新标准大学英语四综合教程Unit1-6课文与翻译1

精品文档精品文档精品文档精品文档精品文档精品文档Ifyouaskme1Ifyouaskme,reallifeisnotallit'scrackeduptobe.Twelveyearsatschoolandthreeyearsatuniversity,teachersbangingonaboutopportunitiesinthebigwideworldbeyondourshelteredlifeasstudents,andwhatdoIfind?2TryasImighttostaycheerful,allIevergetishassle,sometimeswithpeople(especiallyboys,god,whenwilltheygrowup?),butmostlywithmoney.It'sjustsoexpensiveouthere!Everyonewantsasliceoffyou.TheInlandRevenuewantstodeductincometax,thebankmanagerwantsrepaymentsonmystudentloan,thelandlordwantstherent,gas,water,electricityandmymobilebillskeepcomingin,andallthat'sbeforeI'vehadanythingtoeat.Andthensomebrightsparkcallsmeoutoftheblue,askingifI'minterestedinbuyingapension.Atthisrate,Iwon'tevenlasttilltheendoftheyear,letalonetillI'm60.3Ididn'treallywanttogoouttoworkjustyet.Imean,Iwasn'tadropoutandIknewI'dhavetosomeday.Accordingtoanynumberofpeople"life'snotapicnic","there'snosuchthingasafreelunch".ButgiventhatI'dgotagooddegree,IthoughtI'dliketogoontogetmymaster's.Actually,IhadmyeyeonthecourseattheLondonSchoolofEconomics(LSE).Topschool,verygoodformyCV.ButItalkedtomymumaboutit,andshesaidshecouldn'taffordtosupportmeanymore.Ikindofunderstandit,andnotjustbecausemydegreeisineconomics.She'dworkedhardfor15yearstogivemeaneducation.Mydadwasn'taroundmostofthetime,andwhenhewas,hedidn'thaveanymoney.He'dspentitgamblingonthedogsordownthepub.SoitcametothepointwhenIjustagreedwithMum,andbowedmyselftowardstheinevitable.Ifyouaskme,anddespiteeverythingyouhear,fortunatelytherearesomereallynicepeopleoutthere.TakeMike,forexample.WhenIleftuniversity,whatIthoughtwasthatmymumwouldfeelobligedtolookaftermeifIreturnedhome.SoIpackedupmybelongingsandwenttoLondontogetajob.Iwantedsomethinginfinanceandinvestments,becauseyouknow,maybewithajoblikethat,Icouldusemydegree.Butbythattime,therewerenojobsleft,andIdidn'treallywanttoendupinsomeboringoffice,doingphotocopiesandmakingthetea.GoanywhereyoulikeinLondonandthere'susuallyagoodpub.ThedayIrealizednooneinthecitywasgoingtooffermeajob,IwentintoTheSalisburyonLeadenhallStreetforadrinkandsomethingtoeat.Mikethelandlordwasatthebar,pouringpintswithonehand,makingsandwicheswiththeother,andwashingtheglassesallatthesametime—it'strue,hereallydidseemtohavethreehands.Healsoseemedtoknoweveryone,andgreetedtheregularsbyname,gettingtheirdrinksreadywiththequestion,"Theusualtoday,isit?"Ithoughthelookedkindofcool,hewasdoingwhathedidbest,servingthirstyclients,andnoonediditbetter.SoIwentuptohimandaskedhimwhethertherewasajobforme.Well,tocutalongstoryshort,IstartedworkinthepuboneFridaylunchtime.Itwasquitedemandingwork,butIlikedit.Peopleseemedtofindmeamusinganditmademefeelbettertoo.Therewasonemiddle-agedregularinasuitwhoalwayshadahalfofbitterandahamandpicklesandwich,withthecrustscutoff.WhenIsawTonycoming,Itriedtohavehislunchreadyforhimevenbeforeheasked.Hewasanotheroneofthosereallynicepeople.Ifyouaskme,spendingmoneywhenyoudon'thaveanyisdeadeasy.IbegantothinkabouthowI'dspendmyfirstmonth'swages.TheflatwhereIwasstayingwasexpensive,andIjustabouthadenoughtocoverthefirstmonth'ssubstantialbills.ButIcalculatedthatthere'dbejustenoughmoneyovertotreatmyselftosomething.WhynotgetaCDormaybeaplanttocheeruptheflat?Ithought.Itwasmybirthdayonpayday.ApartfromMikeandTony,Ididn'thaveanyfriendsinLondon.SeeingthatIdidn'thaveaboyfriendeither,youcanunderstandwhyIbegantofeelsorryformyself.SoIorderedmyselfsomeflowers,andaskedthemtobesentwithalittlecard,saying"WithallmyloveAnon."Thehighlightofmybirthdaywouldbetheconfusedlookontheflorist'seyeswhenhedeliveredthem.Laterthatweek,Tonycameinasusualandsatdownatthebar."What'swrongwithyou?Where'sthatsmilegonetoday?"Italkedtohimabout...well,aboutprettywelleverything,money,themaster's,mybirthday,thelot.Hesympathizedwithme.Tonygotupfromhisstool,andwentovertotalktosomeoftheothers.Remember:TheSalisburyisrightintheheartofthecity,soallthecustomerswereinbankingorinsuranceorthestockmarket.Nextdayheturnedupwithchequestothevalueof£20,000."Thisisaloanforyoutosetupyourbusiness.Theonlycollateralyouhaveismytrustinyouthatoneday,you'llpayusback—ifyoucan.Andifyoucan't,toobad,that'sthefinancebusinessforyou.ButIthinkyouwill."Ididn'tsayanythingforfearthatIwasgoingtocry.Whatweretheoddsonanyonebeingsonice?12 Andtheflowers?Iredirectedthemtomymum,andtheyarrivedforheronmybirthday.Shedeservedthem,don'tyouthink?Ifyouaskme,lookingbackafteralltheseyears,youonlyneedoneortwobreaksinyourlifetosucceed.Thefactthattherestishardworkdoesn'tmatter,it'sstillworthit.AfterayearworkingatTheSalisbury,IgotaplaceattheLSE,didmymaster'sandfoundajobinaninvestmentbank.Iinvestedthe£20,000,andsoldoutbeforethe2008crash.IpaidbackTonyandtheotherinvestors,withtenpercentannualinterest,andsetupmyownfirm.Itexceededallmyexpectationsandisstillathrivingbusiness.Tonywrotemeathank-younote.He'dbeeninacaraccident,andcouldn'twalk.ThemoneyIpaidbackwouldallowhimtoadapthishousesohecouldmovearounditinhiswheelchair.Thisiswhathewrote:"Thirty-fiveyearsinbanking,andI'venevermadeabetterinvestmentthantheloantoyou.You'verepaidthemoneywithinterest,andmytrustinyouandyourhonesty100-fold.Ifyouaskme,investinginpeoplegivesthebestreturnyoucaneverhopefor."Ifyouaskme,he'sright.Whatdoyouthink?依我看依我看，现实生活并没有人们想象的那么好。我们上了12年的中、小学，又上了3年的大学，这期间老师们一直在没完没了地谈论在备受呵护的学生生活之外的那个广阔天地里的各种机会，可我遇到的又是什么呢？无论我怎么想保持心情愉快，可麻烦事总是接踵而来：有时是和人发生矛盾（尤其是跟男孩子，天哪！他们什么时候才能长大？），但通常是为钱发愁。这个地方什么东西都很贵！人人都想从我身上赚点钱：税务局要收个人所得税，银行经理要我偿清学生贷款，房东催我交房租、燃气费、水费、电费，手机账单也不断地寄来。所有这些还没算上吃饭的钱。更可气的是，不知从哪里冒出一个自作聪明的家伙给我打电话，问我要不要买养老金。照这样下去，我甚至都支撑不到年底，更别提活到60岁领养老金了。我那时还不想出去工作。我的意思是，我并不是个逃避现实社会的人，但我知道自己未来某一天可能不得不逃避现实。许多人认为“生活不是野餐”，“没有免费的午餐”。但既然我拿到了优等生文凭，我想我应该继续攻读硕士学位。实际上，我已经看中了伦敦政治经济学院的课程。这是一所顶尖的学校，能给我的履历表增添一段光彩的经历。但当我跟妈妈谈起这件事时，她说她没法继续供我上学了。我大概能理解她的心情，但并不仅仅是因为我学的是经济学。15年来，为了能让我上学，她含辛茹苦。这些年来，父亲大部分时间都不在家。就算在家，他也没钱。他把钱都拿去赌狗、喝酒了。所以我听了妈妈的话，向命运低下了头。依我看，不管人们说什么，幸运的是世上还有很多好心人。迈克就是其中的一个。大学毕业时，我想如果我回家，妈妈就会觉得她有责任照顾我。