录 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23
rabble
![]() |
|
n.乌合之众,暴民;下等人 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24
trifling
![]() |
|
adj.微不足道的;没什么价值的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25
embroidery
![]() |
|
n.绣花,刺绣;绣制品 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
26
forth
![]() |
|
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27
pall
![]() |
|
v.覆盖,使平淡无味;n.柩衣,棺罩;棺材;帷幕 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
28
embroideries
![]() |
|
刺绣( embroidery的名词复数 ); 刺绣品; 刺绣法 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
29
ingenuity
![]() |
|
n.别出心裁;善于发明创造 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
30
sneer
![]() |
|
v.轻蔑;嘲笑;n.嘲笑,讥讽的言语 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
31
ego
![]() |
|
n.自我,自己,自尊 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
32
livelihood
![]() |
|
n.生计,谋生之道 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
33
impudence
![]() |
|
n.厚颜无耻;冒失;无礼 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
34
precipice
![]() |
|
n.悬崖,危急的处境 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
35
everlastingly
![]() |
|
永久地,持久地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
36
contrive
![]() |
|
vt.谋划,策划;设法做到;设计,想出 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
37
esteem
![]() |
|
n.尊敬,尊重;vt.尊重,敬重;把…看作 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
38
snobs
![]() |
|
(谄上傲下的)势利小人( snob的名词复数 ); 自高自大者,自命不凡者 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
39
bankruptcy
![]() |
|
n.破产;无偿付能力 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
40
immortal
![]() |
|
adj.不朽的;永生的,不死的;神的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
41
automaton
![]() |
|
n.自动机器,机器人 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
42
platitude
![]() |
|
n.老生常谈,陈词滥调 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
43
aphorisms
![]() |
|
格言,警句( aphorism的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
44
margin
![]() |
|
n.页边空白;差额;余地,余裕;边,边缘 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
45
lessen
![]() |
|
vt.减少,减轻;缩小 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
下一章:
XVI REASON, REASON!
©英文小说网 2005-2010