新概念3-第5部分

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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。　
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　possession　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？

Lesson28　Five　pounds　too　dear
Small　boats　loaded　with　wares　sped　to　the　great　liner　as　she　was　entering　the　harbour。　Before　she　had　anchored；　the　men　from　the　boats　had　climbed　on　board　and　the　decks　were　soon　covered　with　colourful　rugs　from　Persia；　silks　from　India；　copper　coffee　pots；　and　beautiful　hand…made　silver…ware。　It　was　difficult　not　to　be　tempted。　Many　of　the　tourists　on　board　had　begun　bargaining　with　the　tradesmen；　but　I　decided　not　to　buy　anything　until　I　had　disembarked。　I　had　no　sooner　got　off　the　ship　than　I　was　assailed　by　a　man　who　wanted　to　sell　me　a　diamond　ring。　I　had　no　intention　of　buying　one；　but　I　could　not　conceal　the　fact　that　I　was　impressed　by　the　size　of　the　diamonds。　Some　of　them　were　as　big　as　marbles。　The　man　went　to　great　lengths　to　prove　that　the　diamonds　were　real。　As　we　were　walking　past　a　shop；　he　held　a　diamond　firmly　against　the　window　and　made　a　deep　impression　in　the　glass。　It　took　me　over　half　an　hour　to　get　rid　of　him。
The　next　man　to　approach　me　was　selling　expensive　pens　and　watches。　I　examined　one　of　the　pens　closely。　It　certainly　looked　genuine。　At　the　base　of　the　gold　cap；　the　words　'made　in　the　U。S。A。'　had　been　neatly　inscribed。　The　man　said　that　the　pen　was　worth　&10；　but　as　a　special　favour；　he　would　let　me　have　it　for　&8。　I　shook　my　head　and　held　up　a　finger　indicating　that　I　was　willing　to
pay　a　pound。　Gesticulating　wildly；　the　man　acted　as　if　he　found　my　offer　outrageous；　but　he　eventually　reduced　the　price　to　&3。　Shrugging　my　shoulders；　I　began　to　walk　away　when；　a　moment　later；　he　ran　after　me　and　thrust　the　pen　into　my　hands。　Though　he　kept　throwing　up　his　arms　in　despair；　he　readily　accepted　the　pound　I　gave　him。　I　felt　especially　pleased　with　my　wonderful　bargainuntil　I　got　back　to　the　ship。　No　matter　how　hard　I　tried；　it　was　impossible　to　fill　this　beautiful　pen　with　ink　and　to　this　day　it　has　never　written　a　single　word　！

lesson29　Funny　or　not？
Whether　we　find　a　joke　funny　or　not　largely　depends　on　where　we　have　been　brought　up。　The　sense　of　humour　is　mysteriously　bound　up　with　national　characteristics。　A　Frenchman；　for　instance；　might　find　it　hard　to　laugh　at　a　Russian　joke。　In　the　same　way；　a　Russian　might　fail　to　see　anything　amusing　in　a　joke　which　would　make　an　Englishman　laugh　to　tears。　
Most　funny　stories　are　based　on　comic　situations。　In　spite　of　national　differences；　certain　funny　situations　have　a　universal　appeal。　No　matter　where　you　live；　you　would　find　it　difficult　not　to　laugh　at；　say；　Charlie　Chaplin's　early　films。　However；　a　new　type　of　humour；　which　stems　largely　from　America；　has　recently　come　into　fashion。　It　is　cal1ed'　sick　humour　'。　Comedians　base　their　jokes　on　tragic　situations　like　violent　death　or　serious　accidents。　Many　people　find　this　sort　of　joke　distasteful。　The　following　example　of　'sick　humour'　will　enable　you　to　judge　for　yourself。　
A　man　who　had　broken　his　right　leg　was　taken　to　hospital　a　few　weeks　before　Christmas。　From　the　moment　he　arrived　there；　he　kept　on　pestering　his　doctor　to　tell　him　when　he　would　be　able　to　go　home。　He　dreaded　having　to　spend　Christmas　in　hospital。　Though　the　doctor　did　his　best；　the　patient's　recovery　was　slow。　On　Christmas　day；　the　man　still　had　his　right　leg　in　plaster。　He　spent
a　miserable　day　in　bed　thinking　of　all　the　fun　he　was　missing。　The　following　day；　however；　the　doctor　consoled　him　by　telling　him　that　his　chances　of　being　able　to　leave　hospital　in　time　for　New　Year　celebrations　were　good。　The　man　took　heart　and；　sure　enough；　on　New　Year's　Eve　he　was　able　to　hobble　along　to　a　party。　To　compensate　for　his　unpleasant　experiences　in　hospital；　the　man　drank　a　little　more　than　was　good　for　him。　In　the　process；　he　enjoyed　himself　thoroughly　and　kept　telling　everybody　how　much　he　hated　hospitals。　He　was　still　mumbling　something　about　hospitals　at　the　end　of　the　party　when　he　slipped　on　a　piece　of　ice　and　broke　his　left　leg。　