所以，我就收拾行李去伦敦找工作。我想找金融和投资方面的职位，因为你知道这样我就可以用上我的专业知识。可是那时候已经没有这样的工作了，但我又不愿意做复印文件、端茶倒水之类的乏味的办公室工作。在伦敦，无论走到什么地方，你都能找到一个好酒吧。有一天，我意识到这个城市没有人会雇我，于是我走进位于利德贺街的索尔兹伯里酒吧去喝酒，顺便吃点东西。店主迈克正在店里，他一只手倒酒，一只手做三明治，同时还洗酒杯。他真的好像有三只手。他好像也认识所有的客人，叫得出常客的名字。他跟他们打招呼，帮他们调好酒，并问一句：“今天还喝这个，是吧？”我觉得他看起来蛮酷的，他在做着他最擅长的事情：为那些口渴的顾客服务，没人能比得上他。所以我就走上前去问他要不要雇人。好吧，长话短说，某个周五的午餐时间我开始在那个酒吧打工。这份工作要求很高，但我喜欢。顾客好像觉得我很有趣，这也让我感觉好一些。有位穿西服的中年常客总要半杯苦啤酒和一份火腿泡菜三明治，面包皮要削掉。他叫托尼。我一看见他进来，尽量不等他开口就准备好他的午餐。他也是一个好心人。依我看，一个人没钱的时候花钱最容易。我开始琢磨怎么花第一个月的薪水了。我住的公寓房租很贵，我挣的钱刚够支付第一个月的大笔账单，但是我估计还能剩点钱好好犒劳一下自己。我想，何不买张CD或买盆花草装点一下房间？发工资的那天正好是我的生日，除了迈克和托尼，我在伦敦就没有别的朋友了。如果你知道我那时还没有男朋友，你就会理解我为什么觉得对不起自己了。我给自己定了些鲜花，让卖花的人附上一张卡片，上面写道：“给你我所有的爱。无名氏”。我生日那天最精彩的瞬间将会是送花人送我花时大惑不解的眼神。那周晚些时候，托尼像往常一样来了，在酒吧里坐下。“你怎么了？今天怎么不见你笑啦？”我跟他聊天……嗯，差不多什么都跟他说了：钱、硕士学位、生日、命运。他很同情我。托尼离开搁脚凳、走过去和另外几个人说话。别忘了：索尔兹伯里酒吧位于市中心，所以这里所有的顾客都从事银行、保险或证券工作。第二天，他拿着价值两万英镑的几张支票来到酒吧，对我说：“这是给你的创业贷款，你唯一的贷款担保就是我对你的信任，相信有一天你赚了钱会把钱还给我们。如果你还不了钱，那就太糟了，不过对你来说，也算是做过金融生意了。但是，我相信你还得了。”我没说话，我怕我自己要哭了。世上怎么会有这么好的人？那些花怎么处理？我叫花店改送到妈妈那里去了，我生日那天鲜花正好送到。她应该得到这些鲜花，不是吗？依我看，回顾这些年的经历，我发现人一辈子只需要一两次的机缘就能成功。就算吃苦受累也不要紧，那还是值得的。在索尔兹伯里酒吧干了一年之后，我去了伦敦政治经济学院深造。拿到硕士学位之后，我在一家投资银行找到了一份工作。我把那两万英镑投进了证券市场，在2008年金融崩盘之前卖掉了所有的股票。我把托尼和其他投资者的钱还了，付给他们10%的年息，并成立了自己的公司。公司的生意好得出乎意料，至今还红红火火。托尼给我写了一封感谢信。他出了车祸，现在不能走路了。我还给他的钱正好可以用来改造房子。房子改造后他就可以坐着轮椅在家里自由活动了。下面是他信里写的话：“我从事银行业35年来最好的投资就是给你的这笔贷款，你连本带利地偿还了贷款，我对你的信任和你的诚实都获得了百倍的回报。依我看，在人身上投资能带来你所期望的最好的回报。”依我看，他说得对。你说呢？Theywerealiveandtheyspoketome1Isitinalittleroom,onewallofwhichisnowcompletelylinedwithbooks.ItisthefirsttimeIhavehadtheleisureofworkingwithanythinglikeacollectionofbooks.Thereareprobablynomorethan500inall,butforthemostparttheyrepresentmyownchoice.Itisthefirsttime,sinceIbeganmywritingcareer,thatIamsurroundedwithagoodlynumberofthebooksIhavealwayslongedtopossess.Thefact,however,thatinthepastIdidmostofmyworkwithouttheaidofalibraryIlookuponasanadvantageratherthanadisadvantage.OneofthefirstthingsIassociatewiththereadingofbooksisthestruggleIwagedtoobtainthem.Nottoownthem,mindyou,buttolayhandsonthem.FromthemomentthepassiontookholdofmeIencounterednothingbutobstacles.ThebooksIwanted,atthepubliclibrary,werealwaysout.AndofcourseIneverhadthemoneytobuythem.Togetpermissionfromthelibraryinmyneighborhood—Iwas18or19yearsofage—toborrowsucha"demoralizing"workasTheConfessionofaFool,byStrindberg,wasjustimpossible.Inthosedaysthebookswhichyoungpeoplewereprohibitedfromreadingweredecoratedwithstars—one,twoorthree—accordingtothedegreeofimmoralityattributedtothem.Isuspectthisprocedurestillobtains.Ihopeso,forIknowofnothingbettercalculatedtowhetone'sappetitethanthisstupidsortofclassificationandprohibition.Whatmakesabooklive?Howoftenthisquestionarises!Theanswer,inmyopinion,issimple.Abooklivesthroughthepassionaterecommendationofonereadertoanother.Nothingcanthrottlethisbasicimpulseinthehumanbeing.Despitetheviewsofcynicsandmisanthropes,itismybeliefthatmenwillalwaysstrivetosharetheirdeepestexperiences.Booksareoneofthefewthingsmencherishdeeply.Andthebetterthemanthemoreeasilywillhepartwithhismostcherishedpossessions.Abooklyingidleonashelfiswastedammunition.Likemoney,booksmustbekeptinconstantcirculation.Lendandborrowtothemaximum—ofbothbooksandmoney!Butespeciallybooks,forbooksrepresentinfinitelymorethanmoney.Abookisnotonlyafriend,itmakesfriendsforyou.Whenyouhavepossessedabookwithmindandspirit,youareenriched.Butwhenyoupassitonyouareenrichedthreefold.Hereanirrepressibleimpulseseizesmetoofferapieceofgratuitousadvice.Itisthis:Readaslittleaspossible,notasmuchaspossible!Oh,donotdoubtthatIhaveenviedthosewhohavedrownedinbooks.I,too,wouldsecretlyliketowadethroughallthosebooksIhavesolongtoyedwithinmymind.ButIknowitisnotimportant.IknownowthatIdidnotneedtoreadevenatenthofwhatIhaveread.Themostdifficultthinginlifeistolearntodoonlywhatisstrictlyadvantageoustoone'swelfare,strictlyvital.6 ThereisanexcellentwaytotestthispreciousbitofadviceIhavenotgivenrashly.Whenyoustumbleuponabookyouwouldliketoread,orthinkyououghttoread,leaveitaloneforafewdays.Butthinkaboutitasintenselyasyoucan.Letthetitleandtheauthor'snamerevolveinyourmind.Thinkwhatyouyourselfmighthavewrittenhadtheopportunitybeenyours.Askyourselfearnestlyifitbeabsolutelynecessarytoaddthisworktoyourstoreofknowledgeoryourfundofenjoyment.Trytoimaginewhatitwouldmeantoforegothisextrapleasureorenlightenment.Then,ifyoufindyoumustreadthebook,observewithwhatextraordinaryacumenyoutackleit.Observe,too,thathoweverstimulatingitmaybe,verylittleofthebookisreallynewtoyou.Ifyouarehonestwithyourselfyouwilldiscoverthatyourstaturehasincreasedfromthemereeffortofresistingyourimpulses.7Indubitablythevastmajorityofbooksoverlaponeanother.Fewindeedarethosewhichgivetheimpressionoforiginality,eitherinstyleorincontent.Rarearetheuniquebooks—lessthan50,perhaps,outofthewholestorehouseofliterature.Inoneofhisrecentautobiographicalnovels,BlaiseCendrarspointsoutthatRémydeGourmont,becauseofhisknowledgeandawarenessofthisrepetitivequalityinbooks,wasabletoselectandreadallthatisworthwhileintheentirerealmofliterature.Cendrarshimself—whowouldsuspectit?—isaprodigiousreader.Hereadsmostauthorsintheiroriginaltongue.Notonlythat,butwhenhelikesanauthorhereadseverylastbookthemanhaswritten,aswellashislettersandallthebooksthathavebeenwrittenabouthim.Inourdayhiscaseisalmostunparalleled,Iimagine.For,notonlyhashereadwidelyanddeeply,buthehashimselfwrittenagreatmanybooks.Allontheside,asitwere.For,ifheisanything,Cendrars,heisamanofaction,anadventurerandexplorer,amanwhohasknownhowto"waste"histimeroyally.Heis,inasense,theJuliusCaesarofliterature.它们是活生生的，而且它们在跟我说话我坐在一间小屋子里，屋子的一面墙边排满了书。这是我头一次有闲功夫和一堆书这样的东西打交道。所有的书加起来最多不超过500本，但大多数是我自己挑的。自打我开始写作生涯以来，我第一次得到我一直渴望拥有的这么多书。事实上，我过去的大多数工作都不依靠图书馆，我把这看成是优势，而不是劣势。我想到的与读书相关的头一件事就是夺书大战。请注意，不是拥有它们，而是要把它们搞到手。从我对书着迷开始，我就面对着重重困难。公共图书馆里我要借的书总是被借出去了，当然，我又没钱买书。我那时只有十八九岁，要想得到社区图书馆的批准借阅类似斯特林堡写的《痴人的忏悔》这样“不道德”的书是不可能的。在那个年代，年轻人禁读的书都根据其违背道德的程度被标记了星星——一颗星、两颗星、三颗星。