How should one invest a sum of money in these clays of inflation （通货膨胀）? Left in a bank it will hardly keep its value, however high the interest rate. Only a brave man, or a very rich one, dares to buy and sell on the Stock Market. Today it seems that one of the best ways to protect your savings, and even increase your wealth is to buy beautiful objects from the past. Here I am going to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks, which I personally consider are among the most interesting of antiques.
I sometimes wonder what a being from another planet might report back about our way of life. "The planet Earth is ruled by a mysterious creature that sits or stands in a room and makes a strange ticking sound． It has a face with twelve black marks and two hands. Men can do nothing without its permission, and it fastens its young round people's wrists so that everywhere men go they are still under its control. This creature is the real master of Earth and men are its slaves."
Whether or not we are slaves of time today depends on our culture and personality, but it is believed that many years ago kings kept special slaves to tell the time. Certain men were very clever at measuring the time of clay according to the beating of their own hearts. They were made to stand in a fixed place and every hour or so would shout tire time. So it seems that the first clocks were human beings.
However, men quickly found more convenient and reliable ways of telling the time. They learned to use the shadows cast by the sun. They marked the hours on candles, used sand in hour- glasses, and invented water-clocks. Indeed, any serious student of antique should spend as much time as possible visiting palaces, stately homes and museums to see some of the finest examples of clocks from the past.
Antique clocks could be very expensive, but one of the joys of collecting clocks is that it is still possible to find quite cheap ones for your own home. After all, if you are going to be ruled by time, why not invest in air antique clock and perhaps make a future profit?

How should one invest a sum of money in these clays of inflation （通货膨胀）?

在通货膨胀的泥潭中，巨额资金该怎样投资呢？

Left in a bank it will hardly keep its value, however high the interest rate.

滞留在银行中，即使利率很高，也难保持它的价值。

Only a brave man, or a very rich one, dares to buy and sell on the Stock Market.

仅仅是那些勇敢或有钱的人才敢进行证券交易。

Today it seems that one of the best ways to protect your savings, and even increase your wealth is to buy beautiful objects from the past.

现在，似乎能够保护存款不变甚至让财富不断升值的一个最好办法就是购买古董。

Here I am going to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks, which I personally consider are among the most interesting of antiques.

这里，我提供一些收集古钟的建议，我个人认为这也是古董中最有趣的。

I sometimes wonder what a being from another planet might report back about our way of life.

有时我幻想着，来自另一个星球的生物会怎样描述我们的生活方式呢。

"The planet Earth is ruled by a mysterious creature that sits or stands in a room and makes a strange ticking sound．

那个星球被神秘的生物统治着，他们坐在或站在房间里，发出奇怪的声音。

It has a face with twelve black marks and two hands.

它们的面部有十二颗黑色斑点和两只类似手形的标志。

Men can do nothing without its permission, and it fastens its young round people's wrists so that everywhere men go they are still under its control.

人类不能随意做事除非得到它的允许，它还让年轻人锁牢人类的腰，这样，无论人们去哪儿，都在它的掌控中。

This creature is the real master of Earth and men are its slaves."

这些生物才是世界的真正统治者，人类只是它们的奴隶。

Whether or not we are slaves of time today depends on our culture and personality, but it is believed that many years ago kings kept special slaves to tell the time.

我们是不是时间的奴隶取决于我们的文化修养和个性品质，但是，大家都相信，在很久以前，国王有一个专门报告时间的奴隶。

Certain men were very clever at measuring the time of clay according to the beating of their own hearts.

这些人很擅长于根据自己的心率测算时间。

They were made to stand in a fixed place and every hour or so would shout tire time.

他们站在固定的位置，大约每小时就叫喊感到疲劳以来报时。

So it seems that the first clocks were human beings.

由此看来，人类本身是世界上第一个闹钟。

However, men quickly found more convenient and reliable ways of telling the time.

然而，人类很快就发现了更方便更准确的报告时间的方法。

They learned to use the shadows cast by the sun.

他们学会了运用太阳光线投射出的阴影来获得时间的方法。

They marked the hours on candles, used sand in hour- glasses, and invented water-clocks.

他们在蜡烛上标记出钟点，把沙子放入用于记时的沙漏中，还发明了水钟。

Indeed, any serious student of antique should spend as much time as possible visiting palaces, stately homes and museums to see some of the finest examples of clocks from the past.

的确，任何认真钻研古董的研究者，应该尽可能更多的游览名胜，参观豪宅和博物馆来欣赏旧时最好的钟表样本。

Antique clocks could be very expensive, but one of the joys of collecting clocks is that it is still possible to find quite cheap ones for your own home.

古钟的价格非比寻常，但是收集古钟的乐趣之一就是为家居寻找一款便宜的古钟。

After all, if you are going to be ruled by time, why not invest in air antique clock and perhaps make a future profit?

总之，如果我们都受制于时间，为什么不投资于古钟呢，或许将来还会有不错的收益呢？


单词：hour-glasses：沙漏（用于记时）