有个建议，想请牧师等朋友看看，是否有兴趣。
贝克莱(George Berkeley)的著名经济学著作《问难》（The Querist，1735年），是亚当.斯密最喜欢读的书之一，可惜迄今没有中译本。《问难》是由600余条疑问段句组成，全书不到100页，不超过3万字。我打算每天贴10条，大家可以都来翻译一下，练习一下外语，用不了多久，这本书也就翻译出来了。
我想，也许真的会和我一起练习翻译的人很少，我自己也不知道是否能坚持，试试看吧。
全文可以在http://socserv2.socsci.mcmaster.ca/~econ/ugcm/3ll3/berkeley/querist找到

问难
The Querist

The Querist containing several Queries proposed to the
consideration of the Public

“问难”是一些对公共事务思考引发的疑问。

I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low
tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to
flourish. -- Ezek. xvii, 24.

田野的树木都必知道我耶和华使高树矮小，矮树高大。青树枯乾，枯树发旺。
《以西结书,17:24》


问难

1 Whether there ever was, is, or will be, an industrious
nation poor, or an idle rich?

1勤勉的国家贫穷，慵懒的国家富裕，这种事情是否真的发生过，或者是否可能发生？

2 Whether a people can be called poor, where the common sort are
well fed, clothed, and lodged?

2如果一个人吃饱了，穿暖了，有地方住，还能被称为穷人吗？

3 Whether the drift and aim of every wise State should not be, to
encourage industry in its members? And whether those who employ
neither heads nor hands for the common benefit deserve not to be
expelled like drones out of a well-governed State?

3是否任何一个明智国家的目标和宗旨都不应该是鼓励它的民众勤劳？对于一个良好治理的国家，那些既不动脑也不动手无益于公共利益的人，是否应该象蜜蜂团体中的那样被驱逐？

4 Whether the four elements, and man's labour therein, be not the
true source of wealth?

4四大要素，包括人类劳动，是否是财富的真正来源？

5 Whether money be not only so far useful, as it stirreth up
industry, enabling men mutually to participate the fruits of each
other's labour?

5金钱仅仅是很有用吗？它培育了勤劳的品质，使得人们可以互利地分享他人的劳动成果。

6 Whether any other means, equally conducing to excite and
circulate the industry of mankind, may not be as useful as money.

6其他一切手段，一样可以激励和保证人类勤奋劳作的手段，是否都不如金钱来得有效？

7 Whether the real end and aim of men be not power? And whether
he who could have everything else at his wish or will would value
money?

7一个人的真正目的和目标是否就是权力？一个人是否能为他的一切希望或愿望用金钱估价？

8 Whether the public aim in every well-governed State be not that
each member, according to his just pretensions and industry,
should have power?

8任何一个治理良好的国家，它的公共目标都不应是使得每个人根据他正当的要求和勤劳程度来获取权力，是这样吗？

9 Whether power be not referred to action; and whether action
doth not follow appetite or will?

9权力与行为有关吗？行为是遵循欲望或者意志的吗？

10 Whether fashion doth not create appetites; and whether the
prevailing will of a nation is not the fashion?

10时尚是否创造欲望？一个国家普遍的意志是否就是时尚？

支持一下，加个精华！我愿意掺和，希望大家一起来凑热闹！

11 Whether the current of industry and commerce be not determined by this prevailing will?
11 工商业的发展是否由这样的普遍意志决定？

12 Whether it be not owing to custom that the fashions are agreeable?
12 能被接受的时尚是否不是由风俗决定的？

13 Whether it may not concern the wisdom of the legislature to interpose in the making of fashions; and not leave an affair of so great influence to the management of women and fops, tailors and vintners?
13 时尚的形成是否与立法机关的干预无关？（惭愧，后半句没大看明白。）

14 Whether reasonable fashions are a greater restraint on freedom than those which are unreasonable?
14 合理的方式是否比不合理的更加限制自由？

15 Whether a general good taste in a people would not greatly conduce to their thriving? And whether an uneducated gentry be not the greatest of national evils?
15 吃普通的食物是否对人们的成长不是很有帮助？无知的贵族是否不是民族最大的不幸？

fashion在这书里面到底是不是“时尚”的意思？

感觉牧师的翻译有些问题，呵呵，等会贴出我的翻译，反正大家都是练习，互相对比，提高外语水平。

好好！盼望这能成为北望译丛的第一本！蒸民还可以当考研英语练习题来做。呵呵。

而且，希望这份热闹能传下去，并建议第二本是Ferguson  1767年的市民社会史，An Essay on the History of Civil Society，它是霍布斯写利维坦最重要的依据。缺点是篇幅较长。每人次至少得译一整页。我的WORD文本有172页。上次在地坛书市上看到影印本。在网上有免费链接，谁有空找找贴上网址？

地址是这个吧？

  http://www.constitution.org/af/civil.htm

11 Whether the current of industry and commerce be not determined
by this prevailing will?

11当下的工业与贸易是否必然由普遍的意志决定？

12 Whether it be not owing to custom that the fashions are
agreeable?

12一致的风尚是否只是由习惯导致？

13 Whether it may not concern the wisdom of the legislature to
interpose in the making of fashions; and not leave an affair of
so great influence to the management of women and fops, tailors
and vintners?

13能否影响时尚而与立法机构的明智行为无涉，使得无论对贵妇还是花花公子，无论裁缝还是葡萄酒商人的管理都不产生很大影响？

14 Whether reasonable fashions are a greater restraint on freedom
than those which are unreasonable?

14是否理性的风尚与那些非理性的比起来，更多地限制了自由？

15 Whether a general good taste in a people would not greatly
conduce to their thriving? And whether an uneducated gentry be
not the greatest of national evils?

15是否个人的普遍的善良偏好，并不一定能使得国家繁荣起来？那些没有受过良好教育的贵族真的是国家最大的不幸吗？

也许fashion应该翻成风气？下面是16－20

16 Whether customs and fashions do not supply the place of reason
in the vulgar of all ranks? Whether, therefore, it doth not very
much import that they should be wisely framed?

17 Whether the imitating those neighbours in our fashions, to
whom we bear no likeness in our circumstances, be not one cause
of distress to this nation?

18 Whether frugal fashions in the upper rank, and comfortable
living in the lower, be not the means to multiply inhabitants?

19 Whether the bulk of our Irish natives are not kept from
thriving, by that cynical content in dirt and beggary which they
possess to a degree beyond any other people in Christendom?

20 Whether the creating of wants be not the likeliest way to
produce industry in a people? And whether, if our peasants were
accustomed to eat beef and wear shoes, they would not be more
industrious?

我感觉，此处，fashion还是翻译成“风尚”最恰当。