Learned--lift The lexicographer The lexicographer knew that the English lexis was changing.

字典编纂者 字典编纂者知道英语 词汇在不断变化，

But no one seemed to care. He tried to persuade lawmakers to write some new legislation.

但是好像没有人在乎。 他试图劝说立法者制定 一些新的法律，

But what were they supposed to do? License an agency to oversee the words a person chooses to use?

但他们该做些什么呢? 批准一个机构监督 人们的选词造句?

Levy a tax on those who had an active vocabulary that was too small? That wasn't a legitimate solution, they said.

对那些积极词 汇量太小的人征税? 这可不是合理的 解决办法，他们说。

That kind of forced control was against the nature of liberation. They told him to leave before he became a liability.

那种强行管制是不符合 解放的本质的。 他们叫他离开， 省得成为累赘。

So the lexicographer questioned a legion of other learned men about what he should do.

于是字典编纂者又向 众多有学识的人询问 到底该怎么办。

They were no more lenient and leveled with him that he should lessen his anxiety about the natural evolution of a language.

他们和别人一样不宽厚 还坦率地告诉他对于 语言的自然演变 要减少操心，

Before it became a lethal obsession. That was when the lexicographer leased a large van.

不然会走火入魔 要人命的。 这时，字典编纂者 租了一辆大货车，

And decided to take his plea to the people. As the legend grew of a crazy man driving across the country.

决定向人民请愿。 传说四起，说是有个 疯子驾车周游全国，

Using words that no one understood, the lexicographer finally realized.

总是使用一些 无人能懂的词语。 这时，字典编纂者 终于意识到

That there was no interest in the legacy he had hoped to leave. He was liable to waste his whole lifespan talking about this issue.

没人对他希望留 下的遗产感兴趣。 他很可能要把毕生精力 浪费在谈论这个问题上

And still not lift any interest in saving what was, to him, a dying language. That was when he had a liaison with destiny.

但仍无法激起人们的 兴趣挽救一门在他看来 濒临死亡的语言。 就在这时，他与命运 有了某种联系，

And drove into a remote valley that had no visitors, no electricity and no known residents.

他驱车来到一个偏远 的山谷，那里人迹罕至 没有电，也没有 他认识的居民。

There were people there, however, and they spoke the English that the lexicographer loved.

但那里还是有人居住， 他们说的英语正是 字典编纂者喜欢的。

He retired from public life, gave up his calling and remained there until the day he died!

他从此不再抛头露面， 并放弃了他的职业， 至死都生活在山谷里。