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When I was a child of seven years old, my friends, 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.
This, however, was afterwards of use to me, for the impression continued on my mind, so that often, when 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".
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".
在我七岁那年的一个假日，我的朋友们在我的口袋里塞满了铜币。我便立刻去了一家儿童玩具专卖店。走在路上时，我被一个男孩手中所拿的哨子的声音吸引，于是倾尽口袋里的钱买了一支。然后我就回到家中，走到哪吹到哪。我对哨子非常满意，但是哨音却吵得全家不得安宁。当我向自己的兄弟姐妹和堂兄妹们讲起买哨子这笔交易时，他们都说我付了哨子本身价值的四倍的价钱。他们还提醒我，那些多付的钱可以用来买些什么好东西，并且嘲笑我是多么愚蠢，这使我恼羞成怒，不禁哭了起来。一想到这件事，我就懊悔不已，并且这种懊悔远远超过了当初哨子给我带来的乐趣。
不过这件事后来让我受益匪浅。因为那支哨子频频在我脑海中浮现，所以当我被诱惑想买自己不需要的东西时，我便对自己说，“别为那只哨子花费太多”，这样就把钱节省下来了。在我长大成人，走向社会，目睹了人们的所作所为后，我觉得我遇见过太多太多“为一支哨子花费过多”的人。
如果我结识了这样一个吝啬鬼——他一心只顾敛财、守财，却放弃了生活上的种种舒适，放弃了施善于他人带来的乐趣，放弃了作为一个同胞的所有尊严，放弃了友谊的欢乐，那么我就要说：“可怜的家伙，你为你的哨子付出的代价太大了。”当我遇到一个浪荡子，他既无意增长才智，也不想增加财富，而只是一味寻欢作乐，甚至糟蹋自己的健康，“迷途的人，”我要说，“你不是在为自己寻找乐趣，而是在自讨苦吃。你为你的哨子花费过多了。”如果我看到有人相貌姣好，穿华丽的衣服，住漂亮的房子，用精致的家具，戴好看的耳环，这一切花费都超过了他的财力，因此落得个债台高筑的境地，“唉，”我说，“他为他的哨子花费得太多、太多了！”总而言之，人类的不幸很大程度上是因为对事物做了错误的估价——换句话说，“为他们的哨子付出的代价太大了”。
whistle['wisəl]vi.吹口哨，鸣笛 n.哨子；口哨声，汽笛声
The wind whistled through a crack in the door.
风从门的裂缝中呼呼地刮了进来。
pocket['pɔkit] n.衣袋，小袋；钱 vt.装入袋内 a.袖珍的
He paid for it out of his own pocket.
他是自己掏腰包的。
copper['kɔpə]n.铜；铜币
Copper has less resistance than lead.
铜的电阻比铅的小。
toy[tɔi]n.玩具 vi.（with）漫不经心地考虑；摆弄
The child clutched his toy.
那个孩子紧抓着他的玩具不放。
charm[tʃɑ：m]n.迷人的特性，魅力；符咒vt.迷住
Her graciousness charmed everyone at the party.
她的风采倾倒了社交聚会上的每一个人。
disturbing[di'stə：biŋ]adj.烦扰的，担心的，令人不安的
I hate disturbing people while the show is going on.
演出进行的时候，我最不喜欢打扰别人。
bargain['bɑ：gin]n.特价商品；协议，交易vi.讨价还价
He bargained with the farmer for his vegetables.
他跟农民讨价还价买蔬菜。
folly['fɔli]n.愚蠢
Zeal without knowledge is the sister of folly.
[谚]无知的热情近乎愚蠢。
vexation[vek'seiʃən]n.困扰，苦恼
What can we do to lessen her vexation?
我们做些什么才能减轻她的烦恼呢？
chagrin['ʃægrin]n.&v.失望，懊恼
Much to his chagrin, he didn’t win the race.
他没能赢那场比赛，大为懊恼。
afterwards['ɑ：ftəwədz]ad.以后，后来，然后
Afterwards she relented and allowed the children to stay up late to watch TV.
后来她宽容了些，让孩子们晚睡看电视。
devoted[di'vəutid]adj.投入的，深爱的，全心全意的
He devoted all his life to China’s aviation.
他把一生都奉献给了中国的航空事业。
neglect[ni'glekt]vt.忽视，忽略；疏忽，玩忽n.疏忽，玩忽
The house has fallen into a state of neglect.
这所房屋已处于荒废的状态。
I went at once to a shop where they sold toys for children.
where在这里引导的是定语从句。
1.where引导状语从句时，where是从属连词，where引导的从句修饰主句的谓语动词，where前面没有表示地点的先行词。例如：
Underline where you don't understand.
在不明白的地方加下划线。
2.where引导定语从句时，where是关系副词，在从句中作地点状语，其前面有表示地点的先行词，where引导的从句修饰先行词。例如：
The bookshop where I bought this book is not far from here.
我买这本书的那个书店离这里不远。
3.有时，where引导的地点状语从句兼有抽象条件含义，可放在主句的前面，而where引导的定语从句则不能。例如：
Where there is a will, there is a way.
[谚语]有志者事竟成。
4.在有些情况下，where引导的定语从句可转换为where引导的地点状语从句。
She used to live in a place where it is warm.（=She used to live where it is warm.）
她以前住在温暖的地方。
1.This, however, was afterwards of use to me, for the impression continued on my mind, so that often, when 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.
不过这件事后来让我受益匪浅。因为那支哨子频频在我脑海中浮现，所以当我被诱惑想买自己不需要的东西时，我便对自己说，“别为那只哨子花费太多”，这样就把钱节省下来了。
2.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".
在我长大成人，走向社会，目睹了人们的所作所为后，我觉得我遇见过太多太多“为一支哨子花费过多”的人。
3."Poor man，"said I，"you pay too dear for your whistle."
“可怜的家伙，”我说，“你为你的哨子付出的代价太大了。”
4.In short the miseries of mankind are largely due to their putting a false value on things.
总而言之，人类的不幸很大程度上是因为对事物做了错误的估价。
One is never as unhappy as one thinks, or as happy as one hopes to be.
—La Rochefoucauld
一个人永远不会像自己想象的一样不幸，也永远不会像自己希望的一样幸福。
——罗仕福科德
In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich.
—Henry Ward Beecher
在这个世界上，让我们富有的不是我们所得到的，而是我们所放弃的。
——亨利·毕彻