wealbk01-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



obtain　from　one　another　the　greater　part　of　those　mutual　good

offices　which　we　stand　in　need　of；　so　it　is　this　same　trucking

disposition　which　originally　gives　occasion　to　the　division　of

labour。　In　a　tribe　of　hunters　or　shepherds　a　particular　person

makes　bows　and　arrows；　for　example；　with　more　readiness　and

dexterity　than　any　other。　He　frequently　exchanges　them　for　cattle

or　for　venison　with　his　companions；　and　he　finds　at　last　that　he

can　in　this　manner　get　more　cattle　and　venison　than　if　he　himself

went　to　the　field　to　catch　them。　From　a　regard　to　his　own

interest；　therefore；　the　making　of　bows　and　arrows　grows　to　be

his　chief　business；　and　he　becomes　a　sort　of　armourer。　Another

excels　in　making　the　frames　and　covers　of　their　little　huts　or

movable　houses。　He　is　accustomed　to　be　of　use　in　this　way　to　his

neighbours；　who　reward　him　in　the　same　manner　with　cattle　and

with　venison；　till　at　last　he　finds　it　his　interest　to　dedicate

himself　entirely　to　this　employment；　and　to　become　a　sort　of

house…carpenter。　In　the　same　manner　a　third　becomes　a　smith　or　a

brazier；　a　fourth　a　tanner　or　dresser　of　hides　or　skins；　the

principal　part　of　the　nothing　of　savages。　And　thus　the　certainty

of　being　able　to　exchange　all　that　surplus　part　of　the　produce　of

his　own　labour；　which　is　over　and　above　his　own　consumption；　for

such　parts　of　the　produce　of　other　men's　labour　as　he　may　have

occasion　for；　encourages　every　man　to　apply　himself　to　a

particular　occupation；　and　to　cultivate　and　bring　to　perfection

whatever　talent　or　genius　he　may　possess　for　that　particular

species　of　business。

　　　　　The　difference　of　natural　talents　in　different　men　is；　in

reality；　much　less　than　we　are　aware　of；　and　the　very　different

genius　which　appears　to　distinguish　men　of　different　professions；

when　grown　up　to　maturity；　is　not　upon　many　occasions　so　much　the

cause　as　the　effect　of　the　division　of　labour。　The　difference

between　the　most　dissimilar　characters；　between　a　philosopher　and

a　common　street　porter；　for　example；　seems　to　arise　not　so　much

from　nature　as　from　habit；　custom；　and　education。　When　they　came

into　the　world；　and　for　the　first　six　or　eight　years　of　their

existence；　they　were　perhaps　very　much　alike；　and　neither　their

parents　nor　playfellows　could　perceive　any　remarkable　difference。

About　that　age；　or　soon　after；　they　come　to　be　employed　in　very

different　occupations。　The　difference　of　talents　comes　then　to　be

taken　notice　of；　and　widens　by　degrees；　till　at　last　the　vanity

of　the　philosopher　is　willing　to　acknowledge　scarce　any

resemblance。　But　without　the　disposition　to　truck；　barter；　and

exchange；　every　man　must　have　procured　to　himself　every　necessary

and　conveniency　of　life　which　he　wanted。　All　must　have　had　the

same　duties　to　perform；　and　the　same　work　to　do；　and　there　could

have　been　no　such　difference　of　employment　as　could　alone　give

occasion　to　any　great　difference　of　talents。

　　　　　As　it　is　this　disposition　which　forms　that　difference　of

talents；　so　remarkable　among　men　of　different　professions；　so　it

is　this　same　disposition　which　renders　that　difference　useful。

Many　tribes　of　animals　acknowledged　to　be　all　of　the　same　species

derive　from　nature　a　much　more　remarkable　distinction　of　genius；

than　what；　antecedent　to　custom　and　education；　appears　to　take

place　among　men。　By　nature　a　philosopher　is　not　in　genius　and

disposition　half　so　different　from　a　street　porter；　as　a　mastiff

is　from　a　greyhound；　or　a　greyhound　from　a　spaniel；　or　this　last

from　a　shepherd's　dog。　Those　different　tribes　of　animals；

however；　though　all　of　the　same　species；　are　of　scarce　any　use　to

one　another。　The　strength　of　the　mastiff　is　not；　in　the　least；

supported　either　by　the　swiftness　of　the　greyhound；　or　by　the

sagacity　of　the　spaniel；　or　by　the　docility　of　the　shepherd's

dog。　The　effects　of　those　different　geniuses　and　talents；　for

want　of　the　power　or　disposition　to　barter　and　exchange；　cannot