我猜想，这种做法至今依然存在。我也希望如此，因为我知道，没有任何别的方法比这种愚蠢的分类和禁止更能吊起读者的胃口。我经常思考一个问题，那就是是什么让一本书有了生命力？我觉得答案很简单：一本书之所以有生命力，是因为读者满怀激情地推荐它。这是人的基本冲动，什么都阻挡不了。不管愤世嫉俗者和遁世者持何种观点，我相信人们总是会尽力分享自己感触最深的经验。书是人类最为珍爱的几样东西之一。人越好，就越愿意与他人分享自己的珍藏。搁置在书架上、无人翻阅的书就像是废弃的弹药。书和钱一样要流通起来，要最大限度地流通起来！尤其是书，因为书所代表的东西比钱要多得多。书不仅是朋友，它还可以帮你结交朋友。当你在精神上、心灵上拥有一本书的时候，你的人生就变得丰富多彩。而当你把书转给别人的时候，你的人生就更加丰富。说到这里，有一种抑制不住的冲动让我向大家提出一条无端的忠告。那就是：读书尽量少而精，而不是越多越好！唉，不要怀疑我嫉妒那些在书堆里埋头读书的人。我私下里也确实想尽力读完所有一直想读的书。但是，我知道这并不重要，我现在知道我读过的书中只有不到十分之一是我需要读的。人生中最难办到的事情莫过于学会只做对自己有益的事情，这是至关重要的。我是经过慎重考虑才提出这条宝贵的忠告的，有一个高招可以检验它是否有效。当你碰到一本你想读或觉得该读的书的时候，先把书搁下，放几天再说。但你要多琢磨这本书，仔细琢磨书名和作者的名字。想想如果让你来写这本书，你会写些什么。认真地问问自己是否有必要把这本书纳入自己的知识库或娱乐储备。尽力想象一下，放弃这份额外的乐趣或启迪对你将意味着什么？之后，如果你觉得你必须读这本书，那么观察一下你在“啃”这本书的时候是否表现出非凡的洞察力。同时你也观察一下：即使这本书很诱人，它也许并没有给你带来什么新的东西。只要坦诚对己，你就会发现：只要抑制住自己的冲动，你的境界就提高了。不容置疑的是，大多数书都互相重复，在文体或内容上让人感到具有独创性的书实在是少之又少。在整个文学库藏中，只有极少数作品——或许不到50本——是独具一格的。在最近出版的一部自传体小说中，布莱斯•桑德拉尔指出，古尔蒙之所以能够选择并通读文学领域中一切值得读的书籍，就是因为他知识渊博，并且了解书的这种重复性。桑德拉尔本人就是一个博览群书的人，没有人会怀疑这一点。他阅读了大部分作家的原作。不仅如此，一旦他喜欢上一个作家，他就会阅读这个作家写的每一本书，包括他的书信以及所有有关他的书籍。我猜想，在当今世界上，几乎没有人能像他一样，不仅读得广、读得精，而且还著述颇丰。可以说这一切都是在业余时间完成的。因为桑德拉尔是一个十足的行动家，一个四处跋涉的冒险家和探险家，一个懂得如何“肆意浪费”时间的人。从某种意义上说，他是文学界的凯撒大帝。TheKeytoWeddedBliss?MoneyMatters1Ifyouaskmarriedpeoplewhytheirmarriageworks,theyareprobablynotgoingtosayit'sbecausetheyfoundtheirfinancialsoulmate.Butiftheyarelucky,theyhave.Marryingapersonwhosharesyourattitudesaboutmoneymightjustbethesmartestfinancialdecisionyouwillevermake.Infact,whenitcomestofinances,yourmarriageislikelytobeyourmostvaluableasset—oryourlargestliability.Marryingforloveisarelativelyrecentphenomenon.Forcenturies,marriageswerearrangedaffairs,aligningfamiliesforeconomicorpoliticalpurposesorsimplypoolingtheresourcesofthosescrapingby.Today,whilemostofusmarryforromanticreasons,marriageatitscoreisstillafinancialunion.Somuchofwhatwewant—ordon'twant—outoflifeboilsdowntodollarsandcents,whetherit'showhardwechoosetowork,howmuchweconsumeorhowmuchwesave.Forsomepeople,it'sworking80-hourweekstofinanceathirdhomeandcountryclubmembership;forothers,itmeanscuttingbackonofficehourstospendmoretimewiththefamily.5"Alotofthedebatespeoplehaveaboutmoneyarecodeforhowwewanttoliveourlives,"saidBetseyStevenson,assistantprofessorofbusinessandpublicpolicyattheUniversityofPennsylvania'sWhartonSchool,whoresearchestheeconomicsofmarriageanddivorce."Alotofthechoiceswemakeinhowwewanttoliveourlivesinvolvehowwespendourmoney."Makingthosechoicesasateamisoneofthemostimportantwaystopreserveyourmaritalassets,andyourunion,expertssay.Butit'sthatmucheasierwhenyoualreadysharesimilaroutlooksonmoneymatters—orwhenyoucan,attheveryleast,findsomemiddleground.Theeconomiesachievedbypairinguparefairlyobvious.However,thecostsofdivorcecanbefinanciallydevastating,especiallywhenchildrenareinvolved.And,notsurprisingly,moneymanagestoforceawidewedgebetweenmanycouples."Mostpeoplethinkpeoplebreakupoversexissuesandchildrenissues—andthoseareissues—butmoneyisahugefactorinbreakingupmarriages,"saidSusanReachWinters,adivorcelawyerinShortHills,N.J.Noteveryoneismarriedtoafinancialtwin,andthat'snotnecessarilyaproblem.Thereareseveralwaysthatyouandyoursignificantothercanbecomemorecompatible,andultimatelymoreprosperous,whenitcomestomoney.Theseguidelinesarecompiledfromthesuccessfullymarriedandfromexpertsonpsychology,divorceandfinance:TALKANDSHAREGOALSBeforewalkingdowntheaisle,couplesshouldhaveatalkabouttheirfinancialhealthandgoals.Theyshouldaskeachothertoughquestions:Dowewantchildren?When?Whowillcareforthem?Willtheygotopublicorprivateschool?Whatkindoflifedowewant?Whenwillweretire?"Inmyidealplanforcouples,theywouldhaveameetingeveryweekontheirfinances,"saidKarenAltfest,afinancialplannerwhorunstheNewYorkfirmL.J.Altfest&Company,withherhusband,Lewis."Thatway,theyareinsyncwitheachother'sgoals."Setthosegoalstogether.JerryBallard,58,aformerinsuranceexecutiveinHouston,saidthatheandhiswifeof36years,Susan,also58,managedtoavoidmoneyclashesbecausetheyshareasavingsphilosophy."Thecardinalrulewasthatwedon'tinterruptoursavings,"hesaid,addingthattheysavedbetween10and20percentoftheirsalarieseachyear.Aslongastheydidthat,theywerelesslikelytodisagreeaboutspending.EricGundlach,53,ofOwingsMills,Md.,whohasbeenmarriedfor29years,saidheandhiswife,Ann-Michele,"madeourexpectationsexplicit."Theseincludedsendingtheirsontoprivateschoolandhavingbigexperiences,liketraveling,inlieuofpurchasingthings.RUNAHOMELIKEABUSINESSMakeabudgetandkeeptrackofearnings,expensesanddebts.Andstructureyourbusinessasapartnership;whenitcomestomakingbigfinancialdecisionsandsettinggoals,doittogether."Whentheyaremakingthedecisionstogether,theyreallyhaveownershipofthosedecisionsandanyresultsofthosedecisions,"saidMaryAnnSisco,nationalwealthadvisoratJPMorgan'sprivatewealthmanagementdivision."Evenifyouhavenegativeresults,youtendtoweatherthestormbetter."Shareresponsibilitiestoo.Thoughonepartnertendstocontrolthefinances,advisorsrecommendrotatingtasks.Onepersonshouldhandleinvestmentsforacertainperiod,whiletheotherpaysthebills;rotateandrepeat.BESUPPORTIVEOFCAREERSHavingasupportivepartnerhelpsyouprofessionally,whichshouldtrickledowntoyourmutualbottomline."Marryingtherightpersonhelpsyousucceedinyourcareerthroughencouragementandsupport,theonlykindofsupportthatcomesthroughasupportive,intimaterelationship,"saidMr.Gundlach,whosewifebackedhisdecisiontostartamanagementconsultingpracticeafter22yearsasahumanresourcesexecutive.ENJOY,BUTWITHINREASONCreateacashcushion,andlivealifestyleyoucansustain.ManypeoplewhowereworkingathedgefundsthatwentbustorfinancialfirmslikeBearStearnsarelearningtheselessonsnow.Ms.Sisco,ofJPMorgan,saidthatbecauseheryoungerclientshaven'texperiencedadownturn,theyassumedthemoneywouldkeeppouringin.Shesaidsheisworkingwithonecoupleintheirearly30swhohavetwoyoungchildren.RightbeforethehusbandlosthisjobonWallStreet,thecouplehadordered$35,000drapes.TheyhadtomovetoasmallerapartmentinManhattanandhadtoselltheirvacationhome.USEAMEDIATORPerhapsbothofyouhavestrongyetdivergentopinionsabouthowtoinvest.OrmaybeyouareasaverwhileyourspousepreferstohandoverabigpieceofearningstoBavarianMotorWorks.Anindependentthirdparty,whetherafinancialplanneroratherapist,canhelpyoufindamiddleground.MarcB.Schindler,afinancialplanneratPivotPointAdvisorsinBellaire,Tex.,recentlydidthisforaclientwhocomplainedthathiswifespentathousanddollarsamonthonherwardrobe.Mr.Schindlerthencontactedthewife,whosaidherhusbandspentjustasmuchondinnerwithhisbuddies.SothehusbandaskedMr.Schindlertoshowhowmuchtheywouldsaveiftheyinvestedthe$12,000shespenteachyear.Mr.Schindler—carefultotitlethereport"Clothing,DinnerorInvested?"—ranananalysisandfoundthatthecouplewouldhave$1.6millionafter28years,assuminga9percentrateofreturn."Theyaregoingtotryandcompromise,"hesaid.MAINTAINSOMEINDEPENDENCEPoolingresourcesisimportant,butsoismaintainingadegreeoffinancialindependence.Carveoutsomemoneyforbothpartnerstospendonthingsthatmakethemhappy.Andwhenparingback,it'sessentialthateachpersonmakesacrifices.INVESTINYOURMARRIAGESpendit—timeandmoney—together.Goondates."Whatthatdoesisenliventhemaritalfoundation,"saidGaryS.Shunk,aChicagotherapistwhospecializesinwealthissues."It'sakindofinvestmentintotheheartandsouloftherelationship."Thinkofitasdollar-costaveragingyourmarriage,whereyoumakesmallinvestmentsovertime.Ifyouwaituntilretirement,itcouldbetoolate.婚姻幸福的奥秘是什么？金钱才是关键假如你询问已婚人士婚姻成功的奥秘在哪里，他们可能不会说那是因为找到了持相同金钱观的知己。但如果他们幸运的话，他们一定是找到了这样的知己。和金钱观相同的人结婚很可能就是一辈子最聪明的财务决策。事实上，就财务而言，婚姻可能是你最有价值的资产——或者最大的一笔债务。近年来，人们为爱而结婚。但在此前的几个世纪，婚姻都是包办的，家庭联姻或出于经济或政治目的，或仅仅是为了使家境不好的家庭集中两家的财力，以维持生计。如今，尽管我们大多数人是因相爱而结婚，婚姻从根本上讲仍然是金钱上的结合。不管是工作的努力程度，还是决定消费多少或储蓄多少，我们生活中想要得到的——或不想得到的——许多东西归根结底都跟钱有关。对有些人来说，他们想要的就是一周工作80小时来支付第三套房的房款和乡村俱乐部的会员费；而对另一些人来说，他们想缩短上班时间，花更多的时间陪伴家人。“关于钱的许多争论是提示我们想如何生活的密码，而生活方式的许多选择则与如何花钱密切相关。”宾夕法尼亚大学沃顿商学院的商业及公共政策助理教授贝齐•史蒂文森如是说，他研究婚姻和离婚经济学。专家们说，夫妻共同做出这些选择是维护婚姻资产及婚姻关系的最重要的方法之一。当然，如果夫妻双方一开始就在钱的问题上看法相似，或者至少能够在钱的问题上相互妥协，那么事情就好办多了。联姻的经济效益很可观，但离婚的代价却是毁灭性的，尤其是有了孩子之后。毫不奇怪，金钱也造成了许多夫妻间的不和。新泽西州秀特山市的离婚律师苏珊•里奇•温特斯说：“大多数人认为婚姻破裂是因为性或孩子的问题。这些的确是问题，但金钱也是导致婚姻破裂的一个重要因素。”并非每个人都能找到金钱观一致的伴侣，当然找不到也不一定就成为问题。在金钱的问题上，有几种方法能让你和你的另一半更加融洽，更加富有。下面这些指导原则是由婚姻成功人士以及心理学、离婚和理财专家共同制定的：互相交流，确定共同目标步入婚姻殿堂之前，男女双方要聊聊各自的财务状况及目标。他们要互相问对方一些棘手的问题：我们要不要孩子？什么时候要孩子？谁来照看孩子？要送他们上公立学校还是私立学校？ 我们想过怎样的生活？我们什么时候退休？理财规划人卡伦•阿尔特费斯特与她的丈夫刘易斯在纽约经营L.J.阿尔特费斯特财务管理公司，她说：“在我为夫妻设计的理想方案中，夫妻双方每周都要讨论家庭的财务问题。这样，他们才能保持目标一致。”一起制订目标。杰里•巴拉德今年58岁，曾在休斯敦担任过保险总监。他说他和结婚36年的同龄妻子苏珊之所以能够避免理财方面的矛盾是因为他们都坚守了存款信条。他说：“我们的基本原则是绝不中断存款。”他补充说，他们每年把10％到20％的工资存起来。只要持之以恒，他们在花销方面就不太会产生分歧。马里兰州奥因斯米尔斯市的埃里克 •冈拉克今年53岁，已结婚29年。他说他和妻子安•米歇尔“开诚布公地披露各自的期望。”这些期望包括：送儿子去私立学校读书；有重大的人生体验，如外出旅游，而不是购物。像经营企业一样经营家庭制定收支预算，记录收入、支出及债务。夫妻双方应该像合伙人一样管理家庭财务，做重大财务决定和制定目标时，双方要互相协商。 摩根大通集团私人财富管理部的国家理财顾问玛丽•安•西斯科说：“夫妇双方一起参与决策时，他们都是决策的制订者，要共同承担决策的结果。即使结果是负面的，他们也能更好地共度难关。”双方也应该分担责任。虽然通常是夫妻中的一方负责理财，婚姻顾问还是建议他们轮流负责。 在一段时间内，一方可以负责投资，另一方则负责付账；过一段时间之后两人可以互换角色，如此重复更替。