《百万富翁的悲哀》中英文

2021年1月15日发(作者：邓必仪)
Sorrows of the Millionaire by George Bernard Shaw 百万富翁的悲哀
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，yout hs，“gems”，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 duly organized and
busy market in Houndsditch，where you can buy a book for a penny，you may search
the world in vain for the market where the 50￡boot，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 prodigious wealth
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 25￡ a year can multiply his comfort beyond all calculation
by doubling his income. A man with 50￡ a year can at least quadruple his comfort
by doubling his income. Probably up to even 250￡ a year doubled income means doubled
comfort．After that the increment of comfort grows less in proportion to the increment
of income until a point is reached at which the victim is satiated and even surfeited
with everything that money can procure．To expect him to enjoy another hundred
thousand pounds because men like money，is exactly as if you were to expect a
confectioner’s shop-boy to enjoy two hours more work a day because boys are fond
of sweets. What can the wretched millionaire do that needs a million？Does he want
a fleet of yachts，a Rotten Row, 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 reveling in the luxury of an unlimited appetite;
but no hand is stretched out to the millionaire，except to beg. In all our dealing
with his lies implicit the delusion that he has nothing to complaint of, and that
he ought to be ashamed of rolling in wealth whilst others are starving.

百万富翁是一个很少但却处在不断发展壮大中的阶层。我 们每个人都有可能凭着贸易
上的机运而跃入百万富翁的行列。百万富翁大概是最容易受社会忽视的阶层。 据我所知，这
是至今为这些富豪们而写的第一篇短文。
在全国许多制造商的广告中，我发现每 件商品都是为大众而生产却不是为了这些富翁
们。这些广告迎合各种各样的人：婴儿、男孩、青年、绅士 、女王、工匠和专业人士，甚至
包括贵族和国王。很明显这样的光顾是百万富翁所享受不到的。他几乎没 有这样的机会。然
而，穷人却有他们的旧衣市场，一个组织有序而又热闹的市场坐落在霍迪街上，在那里 你可
以凭一个便士而购得一本书，可是你周游世界去搜寻含有以下这些商品的批发市场都可能是
徒劳的，它们包括价值50英镑的靴子（约现今500多英镑）；价值40畿尼,（旧英国金币
单位，约 一镑一先令），用来装饰帽子的、昂贵的流苏；镶有金边的西服布料以及每瓶都配
备四粒珍珠的克莉奥佩 特拉（女王名，以示高贵）牌葡萄酒。
因此，这些不幸的百万富翁拥有巨大财富却不能像任何一位普通 的富人一样快活。事
实上，有许多事情是百万富翁和许多穷人们都享受不到的，至少享受不了那么多。因 为鼓手
长的穿着更好；驯马倌骑的通常是一匹好马；每天晚上，一等马车都会被办公室的勤杂人员
占用，带上他们年轻女友外出游玩；南下到布莱顿度周末，每个人都乘坐普尔曼式客车。且
当除了汉堡 和牛肉之外没有别的可以享用到的时候，即使能够付得起含孔雀脑的三明治又有
何用呢？
这个 国度中不公正的事情并未得到充分的考虑。每年有25英镑收入的人能够通过加倍
地增加收入来使他生活 的舒适度成倍地增加，这个倍数是无法估算的。每年有50英镑收入
的人能够通过加倍地增加收入来使他 生活的舒适度增加3倍。甚至很可能对于一个年收入
250英镑的人来说，双倍的收入意味着双倍的舒适 。从这个数目往后，舒适的感受便很少能
与收入的增长相称了。除非达到以下这一点，这位不幸的人充分 满足并沉溺于金钱所能获得
的一切东西。因为人都爱财，想再给他10万英镑就如同你想让一位糖果店的 小孩每天多工
作两个小时那么简单，因为孩子们喜欢糖果。这位悲惨的百万富翁需要这一百万来干些什么
呢？他想要一队快艇、一条骑马道、一大群仆人、全市的住所还是一片蓄养鸟兽的苑林？他
能在 一个晚上同时看几场戏吗？或是一次能够穿几套西服吗？还是能比他的男仆消化更多
的膳食？“去保管更 多的钱，去阅读更多的乞讨信，并被剥夺了那些穷人所能享受到的令人
愉悦的‘黄粱美梦’——梦中的穷 人忘却了自己的穷困，坐下来考虑, 梦想着如果总会有一
些陌生的亲戚留给他一笔财产的话,他将做些什么。难道这些都是奢侈的事吗？ < br>并且没有人对富豪阶级这种潜在的悲哀表示同情。人们只觉得穷人可怜。各种社会团
体从四面八方 迅速涌现，以救济各种各样相对快乐的人，从获释后初次狂喜的囚犯到对昂贵
的奢侈品无休止着迷的儿童 ；却没有任何援助之手伸向百万富翁，除了乞讨。在我们与他打
交道时，他的谎言中却暗示着没有任何值 得他解释的欺骗，包括当其他人挨饿的时候，他应
该为自己席卷大量的财富而感到羞愧！