2006年NPR美国国家公共电台六月-Choosing Life Over Career

No matter what the wages might be for a typical job after college, commentator¹ Dana Goldman has decided² they are not enough.

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I used to wake up in the middle of the night from nightmares about mowing³ my boss's lawn. Hours later, I'd find myself picking up dead mice in a windowless, centre-block room I shared with four co-workers. I'd fall asleep soon after arriving home, hoping for no more nightmares. But eight or ten or twelve hours of rest couldn't resolve my anxiety. So last year, I handed back my office key. I started marketing⁴ myself as someone who'd do just about anything for money as long as it was legal, ethical⁵ and part-time.

A two-day a week at teaching high school students gave me enough steady income to pay rents and health insurance. I loaned out my body for a clinical research study, copy-edited a friend's feminist⁶ Christian⁷ novel and wrote press releases on scientific discoveries. At moments, I felt in over my head like when nurses drew blood from my arms every ten minutes for twelve hours straight. For a few months, I worried about having enough money, but I've always been frugal⁸ and now I have even more motivation to spend and save thoughtfully.

So I use the library instead of going to the bookstore. I rent part of my friend's house and work a few hours a week at a local community garden in exchange for cheap organic produce. And I'm ready to drive my nine-year-old car to its grave rather than take out a car loan. Now, flipping⁹ through a clothes catalogue, I can't help noting that brand-name jeans just don't seem that different from the ones I get at the thrift¹⁰ store, paying less than I used to for a sandwich. Without a daily job to report to, I revel¹¹ in occasional two-hour weekday lunch with my mom and dad. Without a budget for eating out, I've learned to bake, and my 9 to 5 friends are always grateful to gather in my kitchen. "You're so much happier now", my best friend says. And that's true. After a few months away from my former job, my anxiety disappeared, as did the need for therapist and even escapist movies.

Someday, if I want to buy a house or have a kid, I know I'll need more money. Security will be more important then. I may need to trade in my odd jobs for work that's more stable or substantial. But for now, I'm doing things I love on my own terms and keeping my options open. Pocket changes are all I need to live happily and I don't want for anything I can't get at the grocery store. I'm beginning to understand that happiness and money are not always connected in the way I once thought. And for now at least, simplicity¹² can be everything.

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Commentator Dana Goldman lives and works, or not, in Atlanta. This is Morning Edition from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne. And I'm Steve Inskeep.

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nightmares : n.梦魇, 恶梦, 可怕的事物（night夜+mare鬼）
mow one's lawn : 给某人修剪草坪.
market oneself : 推销某人
feminist : n. 男女平等主义者, 女权扩张论者
frugal : adj. 节省的; 俭朴的; 量少的, 花钱少的
brand-name jeans : 品牌牛仔裤
revel in: 深爱, 酷爱; 纵情于, 沉湎于
therapist : n. 临床医学家
escapist : adj. 逃避现实的; n.逃避现实者

thrift store : 跳蚤市场，物美价廉，装修简易的商店，如上海的襄阳路市场。

1 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 mowing   

n.割草，一次收割量，牧草地v.刈，割( mow的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The lawn needs mowing. 这草坪的草该割了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• "Do you use it for mowing?" “你是用它割草么？” 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

4 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

5 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

6 feminist   

adj.主张男女平等的，女权主义的

参考例句：

• She followed the feminist movement.她支持女权运动。
• From then on,feminist studies on literature boomed.从那时起，男女平等受教育的现象开始迅速兴起。

7 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

8 frugal   

adj.节俭的，节约的，少量的，微量的

参考例句：

• He was a VIP,but he had a frugal life.他是位要人，但生活俭朴。
• The old woman is frugal to the extreme.那老妇人节约到了极点。

9 flipping   

讨厌之极的

参考例句：

• I hate this flipping hotel! 我讨厌这个该死的旅馆！
• Don't go flipping your lid. 别发火。

10 thrift   

adj.节约，节俭；n.节俭，节约

参考例句：

• He has the virtues of thrift and hard work.他具备节俭和勤奋的美德。
• His thrift and industry speak well for his future.他的节俭和勤勉预示着他美好的未来。

11 revel   

vi.狂欢作乐，陶醉；n.作乐，狂欢

参考例句：

• She seems to revel in annoying her parents.她似乎以惹父母生气为乐。
• The children revel in country life.孩子们特别喜欢乡村生活。

12 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。