be　brought　into　a　common　stock；　and　do　not　in　the　least

contribute　to　the　better　accommodation　ind　conveniency　of　the

species。　Each　animal　is　still　obliged　to　support　and　defend

itself；　separately　and　independently；　and　derives　no　sort　of

advantage　from　that　variety　of　talents　with　which　nature　has

distinguished　its　fellows。　Among　men；　on　the　contrary；　the　most

dissimilar　geniuses　are　of　use　to　one　another；　the　different

produces　of　their　respective　talents；　by　the　general　disposition

to　truck；　barter；　and　exchange；　being　brought；　as　it　were；　into　a

common　stock；　where　every　man　may　purchase　whatever　part　of　the

produce　of　other　men's　talents　he　has　occasion　for。　　





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　III



　　　That　the　Division　of　Labour　is　limited　by　the　Extent　of　the

Market　



　　　　　AS　it　is　the　power　of　exchanging　that　gives　occasion　to　the

division　of　labour；　so　the　extent　of　this　division　must　always　be

limited　by　the　extent　of　that　power；　or；　in　other　words；　by　the

extent　of　the　market。　When　the　market　is　very　small；　no　person

can　have　any　encouragement　to　dedicate　himself　entirely　to　one

employment；　for　want　of　the　power　to　exchange　all　that　surplus

part　of　the　produce　of　his　own　labour；　which　is　over　and　above

his　own　consumption；　for　such　parts　of　the　produce　of　other　men's

labour　as　he　has　occasion　for。

　　　　　There　are　some　sorts　of　industry；　even　of　the　lowest　kind；

which　can　be　carried　on　nowhere　but　in　a　great　town。　A　porter；

for　example；　can　find　employment　and　subsistence　in　no　other

place。　A　village　is　by　much　too　narrow　a　sphere　for　him；　even　an

ordinary　market　town　is　scarce　large　enough　to　afford　him

constant　occupation。　In　the　lone　houses　and　very　small　villages

which　are　scattered　about　in　so　desert　a　country　as　the　Highlands

of　Scotland；　every　farmer　must　be　butcher；　baker　and　brewer　for

his　own　family。　In　such　situations　we　can　scarce　expect　to　find

even　a　smith；　a　carpenter；　or　a　mason；　within　less　than　twenty

miles　of　another　of　the　same　trade。　The　scattered　families　that

live　at　eight　or　ten　miles　distance　from　the　nearest　of　them　must

learn　to　perform　themselves　a　great　number　of　little　pieces　of

work；　for　which；　in　more　populous　countries；　they　would　call　in

the　assistance　of　those　workmen。　Country　workmen　are　almost

everywhere　obliged　to　apply　themselves　to　all　the　different

branches　of　industry　that　have　so　much　affinity　to　one　another　as

to　be　employed　about　the　same　sort　of　materials。　A　country

carpenter　deals　in　every　sort　of　work　that　is　made　of　wood：　a

country　smith　in　every　sort　of　work　that　is　made　of　iron。　The

former　is　not　only　a　carpenter；　but　a　joiner；　a　cabinet…maker；

and　even　a　carver　in　wood；　as　well　as　a　wheel…wright；　a

plough…wright；　a　cart　and　waggon　maker。　The　employments　of　the

latter　are　still　more　various。　It　is　impossible　there　should　be

such　a　trade　as　even　that　of　a　nailer　in　the　remote　and　inland

parts　of　the　Highlands　of　Scotland。　Such　a　workman　at　the　rate　of

a　thousand　nails　a　day；　and　three　hundred　working　days　in　the

year；　will　make　three　hundred　thousand　nails　in　the　year。　But　in

such　a　situation　it　would　be　impossible　to　dispose　of　one

thousand；　that　is；　of　one　day's　work　in　the　year。

　　　　　As　by　means　of　water…carriage　a　more　extensive　market　is

opened　to　every　sort　of　industry　than　what　land…carriage　alone

can　afford　it；　so　it　is　upon　the　sea…coast；　and　along　the　banks

of　navigable　rivers；　that　industry　of　every　kind　naturally　begins

to　subdivide　and　improve　itself；　and　it　is　frequently　not　till　a

long　time　after　that　those　improvements　extend　themselves　to　the

inland　parts　of　the　country。　A　broad…wheeled　waggon；　attended　by

two　men；　and　drawn　by　eight　horses；　in　about　six　weeks'　time

carries　and　brings　back　between　London　and　Edinburgh　near　four

ton　weight　of　goods。　In　about　the　same　time　a　ship　navigated　by

six　or　eight　men；　and　sailing　between　the　ports　of　London　and

Leith；　frequently　carries　and　brings　back　two　hundred　ton　weight