What in particular does a person gain when he or she becomes a seriouscollector?

People tend to amass possessions, sometimes without being aware of doingso. Indeed they can have a delightful surprise when they find something usefulwhich they did not know they owned. Those who never have to move house becomeindiscriminate collectors of what can only be described as clutter. They leaveunwanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics for years, in the belief thatthey may one day need just those very things. As they grow old, people alsoaccumulate belongings for two other reasons, lack of physical and mental energy,both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away, and sentiment.Things owned for a long time are full of associations with the past, perhapswith relatives who are dead, and so they gradually acquire a value beyond theirtrue worth.

Some things are collected deliberately in the home in an attempt to avoidwaste. Among these I would list string and brown paper, kept by thrifty peoplewhen a parcel has been opened, to save buying these two requisites. Collectingsmall items can easily become a mania. I know someone who always cuts sketchesout from newspapers of model clothes that she would like to buy if she had themoney. As she is not rich, the chances that she will ever be able to afford suchpurchases are remote; but she is never sufficiently strong-minded to be able tostop the practice. It is a harmless habit, but it litters up her desk to such anextent that every time she opens it, loose bits of paper fall out in everydirection.

Collecting as a serious hobby is quite different and has many advantages.It provides relaxation for leisure hours, as just looking at one's treasures isalways a joy. One does not have to go outside for amusement, since thecollection is housed at home. Whatever it consists of, stamps, records, firsteditions of books, china, glass, antique furniture, pictures, model cars,stuffed birds, toy animals, there is always something to do in connection withit, from finding the right place for the latest addition, to verifying facts inreference books. This hobby educates one not only in the chosen subject, butalso in general matters which have some bearing on it. There are also otherbenefits. One wants to meet like-minded collectors, to get advice, to comparenotes, to exchange articles, to show off the latest find. So one's circle offriends grows. Soon the hobby leads to travel, perhaps to a meeting in anothertown, possibly a trip abroad in search of a rare specimen, for collectors arenot confined to any one country. Over the years, one may well become anauthority on one's hobby and will very probably be asked to give informal talksto little gatherings and then, if successful, to larger audiences. In this wayself-confidence grows, first from mastering a subject, then from being able totalk about it. Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes aperson contented, with no time for boredom.

New words and expressions 生词与短语

amass

v. 积聚

indiscriminate

adj. 不加选择的

clutter

n. 一堆杂物

string

n. 细线

requisite

n. 必需品

mania新概念英语学习机

n. 癖好

sketch

n. 草图，图样

remote

adj. (机会，可能性)少的，小的

strong-minded

adj. 意志坚强的

relaxation

n. 休息，娱乐

verify

v. 查证，核实

bearing

n. 关系，联系

like-minded

adj. 志趣相投的

specimen

n. 标本

constructively

adv. 有益的，积极的

contented

adj. 心满意足的

boredom

n. 烦恼，无聊

本文参考译文

人们喜欢收藏东西，有时并没有意识到自己在这样做。确实，一旦无意之中从自己的收藏品中找到某件有用的东西时，可以给人一种惊喜的感觉。那些从来不必搬家的人们成了一种无所无容的收藏家。他们专门收藏那些只能被称作杂货的东西。他们在抽屉里，碗柜中、阁楼上堆放着一些不用的东西，一放就是好几年，相信总有一天需要的正好是那些东西。人们年老之后也喜欢收藏东西，不过是出于两个不同的原因：一是体力，精力均告不佳，这二者是清除无用的东西必不可少的因素;另一原因是感情因素。东西搁得时间久了，便会充满着与过去岁月的联系，比方说与死去的亲戚有关。因此这些东西慢慢获得了一种超出它本身的价值。

居家度日，有目的地收藏某些东西是为了防止浪费。这些东西中我想举出线绳和包装纸为例。节俭的人们打开包裹后便把这两样必备的东西收藏起来。省得日后去买。收集小玩艺儿很容易着迷。我认识一个人，她总喜欢从报纸上剪下流行服装的图样，等以后有钱时去买服装。由于她并不富裕，她买得起这些服装的可能性十分渺茫。但她又缺乏足够坚强的意志把这一收集活动停下来。这种习惯无害，只把写字台里堆得满满当当，以致每次打开抽屉总能带出许多纸片四处飞扬。

作为一种严肃的业余爱好的收藏活动完全是另外一回事，它具有许多益处。它可以使人在闲暇中得到休息，因为欣赏自己收藏的珍品总会充满了乐趣。人们不必走到户外去寻求娱乐，因为收藏品都是存放在家中。不管收藏品是什么，邮票、唱片、头版书籍、瓷器、玻璃杯、老式家具、绘画、模型汽车、鸟类标本，还是玩具动物，从为新增添的收藏品寻找摆放位置到核对参考书中的事实，总归有事可做。这种爱好不仅能使人从选择的专题中受到教育，而且也能从与之有关的一般事物中获得长进。除此之外，还有其他的益处。收藏者要会见情趣相投的收藏者，以获取教益，交流经验、交换收藏品，炫耀自己的最新收藏。朋友的圈子就这样不断扩大。用不了多久，有这种爱好的人便开始旅行，也许是去另一个城市参加会议，也可能是出国寻找一件珍品，因为收藏家是不分国籍的。一人积了多年经验会成为自己这种爱好的权威，很可能应邀在小型集会上作非正式的讲话。如果讲得好，可能向更多人发表演说。这样，你自信心不断增强，先是因为掌握一门学问，接下来是因为能够就此发表见解。收藏活动通过富有建设性地利用业余时间使人感到心满意足，不再有无聊之日。

(兼职编辑：张博)