The Rewards of the Professions

　　The probability that any person should ever be qualified for the employment to which he is educated, is very different in different occupations. In the greater part of mechanic trades, success is almost certain; but very uncertain in the liberal professions. Put your son apprentice to a shoemaker, there is little doubt of his learning to make a pair of shoes, but send him to study the law, it is at least twenty to one if ever he makes such a proficiency as it will enable him to live by the business. In a perfectly fair lottery, those who draw the prizes ought to gain all that is lost by those who draw the blanks. In a profession where twenty fail for one that succeeds, that one ought to gain all that should have been gained by the unsuccessful nineteen ones. The counselor at law, who, perhaps, at near forty years of age, begins to make something by his profession, ought to receive the retribution, not only of his own so tedious and expensive education, but of that of more than ten others who are never likely to make anything by it. How extravagant the fees of counselors at law may sometimes appear, their real retribution is never equal to this.

　　Those professions keep their level, however, with other occupations, and notwithstanding these discouragements, all the most generous and liberal spirits are eager to crowd into them. Two different causes contribute to recommend them. First, the desire of the reputation which attends upon superior excellence in any of them; and, secondly, the natural confidence which every man has, more or less, not only in his own abilities, but in his own good fortune①.

　　To excel in any profession, in which but few arrive at mediocrity, is the most decisive mark of what is called genius or superior talents. The public admiration which attends upon such distinguished abilities，makes always a part of their reward;a greater or smaller in proportion as it is higher or lower in degree.It makes a considerable part of it in the profession of physic;a still greater perhaps in that of law;in poetry and philosophy it makes almost the whole.

　　[377 words]

　　行文點評

　　本文觀點新穎，從一個獨特的角度向我們闡述了職業回報的衡量標準。第一段的第一句為主題句，緊接著作者引用具體數據圍繞這一主題進行論證，具有較強的說服力。在第二段中，作者用however將話題一轉，順勢引出了本文要討論的問題：不同的職業有不同的衡量回報的標準。在最后一段，作者圍繞這一觀點展開了充分的論證。

　　好文妙譯

　　職業的回報

　　每個人在接受相關教育后能勝任工作的可能性，由于行業的不同而千差萬別。就大多數技工行業而言，成功幾乎十拿九穩;但文科性職業則很難預測。假設你讓兒子跟鞋匠做學徒，他學會做鞋當然毫無疑問。但若送他去學法律，讓他對這一行業駕輕就熟并借此謀生，成功率只有二十分之一。在一次非常公正的搖獎中，中彩者所贏份額應當等同于摸白票者所輸之全部。某種職業，只有二十分之一的成功率，那惟一成功者所獲得的應當是十九位失敗者本可獲得的全部。律師或許年屆四十時開始在事業上小有所成，他理應得到回報，這不僅是他本人繁重昂貴的教育投入的回報，也包括另外十幾位可能一事無成的同行的投入。律師的收費似乎過高，但他們真正應得的報酬卻遠非這個數目。

　　然而，有些職業同其他各行保持一致，盡管有諸多不盡如人意之處，仍有許多慷慨大度、胸襟開闊之士渴望躋身其中。可能有兩個原因促成這種取向：首先是對名譽的渴望，在任何一個行業里只要表現卓越都能得到它;其次是每個人與生俱來或多或少的自信心，不僅相信自身的能力，也堅信自己能走好運。

　　被稱為天才或才能超群者最顯著的一點是在任何一種職業中都能出類拔萃，很少有平庸之輩。公眾對這種杰出才能的贊譽構成他們所得回報的一部分，贊譽的高低與成就的大小相關。這種回報在醫生職業中占重要部分;律師職業中或許所占比例更大;而在詩歌和哲學領域里則幾乎占了全部。

　　詞匯斟酌

　　mechanic n. 技工，機修工

　　apprentice n. 學徒，徒弟

　　proficiency n. 熟練，精通

　　lottery n. ①抽彩給獎法②碰運氣的事，難于算計的事

　　counselor n. 顧問, 法律顧問

　　tedious a. 乏味的，單調的，冗長的

　　extravagant a. ①奢侈的，鋪張的②過度的，過分的

　　retribution n. 報償

　　notwithstanding prep.& ad. 盡管

　　generous a. ①慷慨的，大方的②寬厚的，寬宏大量的

　　mediocrity n. 平常, 平庸之才

　　decisive a. ①決定性的②堅定的，果斷的，決斷的

　　philosophy n. ①哲學②哲理，人生哲學，見解

　　佳句臨摹

　　①【注釋】more or less 差不多，幾乎

　　【臨摹】I’ve more or less finished reading the book. 我差不多已經把這本書看完了。

　　思如泉涌

　　As you sow, you shall mow. 種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆。

　　A good dog deserves a good bone. 好狗應啃好骨頭。/有功者受賞。

　　俗話說,聲音是第二張臉。聲音優美能給他人留下良好的印象。因此,我們平時學習語言時應多注重自己的語音、語調。字正腔圓、不急不緩、自然大方才能給人留下好印象。