新世纪大学英语综合教程4Unit7.doc

Here is a story of two people whose rebellion against the trend of the modern world went all the way. As Linda Weltner reports, Sara and Michael decided that the world was too much with them, and that they could live much happier lives without the myths of consumerism and the thrownaway mentality. One wonders just how many of us could make such a drastic change in our lifestyle. Stripping Down to Bare Happiness Linda Weltner What were talking about is simplification, not deprivation, explains Sara, a friend of mine. It isnt that you cant do all the things you like, but you change. You dont like them anymore. Some of the old habits seem so wasteful and unsatisfying that you really lose your taste for them. So you still have everything you want – only on less money. When I first met them, Sara and Michael were a two-career couple with a home of their own, and a large boat bought with a large loan. They began to take an interest in the concept of voluntary simplicity with the birth of their daughter whom they wanted to raise all by themselves. Neither one of them, it turned out, was willing to restrict what they considered their real life into the brief time before work and the tired hours afterward. A lot of people think that as they have children and things get more expensive, the only answer is to work harder in order to earn more money. Its not the only answer, insists Michael. The couples decision was to trade two full-time careers for two half-time careers, and to curtail consumption. They decided to spend their money only on things that contributed to their major goal, the construction of a world where family and friendship, work and play, were all of a piece, a world, moreover, which did not make wasteful use of the earths resources. Today, they live in the same suburban community in a handsome, energy-efficient home they designed themselves. Small by most standards, it is easy to clean, furnish, maintain and heat. The first floor, one large