支持对方的事业一位支持你的伴侣可以帮助你在事业上取得成功，这也会一点一滴地增加你们的银行存款。冈拉克先生说：“和合适的人结婚能鼓励你、支持你，有助于你在事业上取得成功。这种支持来自夫妻间互相扶持的亲密关系。”他的妻子在他做了22年的人力资源经理之后支持他改行自己创业，做管理咨询。在合理的范围内享受要有一定的现金储备。生活中适度消费，并维持这种生活方式。在已经破产的对冲基金或像贝尔斯登这样的金融公司工作过的许多人现在正在接受这方面的教训。摩根大通集团的西斯科女士说：一些年轻客户由于从来没有经历过经济衰退，他们以为钱会源源不断地涌进来。她说她正在给一对30出头、育有两个孩子的夫妇提供咨询服务。就在丈夫失去华尔街的工作之前，他们刚刚订购了价值3.5万美元的窗帘。之后，他们不得不搬到曼哈顿的一套较小的公寓里居住，连度假屋也卖掉了。借助调停人化解矛盾也许你们双方在投资问题上意见不一致，而且都很强硬。或者说也许你希望多储蓄，而你的配偶宁可花一大笔钱去买德国宝马汽车的股票。一个独立的第三方，无论是理财师还是心理治疗师，都可以帮你们找到双方都可以接受的方案。得克萨斯州贝莱尔市轴心点咨询公司的理财规划师马克•B.辛德勒最近就为一位抱怨妻子每月花1,000美元买衣服的顾客解决了难题。辛德勒先生联系到他的妻子，而她则抱怨丈夫每月花同样多的钱跟朋友吃饭。那位丈夫要辛德勒先生计算一下，如果他们把她一年花在衣服上的1.2万美元用来投资，他们能攒多少钱。辛德勒先生写了一份题为“衣服、吃饭，还是投资？”的报告，他在报告的题目上颇费了一番心思。经过分析，他得出了结论：假设回报率为9%的话，这对夫妻在28年后将得到160万美元的收入。他说：“他们会尽量互相让步。”保持一定的独立性共享资源固然重要，但保持一定程度的财务独立性也很重要。要留出一些钱来满足夫妻双方各自的需求。当需要缩减消费时，双方都要做出牺牲，这一点很重要。为婚姻投资夫妻双方要互相陪伴，一起消费。他们应继续约会，“这样做能使婚姻的基础更加牢固，是对夫妻关系的情感投资。”一位专攻理财问题的芝加哥心理治疗师加里•S.尚克这样说。你可以把这个看作是对婚姻的定投，你只需坚持长期进行小额投资就行了。如果你等到退休才做这件事，也许就来不及了。Marked:Womenintheworkplace1Theterm"marked"isastapleoflinguistictheory.Itreferstothewaylanguagealtersthebasemeaningofawordbyaddingsomething—alittlelinguisticadditionthathasnomeaningonitsown.Theunmarkedformofawordcarriesthemeaningthatgoeswithoutsaying,whatyouthinkofwhenyou'renotthinkinganythingspecial.TheunmarkedtenseofverbsinEnglishisthepresent—forexample,visit.Toindicatepast,youhavetomarktheverbfor"past"byaddingedtoyieldvisited.Forfuture,youaddaword:willvisit.Nounsarepresumedtobesingularuntilmarkedforplural.Toconveytheideaofmorethanone,wetypicallyaddsomething,usuallysores.Morethanonevisitbecomesvisits,andonedishbecomestwodishes,thankstothepluralmarking.TheunmarkedformsofmostEnglishwordsalsoconvey"male".Beingmaleistheunmarkedcase.Wehaveendings,suchasessandette,tomarkwordsasfemale.Unfortunately,markingwordsforfemalealso,byassociation,tendstomarkthemforfrivolousness.Wouldyoufeelsafeentrustingyourlifetoadoctorette?Thisiswhymanypoetsandactorswhohappentobefemaleobjecttothemarkedformspoetessandactress.AlfreWoodard,anOscarnomineeforBestSupportingActress,sayssheidentifiesherselfasanactorbecause"actressesworryabouteyelashesandcellulite,andwomenwhoareactorsworryaboutthecharactersweareplaying".Anymarkedformcanpickupextrameaningbeyondwhatthemarkingisintendedtodenote.Theextrameaningscarriedbygendermarkersreflectthetraditionalassociationswiththefemalegender:notquiteserious,oftensexual.Iwasabletoidentifythestylesandtypesofthewomenattheconferencebecauseeachofushadtomakedecisionsabouthair,clothing,make-upandaccessories,andeachofthosedecisionscarriedmeaning.Everystyleavailabletouswasmarked.Ofcourse,themeninourgrouphadtomakedecisionstoo,buttheirchoicescarriedfarlessmeaning.Themencouldhavechosenstylesthatweremarked,buttheydidn'thaveto,andinthisgroup,nonedid.Unlikethewomen,theyhadtheoptionofbeingunmarked.Itookaccountofthemen'sclothes.Therecouldhavebeenacowboyshirtwithstringtieorathree-piecesuitoranecklacedhippieinjeans.Buttherewasn't.A