Step 1: Intensive reading.
Try to answer the question below while you’re reading:
Question: What is the most important thing for a tramp?
Vocabulary:
philosopher n. 哲学家
wisdom n. 智慧
priest n. 牧师
spiritual adj. 精神上的
grudge v. 不愿给，舍不得给
surgeon n. 外科大夫
passer-by n. 过路人（复数 passers-by)
dignity n. 尊严
deliberately adv. 故意地
consequence n. 后果，结果
afflict v. 使苦恼，折磨
ease n. 容易
nature n. 大自然
contempt n. 蔑视
envious adj. 嫉妒的
Passage:
It has been said that everyone lives by selling something. In the light of this statement,
teachers live by selling 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 extremely 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.
据说每个人都靠出售某种东西来维持生活。根据这种说法，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。但就在外科大夫给我们提供了这种
服务后，我们却可能为所支付的昂贵费用而抱怨。社会上的情况就是如此，技术
是必须付钱去买的，就像在商店里要花钱买商品一样。人人都有东西可以出售。
Notes:
1 in the light of，依据，按照。
2 in terms of，从……方面（说来），按照。
3 grudge paying 中，grudge 作“吝惜”，“不愿”解，后面要接名词或动名词。
这句话中的 this service 指上文 to save our lives。
4 The conditions of society are such that…
such 此处为代词，作“这样”解，that 所引起的从句，可视为同位语从句。
Tramps seem to be the only exception to this general rule. Beggars almost sell
themselves as human beings to arouse the pity of passers-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?
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，
以引起过路人的怜悯。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。在追求独立自由的同时，他们并不牺牲为人的
尊严。流浪汉可能会向你讨钱，但他从来不要你可怜他。他是故意地选择过那种
生活的，并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，
但他不像有人那样被成千上万桩愁事所折磨。他几乎没有什么财产，这使他能够
轻松自如地在各地奔波。由于被迫在露天睡觉，他比我们中许多人都离大自然近
得多。为了生存，他可能会去打猎、乞讨，偶尔偷上一两回；确实需要的时候，
他甚至可能干一点儿活，但他决不会牺牲自由。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？
Notes:
5 be free from…，作“不受……影响”解，后面常接 pain（痛苦）， trouble（苦
恼）， danger（危险）一类的词语。
6 By having to sleep in the open，由于不得不在露天过夜，这一介词短语作原因状
语。
7 in times of real need，确实需要的时侯。
8 put them in the same class as beggars ，把他们归为乞丐一类。 the same… as…，
像……一样。
27.2【阅读理解】Nothing to sell and nothing to buy
Step 2: Comprehension questions.
1 It's been said that everyone lives by doing what? (By selling something)
2 What do teachers live by selling? (Knowledge.)
3 Who live by selling wisdom? (Philosophers.)
4 And what about priests? (They live by selling spiritual comfort.)
5 How difficult is it to estimate the true value of service that people perform?
(Extremely difficult)
6 Would most of us willingly give up everything we possess to save our lives? (Yes,
we would.)
7 But who might we grudge paying? (A surgeon.)
8 What has to be paid for in the same way that goods are paid for? (Skills.)
9 Tramps seem to be an exception to a rule. What is the rule? (‘everyone has
something to sell.’)
10 What do beggars almost do? (Sell themselves.)
11 Are real tramps beggars? (No, they aren't)
12 What have they got to sell?(Nothing) And what do they require from
others?(Nothing)
13 There is something tramps do not sacrifice. What is it? (Their human dignity.)
14 Will a tramp ask you to feel sorry for him? (No, he won't.)
15 Is a tramp sure where the next meal is coming from? (No, he isn't.)
16 But what is he free from? (The thousands of anxieties which afflict other people.)
17 Why can he move from place to place with ease? (Because he has few material
possessions.)
18 How does he get closer to nature than most of us do? (By having to sleep in the
open.)
19 What will a tramp never sacrifice? (His freedom.)
20 How do we often speak of tramps? (With contempt.)
21 How do we compare them with beggars? (We put them in the same class.)
22 How do many of us feel about tramps' simple way of life and their freedom from
care? (We are envious of it)
27.3【拓展写作】Nothing to sell and nothing to buy
Step 3: Composition
In not more than 250 words write an answer to the above passage criticizing a tramp's
way of life. Expand the ideas given below into a plan and provide a suitable title.
Your composition should be in four paragraphs.
Ideas: Tramps — free, but freedom paid for by others — selfish way of life —
unwillingness to assume responsibility for others (home, children, work, etc.) — lazy
parasites on society — if we all had the mentality of tramps, society would not exist.
Key to composition
Tramps are parasites
The majority of adults in society contribute to society by working. They work, earn
money and pay taxes for the things we all need— hospitals, schools, public transport,
the fire brigade, law and order and so on. We don't expect children or very old people
to work and pay taxes. But everyone else should. So why should people like tramps
and beggars be different?
Tramps say all they want is their freedom. Well, they may be free, but their
freedom is paid for by everyone else in society. There are many unemployed people
who simply cannot get a job --but they would work if they could. And many beggars
are people who have turned to begging because they cannot find a job. Tramps are not
like them. Tramps lead a very selfish way of life and it is a way of life that shows an
unwillingness to assume responsibility for others. The rest of us have a home,
children, work, and so on. But not tramps!
Tramps are lazy parasites on society, and if we all had their mentality, society
would not exist, for them or anyone else.
Although we might in some ways be envious of tramps, and although we might
envy their freedom, how many of us could be as selfish as them? How many of us
could say “I'm going to live exactly as I want, and damn the rest of society!'? I
couldn't.
课外练习：
1 It is very difficult to estimate the true value of the services people perform for us
because .
(a) people's needs vary so much according to their circumstances
(b) we refuse to admit that surgeons perform a very necessary service
(c) we seldom should give everything we possess for such services
(d) such services are paid for in the same way as material goods
2 In choosing to lead the life he leads, the tramp has decided .
(a) he will never need to ask people for anything
(b) to sleep in the open in order to be closer to the world of nature
(e) he would rather lead the life of a criminal than do any work
(d) his freedom more than compensates for the inconveniences of such a life
3 In moments of truth we feel envious of a tramp's way of life because .
(a) we feel that our way of life is undignified compared to a tramp's
(b) his life is not burdened with the anxieties we are often troubled by
(c) of the freedom he has from the struggle to keep alive
(d) we realize that it is better than having to beg for a livelihood
4 Yet we might grudge a surgeon for offering …
(a) a high fee we had paid
(b) the high fee we would pay
(c) the high fee paying
(d) to pay a high fee
5 They require anything from others.
(a) do not have to sell anything or
(b) have nothing to sell nor do they
(c) have to sell nothing nor they
(d) have not sold anything and do not
6 With so few material possessions, he to move from…
(a) may be able
(b) is able
(c) can
(d) is possible
7 We often speak contemptuously tramps and ... (ll. 19-20)
(a) for
(b) on
(c) to
(d) of
8 But of us can honestly say …
(a) who
(b) which ones
(c) how many
(d) what one
9 A surgeon is a man who .
(a) saves people's lives
(b) gives people financial advice
(c) performs operations
(d) insures people's lives against sickness or death
10 - make it possible for him to move with ease.
(a) here and there
(b) one way or another
(c) from square to square
(d) in every sense
11 He may hunt, beg or steal occasionally to .
(a) make a living
(b) survive
(c) be living
(d) be alive
12 We often tramps and put them down as beggars.
(a)convict
(b) blame
(c) look down on
(d) condemn
答案：1a 2d 3b 4b 5b 6b 7d 8c 9c 10a 11b 12c