读者文摘:21世纪最大规模的寻宝事件之一(4)（在线收听）

The big question: Will Fenn's treasure (assuming it really exists) ever be found?

一个大问题：威尔·芬恩的宝藏（假设它真的存在的话）能不能被发现？

Neitzel says he has no intention of stopping until he or somebody else finds it. "I know I'm kidding myself," he says, laughing.

雷特泽尔表示，在他或者别人发现宝藏之前，他是不会停止探寻的。他笑着说道，“我知道我在开玩笑。”

But he took four trips last summer and fall. "What people get wrong is, it's not all just about finding the treasure.

但是去年夏天和秋天他去探索了四次。“人们的错误在于，这不仅仅是寻找宝藏的问题。

It's about finding treasures, plural. It's about getting outside and exploring. That's why Forrest called his book The Thrill of the Chase.

它是关于寻找宝藏的，也是关于外出探索的。这就是为什么福雷斯特给他的书起名为《追逐的刺激》。

It's not The Thrill of the Find." Many claim that even if they found Fenn's chest, they wouldn't necessarily spend the money—and might even rehide the chest.

它不是关于寻找的刺激。”许多人声称，即使他们找到芬恩的箱子，他们也不一定会花这笔钱，甚至可能会把箱子重新藏起来。

Sullivan says he'd like to keep the chase going for a new generation.

沙利文说他想让下一代人继续这场追逐。

"Wouldn't it be a hoot to be the wise guy writing the new poem?" he says.

他说，“成为一个写新诗的聪明人不是很有趣的事情吗？”

As for Fenn, he hopes someone finds the treasure while he's still alive.

对于芬恩来说，他希望有人能在自己在世的时候发现珍宝。

Several people have been within a few hundred feet, he says. He knows because they've e-mailed him and asked whether they were close.

他说，有几个人去到过距宝藏几百英尺的地方。他之所以知道，是因为他们给他发了电子邮件，询问他们是否去到接近宝藏的地方。

Fenn, who's not about to give anyone a free pass, said nothing.

芬恩不打算给任何人免费通行证，他什么也没说。

But he reads every e-mail, many of which can be surprisingly revealing about the type of people who would drop everything to go hunting for gold.

但是他会读每一封邮件，很多邮件都来自那种会放弃一切去寻找黄金的人，这非常令人惊讶。

They confess their fears. They thank him for saving their marriages, for giving them a reason to take a risk, for giving their lives meaning.

他们承认他们的恐惧。他们感谢芬恩拯救了他们的婚姻，给了他们一个去冒险的理由，给了他们人生意义。

Fenn received one e-mail from a law student thanking him "for reminding me of a part of who I am that has waned greatly during the last years of my legal studies."

芬恩收到了一封来自一个法学生的感谢邮件，他感谢芬恩让他想起了他的一部分，那一部分在他最后一年的法律学业中被大大地削弱了。

Responding with an impassioned plea that offered more clues to his real intentions than any of the secrets hidden in his poem, Fenn told the man, "Don't you dare work as a lawyer.

他回了一封慷慨激昂的邮件，邮件说明了关于他真正的意图的线索，这比他在诗中隐藏的任何秘密都要更多。芬恩告诉他，“你绝不能去当律师。

If you do, you will wear a coat and tie, sit at a desk all day. You will not have time to smell the sky or experience the soft breeze ripe with sun.

如果你这样做了，你会穿外套打领带，整天坐在办公桌前。你将没有时间去感受天空，也没有时间去感受和煦的微风。

Go looking for my chest full of gold and all of the other treasures that lurk once you leave the fluorescent lights behind."

去寻找我装满金子的箱子和其它宝藏吧，一旦你放下荧光灯，宝藏就会隐藏起来。”

Another hunter had this tantalizing insight: "Somewhere deep inside, I hope that I never find your treasure.

另外一个寻宝者表达了这个撩人的见解：“在我内心深处的某个地方，我希望我永远找不到你的宝藏。

The journey will be treasure enough." And so the hunt continues.

寻宝之旅就足够珍贵了。于是寻宝的行动扔在继续。