Lesson30　The　death　of　a　ghost
For　years　villagers　believed　that　Endley　farm　was　haunted。　The　farm　was　owned　by　two　brothers；　Joe　and　Bert　Cox。　They　employed　a　few　farm　hands；　but　no　one　was　willing　to　work　there　long。　Every　time　a　worker　gave　up　his　job；　he　told　the　same　story。　Farm　labourers　said　that　they　always　woke　up　to　find　the　work　had　been　done　overnight。　Hay　had　been　cut　and　cow　sheds　had　been　cleaned。　A　farm　worker；　who　stayed　up　all　night；　claimed　to　have　seen　a　figure　cutting　corn　in　the
moonlight。　In　time；　it　became　an　accepted　fact　that　the　Cox　brothers　employed　a　conscientious　ghost　that　did　most　of　their　work　for　them。
No　one　suspected　that　there　might　be　someone　else　on　the　farm　who　had　never　been　seen。　This　was　indeed　the　case。　A　short　time　ago；　villagers　were　astonished　to　learn　that　the　ghost　of　Endley　had　died。　Everyone　went　to　the　funeral；　for　the　'ghost'　was　none　other　than　Eric　Cox；　a　third　brother　who　was　supposed　to　have　died　as　a　young　man。　After　the　funeral；　Joe　and　Bert　revealed
a　secret　which　they　had　kept　for　over　forty　years。　Eric　had　been　the　eldest　son　of　the　family。　He　had　been　obliged　to　join　the　army　during　the　first　World　War。　As　he　hated　army　life　he　decided　to　desert　his　regiment。　When　he　learnt　that　he　would　be　sent　abroad；　he　returned　to　the　farm　and　his　farther　hid　him　until　the　end　of　the　war。　Fearing　the　authorities；　Eric　remained　in　hiding　after　the　war　as　well。　His　father　told　everybody　that　Eric　had　been　killed　in　action。　The　only　other　people　who　knew　the　secret　were　Joe　and　Bert。　They　did　not　even　tell　their　wives。　When　their　father　died；　they　thought　it　their　duty　to　keep　Eric　in　hiding。　All　these　years；　Eric　had　lived　as　a　recluse锛堥殣閬佽�叄弧″瘋瀵炶�咃級。　He　used　to　sleep　during　the　day　and　work　at　night；　quite　unaware　of　the　fact　that　he　had　become　the　ghost　of　Endley。　When　he　died；　however；　his　brothers　found　it　impossible　to　keep　the　secret　any　longer。　

Lesson31　A　lovable　eccentric
True　eccentrics　never　deliberately　set　out　to　draw　attention　to　themselves。　They　disregard　social　conventions　without　being　conscious　that　they　are　doing　anything　extraordinary。　This　invariably　wins　them　the　love　and　respect　of　others；　for　they　add　colour　to　the　dull　routine　of　everyday　life。　
Up　to　the　time　of　his　death；　Richard　Colson　was　one　of　the　most　notable　figures　in　our　town。　He　was　a　shrewd　and　wealthy　business…man；　but　the　ordinary　town…folk　hardly　knew　anything　about　this　side　of　his　life。　He　was　known　to　us　all　as　Dickie　and　his　eccentricity　had　become　legendary　long　before　he　died。　Dickie　disliked　snobs（鍔垮埄灏忎汉）　intensely。　Though　he　owned　a　large　car；　he　hardly　ever　used　it；　preferring　always　to　go　on　foot。　Even　when　it　was　raining　heavily；　he　refused　to　carry　an　umbrella。　One　day；　he　walked　into　an　expensive　shop　after　having　been　caught　in　a　particularly　　heavy　shower。　He　wanted　to　buy　a　&300　fur　coat　for　his　wife；　but　he　was　in　such　a　bedraggled　condition　that　an　assistant　refused　to　serve　him。　Dickie　left　the　shop　without　a　word　and　returned　carrying　a　large　cloth　bag。　As　it　was　extremely　heavy；　he　dumped　it　on　the　counter。　The　assistant　asked　him　to　leave；　but　Dickie　paid　no　attention　to　him　and　requested　to　see　the　manager。　Recognizing　who　the　customer　was；　the　manager　was　most　apologetic　and　'reprimanded　the　assistant　severely。　When　Dickie　was　given　the　fur　coat；　he　presented　the　assistant　with　the　cloth　bag。　It　contained　&300　in　pennies。　He　insisted　on　the　assistant's　counting　the　money　before　he　left　72；000　pennies　in　all！　On　another　occasion；　he　invited　a　number　of　important　critics　to　see　his　private　collection　of　modern　paintings。　This　exhibition　received　a　great　deal　of　attention　in　the　press；　for　though　the　pictures　were　supposed　to　be　the　work　of　famous　artists；　they　had　in　fact　been　painted　by　Dickie。　It　took　him　four　years　to　stage　this　elaborate　joke　simply　to　prove　that　critics　do　not　always　know　what　they　are　talking　about。

Lesson32　A　lost　ship
The　salvage　operation　had　been　a　complete　failure。　The　small　ship；　Elkor；　which　had　been　searching　the　Barents　Sea　for　weeks；　was　on　its　way　home。　A　radio　message　from　the　mainland　had　been　received　by　the　ship's　captain　instructing　him　to　give　up　the　search。　The　captain　knew　that　another　attempt　would　be　made　later；　for　the　sunken　ship　he　was　trying　to　find　had　been　carrying　a　precious　cargo　of　gold　bullion。　
Despite　the　message；　the　captain　of　the　Elkor　decided　to　try　once　more。　The　sea…bed　was　scoured　with　powerful　nets　and　there　was　tremendous　excitement　on　board　when　a　chest　was　raised　from　the　bottom。　Though　the　crew　were　at　first　under　the　impression　that　the　lost　ship　had　been　found；　the　contents　of　t