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1、Aristotle,theGreekphilosopher,summedupthefourchiefqualitiesofmoneysome2,000yearsago.Itmustbelastingandeasytorecognize,todivide,andtocarryabout.Inotherwordsitmustbe,"durable,distinct,divisibleandportable".Whenwethinkofmoneytoday,wepictureiteitherasround,flatpiecesofmetalwhichwecallcoins,orasp
2、rintedpapernotes.Buttherearestillpartsoftheworldtodaywherecoinsandnotesareofnouse.Theywillbuynothing,andatravelermightstarveifhehadnoneoftheparticularlocal"money"toexchangeforfood.Amongisolatedpeoples,whoarenotoftenreachedbytradersfromoutside,commerceusuallymeansbarter.Thereisadirectexchange
3、ofgoods.Forthiskindofsimpletrading,moneyisnotneeded,butthereisoftensomethingthateveryonewantsandeverybodycanuse,suchassalttoflavorfood,shellsforornaments,orironandcoppertomakeintotoolsandvessels.Thesethings-salt,shellsormetals-arestillusedasmoneyinout-of-the-waypartsoftheworldtoday.Saltmayse
4、emratherastrangesubstancetouseasmoney,butincountrieswherethefoodofthepeopleismainlyvegetable,itisoftenanabsolutenecessity.Cakesofsalt,stampedtoshowtheirvalue,wereusedasmoneyinTibetuntilrecenttimes,andcakesofsaltwillstillbuygoodsinBorneoandpartsofAfrica.Metal,valuedbyweight,precededcoinsinman
5、ypartsoftheworld.Iron,inlumps,barsorrings,isstillusedinmanycountriesinsteadofmoney.Itcaneitherbeexchangedforgoods,ormadeintotools,weaponsorornaments.TheearlymoneyofChina,apartfromshell,wasofbronze,ofteninflat,roundpieceswithaholeinthemiddle,called"cash".Theearliestofthesearebetweenthreethous
6、andandfourthousandyearsold-olderthantheearliestcoinsoftheeasternMediterranean.Nowadays,coinsandnoteshavesupplantednearlyallthemorepicturesqueformsofmoney,andalthoughinoneortwoofthemoreremotecountriespeoplestillhoarditforfutureuseonceremonialoccasionssuchasweddingsandfunerals,examplesofprimit
7、ivemoneywillsoonbefoundonlyinmuseums.Text3译文希腊哲学家亚里世多德在2000年前总结了货币的四个主要特点。它必须耐久、容易辨认、可以用整数除尽、容易携带。换句话说就是，耐用的、有明显区别的、能够用整数除尽的、便于携带的。我们想到货币时，我们想象它是圆的、平的金属片，我们称它为硬币，或者是印刷的纸币。但是今天世界上仍有一些地方硬币和纸币都没用。它们不能买任何东西。一个旅行者如果没有特殊的当地“钱”换取食物，他可能会饿死。在不和外界商人接触的隔绝国家，贸
