英語聽力頻道為大家整理的英語聽力室：得不償失，供大家參考:)
5. Too Dear for the Whistle得不償失
When I was a child of seven years old, My friend, on a holiday, filled my pocket with coppers. I went at once to a shop where they sold toys for children. Being charmed with the sound of a whistle that I had seen by the way, in the hands of another boy, I handed over all my money for one. I then came home, and went whistling all over the house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all the family. My brothers and sisters and cousins, when I told of the bargain I had made, said I had given four times as much as the whistle was worth. They put me in mind of what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money, and laughed at me so much for my folly that I cried with vexation. Thinking about the matter gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me pleasure. 當(dāng)我還是一個(gè)七歲的孩子的時(shí)候，有一次過節(jié)，朋友們往我的衣袋里塞滿了銅幣。我立刻向一家賣兒童玩具的店鋪跑去。半路上，我卻被另一個(gè)男孩手中的哨子聲吸引住了，于是就主動(dòng)要求用我所有的銅幣換了他的哨子。然后我回到家里，吹著哨子滿屋子轉(zhuǎn)，非常得意，卻打擾了全家人。我的哥哥、姐姐和表姐們知道了我所做的這筆交易，便告訴我，為了這個(gè)哨子我付出了比它原價(jià)高四倍的錢。他們還使我懂得，用那些多付的錢可以買到多少好東西啊。大伙兒都笑我傻，竟使我懊惱地哭了?；叵脒@件事給我?guī)淼幕诤捱h(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過了那只哨子所給我的快樂。
This, however, was afterwards of use to me, for the impression continued on my mind, so that often I was tempted to buy something I did not need, I said to myself, “Don’t give too much for the whistle”, and I saved my money. As I grew up, came into the world, and observed the actions of men, I thought I met with many, very many, who “gave too much for the whistle”. When I saw some men too eager for court favour, wasting his time at court gatherings, giving up his rest, his liberty, his virtue, and perhaps his friends, for royal favour, I said to myself, “This man gives too much for the whistle”. When I saw another fond of popularity, constantly taking part in political affairs, neglecting his own business, and ruining it by neglect, “He pays, indeed”, said I, “too dear for his whistle”. 不過，這件事情后來卻對(duì)我很有用處，它一直保留在我的記憶中。因此當(dāng)我常常打算買一些不必要的東西時(shí)，我便自己說?！安灰獮樯谧踊ㄙM(fèi)太多”，于是便節(jié)省了錢。當(dāng)我長(zhǎng)大走進(jìn)社會(huì)，觀察了人們的所作所為，我感到，我遇到許許多多的人，他們都“為一只哨子付出了過高的代價(jià)”。當(dāng)我看見一個(gè)人過分熱衷于恩寵榮祿，把自己的光陰在侍候權(quán)貴、謀求接見之中。為了得到這種機(jī)會(huì)，他不惜自己的休息、自由、品德。甚至自己的朋友。我便對(duì)自己說，“這個(gè)人為他的哨子付出了太高的代價(jià)”。當(dāng)我看見另一些人醉心于名望，無休止地投身于政界的紛擾之中，而他自己的事情卻被忽視、被耽誤了，我說，“他的確也為了他的哨子付出了過高的代價(jià)”。
If I knew a miser who gave up every kind of comfortable living, all the pleasure of doing good to others, all the esteem of his fellow citizens and the joys of friendship, for the sake of gathering and keeping wealth – “Poor man”, said I, “you pay too dear for your whistle”. When I met a man of pleasure, who did not try to improve his mind or his fortune but merely devoted himself to having a good time, perhaps neglecting his health, “Mistaken man”, said I, “you are providing pain for yourself, instead of pleasure; you are paying too dear for your whistle”. If I saw someone fond of appearance who had fine clothes, fine houses, fine furniture, fine earrings, all above his fortune, and for which he had run into debt, “Alas”, said I, “he has paid dear, very dear, for his whistle”. In short the miseries of mankind are largely due to their putting a false value on things – to giving too much for their whistles. 如果我聽說有個(gè)守財(cái)奴，他為了積累財(cái)產(chǎn)而寧愿放棄各種舒適的生活，放棄一切為別人做好事的樂趣，所有的同鄉(xiāng)們對(duì)他的尊重，以及慷慨無私的友誼的歡樂?！翱蓱z的人啊”，我說，“為了你的哨子，你付出了過高的代價(jià)。”當(dāng)我遇到一個(gè)尋歡作的人，他不愿使自己精神上或命運(yùn)方面得到一切可贊美的改善，而僅僅為了達(dá)到肉體上的享受，為了這種追求損害了自己的身體?！罢`入歧途的人啊”，我就說，“你真是有福不享自找苦吃；為了你的哨子，你付出了太高的代價(jià)啊”。如果我看到一個(gè)人沉迷于外表，或者是漂亮的裝束，講究的住宅，上等的家具，精致的耳環(huán)，這一切都遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超出了他收入的水平。為了得到這一切，他舉借外債，最后以被投進(jìn)監(jiān)獄而告終。“天哪！”我說，“為了他的哨子，他付出了太高太高的代價(jià)?！笨傊?，我認(rèn)為，他們所遭受的人類很大一部分的悲苦都是由于他們對(duì)事物的價(jià)值所做出錯(cuò)誤的估價(jià)而造成的，都是“為他們的哨子付出了太高的代價(jià)”。
