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Lesson 59 Collecting 收藏

Peopletendtoamasspossessions,sometimeswithoutbeingawareofdoingso.Indeedtheycanhaveadelightfulsurprisewhentheyfindsomethingusefulwhichtheydidnotknowtheyowned.Thosewhoneverhavetomovehousebecomeindiscriminatecollectorsofwhatcanonlybedescribedasclutter.Theyleaveunwantedobjectsindrawers,cupboardsandatticsforyears,inthebeliefthattheymayonedayneedjustthoseverythings.Astheygrowold,peoplealsoaccumulatebelongingsfortwootherreasons,lackofphysicalandmentalenergy,bothofwhichareessentialinturningoutandthrowingaway,andsentiment.Thingsownedforalongtimearefullofassociationswiththepast,perhapswithrelativeswhoaredead,andsotheygraduallyacquireavaluebeyondtheirtrueworth.

人们喜欢收藏东西,有时并没有意识到自己在这样做。确实,一旦无意之中从自己的收藏品中找到某件有用的东西时,可以给人一种惊喜的感觉。那些从来不必搬家的人们成了一种无所不容的收藏家。他们专门收藏那些只能被称作杂货的东西。他们在抽屉里、碗柜中、阁楼上堆放着一些不用的东西,一放就是好几年,相信总有一天需要的正好是那些东西。人们年老之后也喜欢收藏东西,不过是出于两个不同的原因:一是体力、精力均告不佳,这二者是清除无用的东西必不可少的因素;另一个原因是感情因素。东西搁得时间久了,便会充满着与过去岁月的联系,比方说与死去的亲戚有关。因此这些东西慢慢获得了一种超出它本身的价值。

Somethingsarecollecteddeliberatelyinthehomeinanattempttoavoidwaste.AmongtheseIwouldliststringandbrownpaper,keptbythriftypeoplewhenaparcelhasbeenopened,tosavebuyingthesetworequisites.Collectingsmallitemscaneasilybecomeamania.Iknowsomeonewhoalwayscutssketchesoutfromnewspapersofmodelclothesthatshewouldliketobuy,ifshehadthemoney.Assheisnotrich,thechancesthatshewilleverbeabletoaffordsuchpurchasesareremote;butsheisneversufficientlystrongmindedtobeabletostopthepractice.Itisaharmlesshabit,butitlittersupherdesktosuchanextentthateverytimesheopensit;loosebitsofpaperfalloutineverydirection.

居家度日,有目的地收藏某些东西是为了防止浪费。这些东西中我想举出线绳和包装纸为例。节俭的人们打开包裹后便把这两样必备的东西收藏起来,省得日后去买。收集小玩艺儿很容易着迷。我认识一个人,她总喜欢从报纸上剪下流行服装的图样,等以后有钱时去买服装。由于她并不富裕,她买得起这些服装的可能性十分渺茫。但她又缺乏足够坚强的意志把这一收集活动停下来。这种习惯无害,只是把写字台里堆得满满当当,以致每次打开抽屉总能带出许多纸片四处飞扬。

Collectingasaserioushobbyisquitedifferentandhasmanyadvantages.Itprovidesrelaxationforleisurehours,asjustlookingatone’streasuresisalwaysajoy.Onedoesnothavetogooutsideforamusement,sincethecollectionishousedathome.Whateveritconsistsof,stamps,records,firsteditionsofbooks,china,glass,antiquefurniture,pictures,modelcars,stuffedbirds,toyanimals,thereisalwayssomethingtodoinconnectionwithit,fromfindingtherightplaceforthelatestaddition,toverifyingfactsinreferencebooks.Thishobbyeducatesonenotonlyinthechosensubject,butalsoingeneralmatterswhichhavesomebearingonit.Therearealsootherbenefits.Onewantstomeetlike-mindedcollectors,togetadvice,tocomparenotes,toexchangearticles,toshowoffthelatestfind.Soone’scircleoffriendsgrows.Soonthehobbyleadstotravel,perhapstoameetinginanothertown,possiblyatripabroadinsearchofararespecimen,forcollectorsarenotconfinedtoanyonecountry.Overtheyears,onemaywellbecomeanauthorityonone’shobbyandwillveryprobablybeaskedtogiveinformaltalkstolittlegatheringsandthen,ifsuccessful,tolargeraudiences.Inthiswayself-confidencegrows,firstfrommasteringasubject,thenfrombeingabletotalkaboutit.Collecting,byoccupyingsparetimesoconstructively,makesapersoncontented,withnotimeforboredom.

作为一种严肃的业余爱好的收藏活动完全是另外一回事,它具有许多益处。它可以使人在闲暇中得到休息,因为欣赏自己收藏的珍品总会充满了乐趣。人们不必走到户外去寻求娱乐,因为收藏品都是存放在家中。不管收藏品是什么,邮票、唱片、头版书籍、瓷器、玻璃杯、老式家具、绘画、模型汽车、鸟类标本,还是玩具动物,从为新增添的收藏品寻找摆放位置到核对参考书中的事实,总归有事可做。这种爱好不仅能使人从选择的专题中受到教育,而且也能从与之有关的一般事物中获得长进。除此之外,还有其他的益处。收藏者要会见情趣相投的收藏者,以获取教益、交流经验、交换收藏品、炫耀自己的最新收藏。朋友的圈子就这样不断扩太。用不了多久,有这种爱好的人便开始旅行,也许是去另一个城市参加会议,也可能是出国寻找一件珍品,因为收藏家是不分国籍的。一人积了多年经验会成为自己这种爱好的权威,很可能应邀在小型集会上作非正式的讲话。如果讲得好,可能向更多的人发表演说。这样,你自信心不断增强,先是因为掌握了一门学问,接下来是因为能够就此发表见解。收藏活动通过富有建设性地利用业余时间使人感到心满意足,不再有无聊之日。

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