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Stuff Is Not Enough 满足购物欲不代表能得到快乐

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Can the things we buy really make us happy?  购物真能带给我们快乐吗？

Since the first humans began coveting nonessential objects, the pursuit of stuff has been part of daily life. Americans arguably have more stuff because they have a lot of discretionary income. Go to any shopping center and look around. How many of the wares offered there are truly necessary? Whether viewed as a force behind “progress” or as a burden to be shed, humanity’s long and complicated relationship with material possessions can’t be denied. But perhaps it can be better understood.

自从人类最早开始出现对非必需品有了渴求的欲望以来，迄今人对物欲的追求已成为日常生活的一部份了。美国人可说是拥有较多物品的一群，因为他们有相当多可自由支配的收入。随便去任何一家购物中心，然后环顾四周，将难发现，卖场里陈列的商品其实大都并非真正的必需品。无论被为「进步」的原动力，或是有待卸下的重担，毋庸置疑地，人类和物质占有两者之间，长久以来的确存有相当复杂的关系。但或许我们可以更透彻地了解个中原委。

As an American studies teacher at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Janet Rose tells her students that attitudes about stuff are ultimately tied to feelings of self-worth, including the wish to be superior.

「密苏里大学堪萨斯市分校」美国研究教师珍娜．罗斯告诉她的学生，人们对物品所采取的态度，最终还是和自我价值感密不可分，而其中也包括了优越感作祟。

“It’s that classic thing where people try to justify their own consumption by pointing out the deviance of the consumption of others. So the real truth is that it’s …. making judgments about other people.”

她表示，「这是相当典型的现象，亦即人们藉由指出他人偏差的消费行为，来试图替自己的消费行为辩护。因此，事实真相是…他们其实是在论断他人。」

Can you afford it?  你负担得起吗？

Trying to offer a judgment-free zone for stuff is veteran flea market retailer Rodney Hartle of Kansas. On weekends he convivially occupies his flea market booth, which is stuffed with sports memorabilia, books, records, gold and silver coins, designer plates, dolls, glassware, Christmas ornaments and loads of jewelry.

堪萨斯跳蚤市场的老手卖家罗尼．哈特尔试图提供一处不受论断干扰的空间。每当周末来临，他就会快乐地坐镇在自己的跳蚤市场摊子，里头充斥着运动纪念物、书籍、唱片、金币、银币、名家设计的盘子、洋娃娃、玻璃器皿、圣诞节装饰和大量珠宝首饰。

Many of Hartle’s customers are glad to buy stuff that they couldn’t afford earlier in life. But sometimes even those purchases require a certain rationalization.

很多哈特尔的客户都乐于掏腰包购买一些他们早年负担不起的东西，不过，有时即使是这种购物行为，都需要经过某种合理化的解释才行。

“When you get to the point where you can afford it, you really may not want it,” Hartle said. “But you still think back, ‘Well, when I was a kid, I wanted that.’”

「当你真正在财力上负担得起的时候，很可能就不想拥有那样东西了」，哈特尔说，「但你还是会回想着，『嗯，在我小时候，还真的很想要那样东西呢。』」

One thing Hartle doesn’t desire is people overspending. “One lady who buys jewelry from me will say, ‘I don’t really need this ring, but I’ve got to have it.’ I say, ‘Well, maybe you can’t afford it.’”

有样东西是哈特尔不想要的，那就是当人们的支出超过自己财力范围之外。「有位女士可能想向我买珠宝首饰，然后口中说着『我其实并不需要这只戒指，但我非得拥有它不可。』这是我会回答，『啊，也许这超出你财力负担呢。』」

Does that ever change her mind?

这样是否能让她改变心意吗？

“Never,” he said.

「决不可能，」他如此说道。

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nonessential [͵nɑnəˋsɛnʃəl] adj. 不重要的

arguably [ˋɑrgjʊəblɪ] adv. 可以认为 possibly, potentially, conceivably

discretionary income (扣除生活必需的固定开之后)可自由支配的收入 individual income that is left for spending after the necessary items have been purchased

discretionary [dɪˋskrɛʃən͵ɛrɪ] adj. 自由决定的; 任意的 available for use as needed or desired

ware [wɛr] n. 商品，货物

self-worth 自我价值 the feeling that you are as important as other people and that you deserve to be respected and treated well

flea market 跳蚤市场 a place, usually outside, where people sell old or used items at cheap prices

convivially [kənˋvɪvɪəlɪ] adv. 欢乐地；愉悦地

occupy [ˋɑkjə͵paɪ] v.（常与oneself连用或作被动式）使忙碌，使从事[（+in/with）]

ornament [ˋɔrnəmənt] n. 装饰品

load [lod] n.【口】大量，许多，一大堆[P][（+of）]

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Pleasure vs. happiness  乐趣vs.快乐

The pervasive power of advertising is difficult to escape, said William McIntosh, professor of psychology at Georgia Southern University. “We’re definitely being lied to in a very basic way,” he said. “The message we’re getting is that this stuff will make us happy. But the underlying message is that consuming will make us happy, even though there’s lots of research that says, no, absolutely not.”