When I was a child of seven years old, My friend, on a holiday, filled my pocket with coppers. I went at once to a shop where they sold toys for children. Being charmed with the sound of a whistle that I had seen by the way, in the hands of another boy, I handed over all my money for one. I then came home, and went whistling all over the house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all the family. My brothers and sisters and cousins, when I told of the bargain I had made, said I had given four times as much as the whistle was worth. They put me in mind of what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money, and laughed at me so much for my folly that I cried with vexation. Thinking about the matter gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me pleasure. 當(dāng)我還是一個(gè)七歲的孩子的時(shí)候，有一次過節(jié)，朋友們往我的衣袋里塞滿了銅幣。我立刻向一家賣兒童玩具的店鋪跑去。半路上，我卻被另一個(gè)男孩手中的哨子聲吸引住了，于是就主動(dòng)要求用我所有的銅幣換了他的哨子。然后我回到家里，吹著哨子滿屋子轉(zhuǎn)，非常得意，卻打擾了全家人。我的哥哥、姐姐和表姐們知道了我所做的這筆交易，便告訴我，為了這個(gè)哨子我付出了比它原價(jià)高四倍的錢。他們還使我懂得，用那些多付的錢可以買到多少好東西啊。大伙兒都笑我傻，竟使我懊惱地哭了?；叵脒@件事給我?guī)淼幕诤捱h(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過了那只哨子所給我的快樂。
This, however, was afterwards of use to me, for the impression continued on my mind, so that often I was tempted to buy something I did not need, I said to myself, “Don’t give too much for the whistle”, and I saved my money. As I grew up, came into the world, and observed the actions of men, I thought I met with many, very many, who “gave too much for the whistle”. When I saw some men too eager for court favour, wasting his time at court gatherings, giving up his rest, his liberty, his virtue, and perhaps his friends, for royal favour, I said to myself, “This man gives too much for the whistle”. When I saw another fond of popularity, constantly taking part in political affairs, neglecting his own business, and ruining it by neglect, “He pays, indeed”, said I, “too dear for his whistle”. 不過，這件事情后來卻對(duì)我很有用處，它一直保留在我的記憶中。因此當(dāng)我常常打算買一些不必要的東西時(shí)，我便自己說?！安灰獮樯谧踊ㄙM(fèi)太多”，于是便節(jié)省了錢。當(dāng)我長(zhǎng)大走進(jìn)社會(huì)，觀察了人們的所作所為，我感到，我遇到許許多多的人，他們都“為一只哨子付出了過高的代價(jià)”。當(dāng)我看見一個(gè)人過分熱衷于恩寵榮祿，把自己的光陰在侍候權(quán)貴、謀求接見之中。為了得到這種機(jī)會(huì)，他不惜自己的休息、自由、品德。甚至自己的朋友。我便對(duì)自己說，“這個(gè)人為他的哨子付出了太高的代價(jià)”。當(dāng)我看見另一些人醉心于名望，無休止地投身于政界的紛擾之中，而他自己的事情卻被忽視、被耽誤了，我說，“他的確也為了他的哨子付出了過高的代價(jià)”。
If I knew a miser who gave up every kind of comfortable living, all the pleasure of doing good to others, all the esteem of his fellow citizens and the joys of friendship, for the sake of gathering and keeping wealth – “Poor man”, said I, “you pay too dear for your whistle”. When I met a man of pleasure, who did not try to improve his mind or his fortune but merely devoted himself to having a good time, perhaps neglecting his health, “Mistaken man”, said I, “you are providing pain for yourself, instead of pleasure; you are paying too dear for your whistle”. If I saw someone fond of appearance who had fine clothes, fine houses, fine furniture, fine earrings, all above his fortune, and for which he had run into debt, “Alas”, said I, “he has paid dear, very dear, for his whistle”. In short the miseries of mankind are largely due to their putting a false value on things – to giving too much for their whistles. 如果我聽說有個(gè)守財(cái)奴，他為了積累財(cái)產(chǎn)而寧愿放棄各種舒適的生活，放棄一切為別人做好事的樂趣，所有的同鄉(xiāng)們對(duì)他的尊重，以及慷慨無私的友誼的歡樂?！翱蓱z的人啊”，我說，“為了你的哨子，你付出了過高的代價(jià)。”當(dāng)我遇到一個(gè)尋歡作的人，他不愿使自己精神上或命運(yùn)方面得到一切可贊美的改善，而僅僅為了達(dá)到肉體上的享受，為了這種追求損害了自己的身體?！罢`入歧途的人啊”，我就說，“你真是有福不享自找苦吃；為了你的哨子，你付出了太高的代價(jià)啊”。如果我看到一個(gè)人沉迷于外表，或者是漂亮的裝束，講究的住宅，上等的家具，精致的耳環(huán)，這一切都遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超出了他收入的水平。為了得到這一切，他舉借外債，最后以被投進(jìn)監(jiān)獄而告終。“天哪！”我說，“為了他的哨子，他付出了太高太高的代價(jià)?！笨傊?，我認(rèn)為，他們所遭受的人類很大一部分的悲苦都是由于他們對(duì)事物的價(jià)值所做出錯(cuò)誤的估價(jià)而造成的，都是“為他們的哨子付出了太高的代價(jià)”。