第1433号 《预言之灵》卷四的版税..
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第1433号 《预言之灵》卷四的版税..
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MR No. 1433 - Inadequate Royalties on Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. IV
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（1885年3月7日写给J.H.瓦格纳和C.H.琼斯，写自加利福尼亚州，希尔兹堡。）
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我读了一遍你们的信，稍后会更加仔细地阅读，但是关于出版和销售我书籍的安排，我没有在信中看到减轻我心头重担的内容。{20MR 48.1}[1]
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(Written to J. H. Waggoner and C. H. Jones, March 7, 1885, from Healdsburg, California.)
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I have read your letters once, and will read them more carefully later, but I find nothing in them to lift the weight from my mind in regard to arrangements for the publication and sale of my books. {20MR 48.1}[1]
§7
我接受你们就汇票所做的解释。我心中一点没有蓄意就此事反对你们。然而，关于钱财，我越来越感到确信的是，我要是能避免，就决不应该再让我自己受弟兄们支配了。{20MR 48.2}[2]
§8
I accept the explanations you make in regard to the draft. I have not laid up anything in my mind against you over this matter. However, I feel more and more convinced that I should never again allow myself to be left at the mercy of my brethren as regards means, if I can avoid it. {20MR 48.2}[2]
§9
根据上帝已经赐给我的亮光，我越来越确信，你们投那么多资金在楼房上是不明智的举动。你们现在的债务负担既然像铅块一样沉重，我就要建议你们在这方面更加紧密地“靠岸航行。”当你们有资金用来建造时，那就会是你们要增加设施的时候。要使你们的工作在你们所有资源的范围之内，即使你们必须因此忍受很大的不便。这就是上帝再三为你们赐给我的亮光。你们若是比以往更加仔细地研究了这个问题，原会令上帝喜悦。{20MR 48.3}[3]
§10
From the light that God has given me, I am more and more convinced that you are acting unwisely in investing so much means in buildings. Since debts are now bearing you down, like weights of lead, I would advise you to hug the shore more closely in this respect. When you have means with which to build, then it will be time for you to increase your facilities. Bring your work within the limits of your resources, even if you must thereby endure great inconvenience. This is the light that God has repeatedly given me for you. It would be pleasing to God if you were to give this matter more careful study than you have given it. {20MR 48.3}[3]
§11
关于我的书，我想要说，我抱怨不是因为我认为出版社一直因出版社我的书而收入太多，而是因为我对它带给我的收入不满意。本应该制定某个计划，使我得到每本超过十五美分的版税。我不记得曾有人就此事与我商量过。我原以为弟兄们会像保护他们自己的权益或出版社的权益一样认真地保护我的权益。我知道应该将资金投入到什么地方去更充分地帮助圣工，就像弟兄们知道要为我将我的钱用在哪里一样。{20MR 48.4}[4]
§12
With reference to my book, I desire to say that I am not complaining because I think the office has been receiving too much for publishing it, but because I am not satisfied with the income it brings to me. Some plan should have been devised whereby more than fifteen cents royalty per copy would come to me. I do not remember that I was ever consulted regarding this matter. I thought that my brethren would guard my interests as sacredly as they would their own interests or the interests of the office. I know where to apply means to help the cause fully as well as my brethren know where to apply my means for me. {20MR 48.4}[4]
§13
我刚刚收到奥斯特兰德弟兄的一封来信，他在信中为汉密尔顿弟兄辩护，我曾指责汉密尔顿弟兄为他自己的方便挪用了属于我的资金，在博尔德建了一栋房子。更恶劣的是，他用这栋房子在朗蒙特交换了一块地。这块地被抵押了，情况使得我有必要投入六百美元去取消抵押贷款，以避免损失汉密尔顿曾挪用的所有资金。这样就将我非常需要的大约两千美元占用了。{20MR 48.5}[5]
§14
I have just received a letter from Brother Ostrander in which he defends Brother Hamilton, against whom I made the charge that he appropriated means belonging to me and used it for his own convenience, building a house in Boulder. To make a bad matter worse, he exchanged this building for land in Longmont. This land was mortgaged, and it became necessary for me to invest six hundred dollars to lift the mortgage, in order to avoid losing all that Brother Hamilton used. Thus about two thousand dollars, which I greatly need, is tied up. {20MR 48.5}[5]
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而今奥斯特兰德弟兄建议我将这份地产脱手，从而摆脱关于这份地产的所有进一步的麻烦。在科罗拉多的传道所财政困难，提议是我将占用在这份地产上的两千美元捐赠给这个传道所。我的弟兄们可能觉得准备好了要给我这种解脱，但我没有准备好接受他们的提议。{20MR 49.1}[6]
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And now Brother Ostrander proposes to relieve me of all further difficulty in regard to this property, by taking it off my hands. The mission in Colorado is embarrassed, and the proposition is that I donate to this mission the two thousand dollars tied up in this property. My brethren may feel ready to give me this kind of relief, but I am not ready to accept their proposition. {20MR 49.1}[6]
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我有明智判断力的弟兄们本来能够以一种会使我得到解脱的方式管理我的书——卷四（《预言之灵》卷四，《大斗争》的前身。）他们本来可以发表一份声明，大意是这本书已经耗费了我许多时间和资金来预备和投放市场；而且，因为我已大量承诺支持传道所——不下三千美元——此外还要应付其它巨大开支，这本书初版的利润将归给作者以补偿她一部分已发生的沉重费用；第二版的利润将在书报员和作者之间分配。你们原能这样帮助我，但你没有这么做。{20MR 49.2}[7]
§18
My brethren of wise judgment could have managed my book--Volume IV [SPIRIT OF PROPHECY, VOL. IV, THE PREDECESSOR OF THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.]--in such a way that relief would have been brought to me. They could have published a statement to the effect that this book had cost me much time and money to prepare and put on the market; and that, as I had pledged largely for the support of missions--no less than three thousand dollars--in addition to meeting other heavy expenses, the profits on the first edition of this book would go to the author to reimburse her for a portion of the heavy expense incurred; that the profits on the second edition would be divided between the canvassers and the author. Thus you could have helped me, but you did not. {20MR 49.2}[7]
