Daniel Suelo: The Man Who Quit Money

Welcome back to Learn English with Podcasts! Sarah, quick question. Could you go a whole day without spending a single cent?欢迎回到 Learn English with Podcasts！Sarah，快问快答。你能一整天不花一分钱吗？

Okay, then imagine this. Not a week. Not a month. How about 16 years with no money at all?好，那想象一下。不是一星期，也不是一个月。整整16年，一分钱都没有，怎么样？

It is real. His name is Daniel Suelo. He is an American, a former cook from a small town called Moab, in the state of Utah.是真的。他叫丹尼尔·苏埃洛，美国人，以前是厨师，来自犹他州一个叫莫阿布的小镇。

In 2000, he made a big decision. He took his last $30, left it in a phone booth, and walked away for good.2000年，他做了一个重大决定。他拿着最后的30美元，放进一个公用电话亭，然后永远地离开了。

Here is the important part. He was not broke. He chose this. He did not lose his money. He gave it up on purpose.重点来了。他不是破产了。这是他自己的选择。他没有失去钱，他是故意放弃的。

Exactly. And where do you think he lives? Not in an apartment. He lives in caves in the desert canyons near Moab, close to a huge national park.没错。你猜他住哪？不是公寓。他住在莫阿布附近沙漠峡谷的洞穴里，紧挨着一个巨大的国家公园。

Yes, real caves in the sandstone. He has used about a dozen of them over the years. He sleeps in a sleeping bag and keeps his things simple.对，砂岩里真实的洞穴。这些年他用过大约十几个。他睡在睡袋里，东西很少。

Three ways. He picks wild food, like wild onions and berries. He takes food that shops throw away. And he accepts gifts from friends and even strangers.三种办法。他采野生的食物，比如野洋葱和浆果；他捡商店扔掉的食物；他还接受朋友甚至陌生人的赠予。

It is true. Roadkill means animals hit by cars on the road. He says he will not let good meat go to waste.是真的。Roadkill 就是指被车在路上撞死的动物。他说他不会让好好的肉白白浪费掉。

He has no job, no bank account, and no car. He does not take government help, and he does not pay taxes.他没有工作，没有银行账户，也没有车。他不接受政府补助，也不交税。

That is a fair question, and some people say exactly that. They call him a freeloader. But others say he gives back.这个问题问得好，确实有人这么说。他们叫他"白吃白喝的人"。但也有人说他是有回报的。

He volunteers, he helps friends, and he shares whatever he finds. He is not a hermit. He is part of his community and even writes a blog.他做志愿者，帮朋友，找到什么就分享什么。他不是隐士。他是社区的一份子，甚至还写博客。

Good catch. He uses a computer at a friend's place or at a library. You can live without money and still be part of the modern world.观察得很细。他用朋友的电脑或者图书馆的电脑。你可以不用钱生活，同时仍然和现代世界保持连接。

There is. Before this, he felt trapped and unhappy. He was even depressed for a while. He said he was sick of the endless race for money.有的。在这之前，他感到被困住、不快乐，甚至一度抑郁。他说他厌倦了为钱无休止地奔波。

Right. And here is the idea that changed everything for him. He says money only exists because we all agree that it does.对。还有一个彻底改变了他的想法。他说，金钱之所以存在，只是因为我们都同意它存在。

Exactly. We believe in it so strongly that we spend most of our lives chasing it.正是。我们如此坚定地相信它，以至于把一生大部分时间都用来追逐它。

Not at all. Daniel himself says he is not asking anyone to copy him. Money is a tool. A hammer is not good or bad. The problem is when the tool runs your whole life.完全不是。丹尼尔自己说，他没有让任何人照做。金钱是个工具。锤子本身没有好坏。问题在于当这个工具支配了你的整个人生。

Well said. But there is one more part that really surprised me.说得好。不过还有一点真的让我很意外。

Our whole society is built so that you have to have money. In his words, it is almost illegal to live outside the system. You need money for a home, for official papers, for almost everything.我们整个社会就是建立在"你必须有钱"之上的。用他的话说，想活在系统之外几乎是不合法的。你需要钱才能有住所、有各种证件，几乎办任何正式的事都需要钱。

That is it. Maybe the most surprising thing about Daniel is not Daniel at all. It is us, and how much power we gave to a piece of paper.就是这样。也许关于丹尼尔最令人意外的，根本不是丹尼尔，而是我们自己——我们给了那张纸多大的权力。