Text 3: A STORY

In some misbegotten moment of my youth, I decided to become an accountant. Although I have never been good at figures, I set to totting up columns with the accuracy of a computer and delved into the deeper mysteries of company finance.

I remember the day at Pitman in Russel Square I foiled with some mythical 2 million pounds company, produced a trial balance, and found with joy that it came out all right (well, within a few pence, anyway).

I learned a lot more besides, most of which I have now forgotten. And I am glad. Accountancy was not for me. I was lucky to make the discovery and escape in time. Many people, whether they set out to be accountants, engineers or bakers, never make the discovery at all. Or if they do, never get the chance to change horses.

One of the wisest things William Morris, the socialist, artist and writer, ever insisted on was "pleasure of labour". And one of the stupidest ways of life is the work-holiday basis, slogging away at some boring job, in a factory, office or shop, to get the means to have a holiday, only to return to the same mill a few weeks later.

Work ought to be more pleasurable than that. Of course, it is doubtful if all work could be made pleasurable, and some of the unpleasurable kind is a vital part of one's social responsibility to one's fellow humans.

As Emerson said, "The high price of life, the crowning fortune of a man, is to be born, with a bias to some pursuit which finds him in employment and happiness".

I am thinking of a young man I know who wants to be a folk singer, in fact is a folk singer, a good and capable one at that. He makes a living doing shows at the clubs, earning a few pounds here and a few there.

Yet, he has a degree as a biochemist, and could undoubtedly do a job that many might consider socially far more useful than singing in smoky, beery atmosphere. But that's the way he prefers it. He works hard every day. If he didn't, he would never have a repertoire of some 200 songs, on which he can ably accompany himself on half a dozen different instruments. And he is a walking encyclopedia of the folk world. His clothes are shabby, his shoes are down at heel and his diet is Spartan, but he is happy.

(Bob Wynn)

Vocabulary:

misbegotten – неудачный

an accountant – бухгалтер

accountancy – бухгалтерия

to change horses – изменить, сменить, поменять что-либо

figures – цифры

accuracy – точность

to delve into – углубляться, погружаться

trial balance – пробный баланс

to slog – карпеть, нажимать (на работу)

doubtful – сомнительно

pursuit – занятие, поиск

in the pursuit of fame – в погоне за славой

to tot up – считать

responsibility – ответственность

bias to – склонность к, пристрастие

vital – жизненно важный, необходимый

employment – трудоустройство

to make a living – зарабатывать на жизнь

capable – способный

undoubtedly – несомненно

shabby – поношенный, потрепанный

down at heel – со стоптанными каблуками, жалкий

Дата добавления: 2015-08-20