听力资源简介：

It has been said that everyone lives by
selling something. In the light of this
statement, teachers live by selling know-
ledge, 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.
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?