It is odd to watch with what feverish ardor the Americans pursue prosperity and how they are ever tormented by the shadowy suspicion that they may not have chosen the shortest route to get it.

Americans cleave to the things of this world as if assured that they will never die, and yet are in such a rush to snatch any that come within their reach, as if expecting to stop living before they have relished them. They clutch everything but hold nothing fast, and so lose grip as they hurry after some new delight.

An American will build a house in which to pass his old age and sell it before the roof is on; he will plant a garden and rent it just as the trees are coming into bearing; he will clear a field and leave others to reap the harvest; he will take up a profession and leave it, settle in one place and soon go off elsewhere with his changing desires. If his private business allows him a moment’s relaxation, he will plunge at once into the whirlpool of politics. Then, if at the end of a year crammed with work he has a little spare leisure, his restless curiosity goes with him traveling up and down the vast territories of the United States. Thus he will travel five hundred miles in a few days as a distraction from his happiness.

Death steps is in the end and stops him before he has grown tired of this futile pursuit of that complete felicity which always escapes him.

參考譯文：

1 美國人以瘋狂的熱情追求繁榮，卻又常常拿不準(zhǔn)自己是否真正選中了求富貴的最佳捷徑，因此深受其苦。見到美國人如此生活，旁觀者真是百思不解。

美國人緊緊抓住塵世中的東西不放，好像深信他們永遠(yuǎn)也不會死似的?？梢坏├娼阱氤?，美國人卻又追求得如此迫不及待，好像人生短促，豈能不及時行樂。他們什么都抓在手里，卻又什么都抓不緊，因此為求新歡樂，常常便在匆忙中丟了舊愛好。

一個美國人會為安度晚年去興建一幢房子，卻又會在房頂還沒架上屋梁時就把它賣掉;他會在花園里植樹栽花，卻又會在花園快要碩果累累時把它租給別人;他會在農(nóng)田中播種耕耘，卻又會把收獲讓給他人;他會熱衷于一門專業(yè)，卻又會馬上將其放棄;他會在某處安家落戶，卻又會情移念轉(zhuǎn)，另尋安身之地。如果管理自家店鋪后仍有片刻閑暇，美國人會一頭栽進(jìn)政治紛爭的旋渦之中。時值歲尾年首，終年忙碌的美國人竟會見縫插針，不忘休閑。于是他那永不休止的好奇之心，會與他一起同游美國遼闊的大地，幾日內(nèi)縱橫數(shù)百里河山，聊以消遣，暫將快樂置于一旁。

終于，死亡來臨了。死亡阻止了他，在他求歡樂興致仍濃之際。他沒有達(dá)到目的，極致的快樂總是與他擦肩而過。

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