§19
从今以后，就我的工作来说，我不能绝对信任你们设计和执行的一切计划了。我要注意寻找一位经理，及至找到一个合适的人，我会聘请他。我不会将我书籍的利益信托给以这种方式做计划的我的好弟兄们了，他们将一部分利润让这个人和那个人拿走，只留下很少的一部分给我。{20MR 49.3}[8]
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Hereafter I cannot put implicit confidence in all the plans you devise and execute, so far as my work is concerned. I will keep on the lookout for a manager, and when I find one who is suitable, I will employ him. I will not trust my book interests with my good brethren who plan in such a way that a certain portion of the profit is taken off by this one and by that one, and only a very small portion is left for me. {20MR 49.3}[8]
§21
你们一切的解释和说明一点也帮不到我。我的书籍销售得很好，可是我却几乎没有足够的钱去买生活必需的东西；而当我打发人到出版社提取资金时，得到的回复往往是：“你的账户已经透支了。”我的助手们还没得到他们已做之工的工资。我担负着沉重的债务，还付着利息。我的书籍一直在大量销售，可是给我的利润却没带来什么解脱。{20MR 49.4}[9]
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All your explanations and figures do not help me at all. My books are selling well, and yet I have scarcely enough money to procure the necessary things of life; and when I send to the office for funds, there comes to me the oft-repeated reply, You have overdrawn your account. My helpers are not paid for the work they have done. I am carrying a heavy burden of debt, on which I pay interest. My books are constantly sold in large numbers, and yet the profits bring me but little relief. {20MR 49.4}[9]
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事情安排得使那些著书的人得不到正当补偿，因为书籍经手的人很多，利润就这样消耗了。无论是书报员还是书报传道社或可能无论什么人造成了这种结果，我都抗议这种安排。要是我们恢复旧有的计划，让我们的传道人卖书并获得部分利润，我相信会有比今天更好的局面。在目前的安排下，似乎好像几乎一切都被书报传道社吞并了，只给作者留下很少的利润。关于这些事我还有更多要说的。{20MR 49.5}[10]
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Matters are so arranged that those who write books cannot receive proper compensation, because the books go through so many hands that the profits are consumed in this way. Whether canvassers, or tract and missionary societies, or whatever it may be that brings about this result, I protest against such an arrangement. If we should revive the old plan of our ministers disposing of the books and receiving part of the profits themselves, I believe there would be a better state of things than exists today. Under present arrangements, it seems as if almost everything is absorbed by the tract and missionary societies, leaving very little profit for the author. I shall have something more to say on these things. {20MR 49.5}[10]
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只有出版和销售我的书《卷四》的费用应该从利润中去除。其余的本应该留给作者。《卷四》不需要书报员。它的销售本可以省去这一切的费用。我对结果感到不满意。那些觉得销售每本书给我十五美分对我很公平的人在判断上犯了错误。{20MR 50.1}[11]
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Only the expense of publishing and selling my book, Vol. IV, should have been taken from the profits. The rest should have been saved for the author. No canvassers were needed for Vol. IV. It could have been sold without going to all this expense. I am not satisfied with the result. Those who have felt that they were doing me justice by awarding me fifteen cents for each copy sold have erred in judgment. {20MR 50.1}[11]
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放在这本书上的更高价格的通知本来决不应该发表。当时没有对此做出任何解释。如果写不出任何解释，那个通知最好不发表。{20MR 50.2}[12]
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The notice of the higher prices placed on the book should never have been published. No explanation of this was made at the time. If nothing in explanation could have been written, the notice would better have remained unpublished. {20MR 50.2}[12]
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我不会鲁莽行事，但我不能服从所做的安排。那些安排是不公平的。用来付给书报员销售第一版的钱是滥用了，因为我本应该收到那一版的利润。我知道将这笔资金用到哪里最有利，可是我却没有钱以任何方式去使用。我尽量在各方面节省，依然没有足够的资金应付日常费用。{20MR 50.3}[13]
§30
I will make no rash moves, but I cannot submit to the arrangements made. They are unjust. The money used in paying canvassers for selling the first edition was misspent, for I should have received the profits on that edition. I know where to use this means to the very best advantage, and yet I have nothing to use in any way. I economize in every way possible, and still do not have sufficient to meet running expenses. {20MR 50.3}[13]
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我忧心忡忡，对目前的事态感到灰心。如果提价通知是在销售那最初的一万本之前发表的，原会好得多。我太过信任弟兄们了。我后悔犯了这个错误。将来我必须更加密切地照顾我自己的权益。（《信函》1885年15号）怀爱伦著作托管委员会1989年1月22日全文发表于美国首都华盛顿。{20MR 50.4}[14]
§32
I am sick at heart and discouraged over the present state of affairs. If the notice of the advance in price had been published before the first ten thousand books were sold, it would have been far better. I have trusted too much in my brethren. I regret making this mistake. In the future I must look after my own interests more closely.--Letter 15, 1885. Ellen G. White Estate Washington, D.C. January 22, 1989. Entire Letter. {20MR 50.4}[14]