正文
When I was a child of seven years old, my friends, on a holiday, filled my pocket with coppers（铜币）. I went at once to a shop where they sold toys for children.
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。
Being charmed with the sound of a whistle（哨子） 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.
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。
My brothers and sisters and cousins, when I told of the bargain（买卖） 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（愚蠢） that I cried with vexation（苦恼）.
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。
Thinking about the matter gave me more chagrin（懊恼） 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.
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。
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。
If I knew a miser（守财奴） who gave up every kind of comfortable living, all the pleasure of doing good to others, all the esteem（尊严） of his fellow citizens and the joys of friendship, for the sake of （为了）gathering and keeping wealth —"Poor man，"said I，"you pay too dear for your whistle."
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。”
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."
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。”
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（高价的）, very dear, for his whistle."
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！”
In short the miseries of mankind are largely due to their putting a false value on things—to giving"too much for their whistles".
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”。
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