fisherman. I just caught a boat-load of fish, and I want to exchange all these fish for a new suit. Without an “exchange medium”, his is very difficult to do. But with an exchange medium, it's easy.
我是打魚的，剛捕了一船魚。我想用這船魚換一套新衣服。在沒有“交易媒介”的情況下，這筆交易很難做成；有了交易媒介，這筆交易就很容易做。
What will I accept as a medium to help me exchange my fish for a new suit? I'll accept anything for my fish--I don't care what it is--so long as I am sure the suit-seller will accept it in exchange for a suit. If there is any doubt about whether or not the suit-seller will accept it for a suit, then I will not accept it for my fish. If I think he might not accept it, then I will not accept it.
我原意接受的物品作為交換媒介，它能幫我用這船魚換回一套衣服。我愿意用這船魚換任何物品—我不介意它是何物—只要我能肯定賣衣服的人原意接受它，我能用它換到一套衣服；如果對(duì)這一點(diǎn)有懷疑，我就不會(huì)用這船魚與之相交換；如果我認(rèn)為賣衣服的人不會(huì)接受這件物品，那我也不會(huì)接受它。
Now, let's be more realistic. A fisherman really doesn't want to exchange his boat-load of fish just for a suit. He wants groceries, electricity, water, housing and a few glasses of beer. So whatever he accepts in exchange for his fish can not be something acceptable only to the suit-seller. It must be something that is acceptable to all those other people, too. Why do all those other people accept it? Only because they are confident that everyone they do business with will accept it. See how it all ties together? When everyone is confident that everyone else will accept something as money, then that something becomes generally acceptable. Then, and only then, it is money.
現(xiàn)在，讓我們回到現(xiàn)實(shí)社會(huì)中來。有位漁夫并不是想用這船魚只換一套衣服，他想換回食品雜貨、交水、電費(fèi)、交房租，還要換幾杯啤酒。因此，無論他用這船魚換到什么物品，這件物品都不能僅僅是這位賣衣服的人愿意接受，還必須是所有其他人都愿意接受的物品。他們?yōu)楹卧敢饨邮芩?？就是因?yàn)樗麄兿嘈胚@些做生意的人都愿意接受它。注意它是如何成為一般等價(jià)物的？當(dāng)大家認(rèn)識(shí)到人人都愿意接受某種物品為貨幣時(shí)，這時(shí)它就會(huì)被普遍接受。這時(shí)，只有這時(shí)，它就成為貨幣。
我是打魚的，剛捕了一船魚。我想用這船魚換一套新衣服。在沒有“交易媒介”的情況下，這筆交易很難做成；有了交易媒介，這筆交易就很容易做。
What will I accept as a medium to help me exchange my fish for a new suit? I'll accept anything for my fish--I don't care what it is--so long as I am sure the suit-seller will accept it in exchange for a suit. If there is any doubt about whether or not the suit-seller will accept it for a suit, then I will not accept it for my fish. If I think he might not accept it, then I will not accept it.
我原意接受的物品作為交換媒介，它能幫我用這船魚換回一套衣服。我愿意用這船魚換任何物品—我不介意它是何物—只要我能肯定賣衣服的人原意接受它，我能用它換到一套衣服；如果對(duì)這一點(diǎn)有懷疑，我就不會(huì)用這船魚與之相交換；如果我認(rèn)為賣衣服的人不會(huì)接受這件物品，那我也不會(huì)接受它。
Now, let's be more realistic. A fisherman really doesn't want to exchange his boat-load of fish just for a suit. He wants groceries, electricity, water, housing and a few glasses of beer. So whatever he accepts in exchange for his fish can not be something acceptable only to the suit-seller. It must be something that is acceptable to all those other people, too. Why do all those other people accept it? Only because they are confident that everyone they do business with will accept it. See how it all ties together? When everyone is confident that everyone else will accept something as money, then that something becomes generally acceptable. Then, and only then, it is money.
現(xiàn)在，讓我們回到現(xiàn)實(shí)社會(huì)中來。有位漁夫并不是想用這船魚只換一套衣服，他想換回食品雜貨、交水、電費(fèi)、交房租，還要換幾杯啤酒。因此，無論他用這船魚換到什么物品，這件物品都不能僅僅是這位賣衣服的人愿意接受，還必須是所有其他人都愿意接受的物品。他們?yōu)楹卧敢饨邮芩?？就是因?yàn)樗麄兿嘈胚@些做生意的人都愿意接受它。注意它是如何成為一般等價(jià)物的？當(dāng)大家認(rèn)識(shí)到人人都愿意接受某種物品為貨幣時(shí)，這時(shí)它就會(huì)被普遍接受。這時(shí)，只有這時(shí)，它就成為貨幣。