11)On Buying and Selling(買賣)

The Prophet(先知)
Kahlil Gibran(哈利勒‧紀伯倫)

11)On Buying and Selling買賣

And a merchant said, Speak to us of Buying and Selling.
有一個商人說︰請講一講買賣吧。
And he answered and said:
他回答說︰
To you the earth yields her fruit,
大地把它的果實賜予你們，
and you shall not want if you but know how to fill your hands.
只要你們知道如何裝滿你的手，你們才不會匱乏。
It is in exchanging the gifts of the earth that you shall find abundance and be satisfied.
交換大地的賜給，你們會感到豐富和滿足。
Yet unless the exchange be in love and kindly justice,
然而除非在交換時是出於愛心和公正，
it will but lead some to greed and others to hunger.
否則這將使有些人貪婪，另外一些人感到飢餓。
When in the market place you toilers of the sea and fields and vineyards
當你們這些在海上、田間和葡萄園中流血流汗的人們，
meet the weavers and the potters and the gatherers of spices, --
跟那些織工、陶工和採集香料的人們相遇之時──。
Invoke then the master spirit of the earth, to come into your midst
且將大地之主神召喚到你們之間來，
and sanctify the scales and the reckoning that weighs value against value.
以淨化你們賴以評估價值的天秤。
And suffer not the barren-handed to take part in your transactions, who would sell their words for your labour.
不要讓那些空著手而來的人憑空話來換取你們的努力。
To such men you should say,
對這樣的人你應該說︰
"Come with us to the field, or go with our brothers to the sea and cast your net;
「來吧，和我們一同到田裡去或是和我們的弟兄到海上去撒下你的網；
For the land and the sea shall be bountiful to you even as to us."
因為大地和大海也將對你有豐富的賜給，就像對我們一樣的。」
And if there come the singers and the dancers and the flute players, -- buy of their gifts also.
如果有歌唱者和舞者以及吹笛的人來到，請他們展現才能吧。
For they too are gatherers of fruit and frankincense,
因為他們也是果實和乳香的收集者；
and that which they bring, though fashioned of dreams, is raiment and food for your soul.
他們帶來的東西，雖然以夢做成，卻是你們靈魂的衣食。
And before you leave the market place,
在你們離開市場之前，
see that no one has gone his way with empty hands.
要確知沒有一個人空手歸去。
For the master spirit of the earth shall not sleep peacefully upon the wind
因為大地的主神不能在風中安眠，
till the needs of the least of you are satisfied.
除非等到你們當中最卑微的人的需要也得到了滿足。