Nothing to sell and Nothing to

　　It's been said that everyone lives by selling something. In the light of this statement, teachers live by selling their knowledge, philosophers by selling wisdom and priests by selling spiritual comfort. Though it may be possible to measure the value of material goods in terms of money, it is difficult to estimate the true value of the services which people perform for us. There are times when we would willingly give everything we possess to save our lives, yet we might grudge paying a surgeon a high fee for offering us precisely this service. 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. Everyone has something to sell.

　　Tramps seem to be the only exception to this general rule. Beggars almost sell themselves as human beings to arouse the pity of passer-by. But real tramps are not beggars. They have nothing to sell and require nothing from others. In seeking independence, they do not sacrifice their human dignity. A tramp may ask you for money, but he will never ask you to feel sorry for him. He has deliberately chosen to lead the life he leads and is fully aware of the consequences. He may never be sure where the next meal is coming from, but he is free from the thousands of anxieties which afflict other people. His few material possessions make it possible for him to move from place to place with ease. By having to sleep in the open, he gets far closer to the world of nature than most of us ever do. He may hunt, beg, or steal occasionally to keep himself alive; he may even, in times of real need, do a little work; but he will never sacrifice his freedom. We often speak of tramps with contempt and put them in the same class as beggars, but how many of us can honestly say that we have not felt a little envious of their simple way of life and their freedom from care?

　　参考译文：据说每个人都是靠出售某种东西来维持生活的！依照这种说法，教师靠卖知识为生，哲学家靠卖智慧为生，牧师靠卖精神安慰为生。虽然物质产品的价值可以用金钱来衡量，但要估算别人为我们所提供的服务的价值却是极其困难的。有时，我们为了挽救生命，愿意付出我们所占有的一切。但是，就在外科大夫给我们提供了这种服务之后，我们却可能为我们所支付的昂贵费用而抱怨。社会上的情况就是如此，技术必须付钱去买的，就像在商店，要花钱买商品一样。人人都有东西可以出售。

　　在这条普遍性的规律面前，好像只有流浪汉是个例外。乞丐出售的几乎是他本人，以引起路人的怜悯。但真正的流浪汉并不是乞丐。他们既不出售任何东西，也不需要从别人那儿得到任何东西。在追求独立自由生活同时，他们并不牺牲为人的尊严。流浪汉可能向你讨钱，但他从来不要你可怜他。他是故意选择过那种生活的，并且完全清楚以这种方式生活的后果。他可能从不知道下顿饭有无着落，但他不像有的人那样被成千上万桩愁事所折磨。他几乎没什么财产，这使他能够轻松自如地在各地奔波。由于被迫在露天睡觉，他比我们更接近大自然。为了生存，他们可能会去打猎，乞讨，偶尔也会偷上一两回；确实需要的时候，他甚至可能干点活，但他决不牺牲自由。说起流浪汉，我们常常带有轻蔑，并把他们与乞丐归为一类。但是，我们中有多少人能够坦率地说，我们对流浪汉的简朴生活与无忧无虑的境况不感到有些羡慕呢？