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《9. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations -10》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。
1、AnInquiryintotheNatureandCausesoftheWealthofNationsAdamSmithIntroductionandPlanoftheWorkTHEannuallabourofeverynationisthefundwhichoriginallysuppliesitwithallthenecessariesandconveniencesoflifewhichitannuallyconsumes,andwhichconsistalwayseitherintheimmediateprod
2、uceofthatlabour,orinwhatispurchasedwiththatproducefromothernations.Accordingthereforeasthisproduce,orwhatispurchasedwithit,bearsagreaterorsmallerproportiontothenumberofthosewhoaretoconsumeit,thenationwillbebetterorworsesuppliedwithallthenecessariesandconvenienc
3、esforwhichithasoccasion.Butthisproportionmustineverynationberegulatedbytwodifferentcircumstances;first,bytheskill,dexterity,andjudgmentwithwhichitslabourisgenerallyapplied;and,secondly,bytheproportionbetweenthenumberofthosewhoareemployedinusefullabour,andthatof
4、thosewhoarenotsoemployed.Whateverbethesoil,climate,orextentofterritoryofanyparticularnation,theabundanceorscantinessofitsannualsupplymust,inthatparticularsituation,dependuponthosetwocircumstances.Theabundanceorscantinessofthissupply,too,seemstodependmoreuponthe
5、formerofthosetwocircumstancesthanuponthelatter.Amongthesavagenationsofhuntersandfishers,everyindividualwhoisabletowork,ismoreorlessemployedinusefullabour,andendeavourstoprovide,aswellashecan,thenecessariesandconveniencesoflife,forhimself,orsuchofhisfamilyortrib
6、easareeithertooold,ortooyoung,ortooinfirmtogoahuntingandfishing.Suchnations,however,aresomiserablypoorthat,frommerewant,theyarefrequentlyreduced,or,atleast,thinkthemselvesreduced,tothenecessitysometimesofdirectlydestroying,andsometimesofabandoningtheirinfants,t
7、heiroldpeople,andthoseafflictedwithlingeringdiseases,toperishwithhunger,ortobedevouredbywildbeasts.Amongcivilisedandthrivingnations,onthecontrary,thoughagreatnumberofpeopledonotlabouratall,manyofwhomconsumetheproduceoftentimes,frequentlyofahundredtimesmorelabou
8、rthanthegreaterpartofthosewhowork;yettheproduceofthewholelabourofthesocietyissogreatthatallareoftenabundantlysupplied,andaworkman,evenofthelowestandpoorestorder,ifheisfrugal