「南乔治亚大学」心理学教授威廉．麦金塔表示，广告无远弗届的力量，让人难以逃脱。「基本上，我们显然是被骗了」，他如此说道，「我们所接收到的讯息是，这样东西能使我们快乐，但底下更根本的讯息其实是，消费能使我们快乐。不过，其实有大量研究都告诉我们，这绝非事实。」

A chronic error that consumers make is confusing pleasure with happiness, McIntosh said. “If you’re getting that buzz from buying whatever it is you’re buying, you’re getting momentary feedback that something’s pleasurable,” he said. “We almost consider it a signpost toward happiness.”

麦金塔指出，消费者一再犯下的错误是，错把乐趣当成了快乐。「如果你从购物当中，获得了乐陶陶的感觉，其实你只是从某件能带来乐趣的东西上，取得了短暂的快感而已」，他说道，「我们却几乎把这视为通往快乐的路标。」

“But in psychology it’s also been likened to an addiction. We can’t stop, even if we say, ‘I know that this isn’t going to make me happy’ or ‘I know that I can’t afford this.’ There is this compulsion to continue consuming.”

「不过，在心理学上，这种感觉其实被比拟为上瘾。即使我们在嘴巴上说，『我知道这无法让我快乐』或『我知道我买不起』，但我们却无法停止购物欲，这出自于一种想要持续消费、难以抗拒的冲动。

Positive consumerism  正向消费主义

In her own way, Maggie Davis, consumer editor for Time Out magazine in London, wants to relieve the stress of stuff with her book, 101 Things to Buy Before You Die. “The title of the book is quite tongue-in-cheek,” David said. “But it’s meant to be an inspirational guide to the best of the best – and that’s not always the most expensive thing.”

伦敦《Time Out》杂志消费者议题编辑玛吉．戴维斯，希望能藉由她所写的《死前必购的一０一件好物》(暂译)一书，用自己的方式来纾解买东西所带来的压力。「书名其实有点半开玩笑」，戴维斯说道，「但本书用意是希望能作为具有启发性的指南，教大家买到最佳好物──而且并不一定非得花很多钱不可。」

“Shopping can be very shallow if you do it badly,” David said. “It can be like reading trashy novels or watching really bad TV or eating junk food. But if you shop well and you really buy quality things, you actually can improve the quality of your life. But there’s also aspiration and dream involved.”

「如果不善此道，则购物也可能沦为相当肤浅」，戴维斯说道，「就像是阅读不入流的小说、观看粗制滥造的电视节目或吃垃圾食物无异。不过，如果能精通购物之道，而且真的买到很有价值的东西，那么事实上这还有助于改善你的生活质量，而且当中还涉及热望和梦想。」

But whether someone else may think of your stuff, remember: It’s your stuff, author Davis said. “If you love something, keep it.”

作者戴维斯表示，无论别人怎么看待你的东西，要记住：这是你的东西，「如果你真的很喜爱某样东西，那就保有它吧。」

−by Brian McTavish

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underlying [͵ʌndɚˋlaɪɪŋ] adj. 隐含的; 潜在的;基本的，根本的 concealed but detectable

momentary [ˋmomən͵tɛrɪ] adj. 短暂的；瞬间的

pleasurable [ˋplɛʒərəb!] adj. 使人快乐的；令人心情舒畅的

signpost [ˋsaɪn͵post] n. 路标；指示牌

liken [ˋlaɪkən] v. 把……比作[（+to）]

addiction [əˋdɪkʃən] n. 成瘾；上瘾

relieve [rɪˋliv] v. 缓和，减轻；解除

inspirational [͵ɪnspəˋreʃən!] adj. 有启发性的; 有启示作用的

trashy [ˋtræʃɪ] adj. 垃圾似的；蹩脚的；无价值的

aspiration [͵æspəˋreʃən] n. 渴望达到的目的; 志向，抱负

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Vocabulary Focus

covet [ˋkʌvɪt] v. 垂涎；贪图；渴望 to desire something strongly, especially something which belongs to someone else

deviance [ˋdivɪəns] n.  偏常，异常；异常行为 behavior that is not usual and is generally considered to be unacceptable

memorabilia [ˋmɛmərəˋbɪlɪə] n.（复数名词）纪念品 objects that are collected because they are connected with a person or event which is thought to be very interesting or the collector wants to remember

rationalization [͵ræʃənləˋzeʃən] n. 合理化；解释 the act of trying to find reasons to explain your behavior or decisions

pervasive [pɚˋvesɪv] adj. 遍布的；贯穿始终的；四处弥漫的 spreading through all parts of something

chronic [ˋkrɑnɪk] adj. 长期的，不断的 frequently recurring

buzz [bʌz] n.【俚】（因为酒等）愉悦的陶醉 a feeling of excitement, energy and pleasure

compulsion [kəmˋpʌlʃən] n. 强迫; 冲动;强制力，强迫力 a force that makes you do something

tongue-in-cheek [ˋtʌŋɪnˋtʃik] adj. 不认真的, 不当真的, 半开玩笑的 describing a joke that might seem to be serious

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