Passage 1 

Every man ought so to manage as to live within his means. This practice is of the very essence of honesty;for if a man does not manage honestly to live within his own means,he must necessarily be living dishonestly upon the means of somebody else. Those who are careless about personal expenditure and consider merely their own satisfaction without regard for the comfort of others generally find out the real uses of money when it is too late. Though by nature generous,these thriftless(不节检的)persons are often driven in the end to do very shabby things. They dawdle with(浪费)their money as with their time, draw bills upon the future, anticipate their earnings and are thus under the necessity of dragging after them a load of debts and obligations which seriously handicap their ability to act as free and honest men. 

The loose cash which many persons throw away uselessly, and worse, would often form. a basis of fortune and independence for life. These wasters are their own worst enemies, though they are generally found amongst the ranks of those who criticize “the injustice of the world”. But if a man will not be his own friend, how can he expect others will? Orderly men of moderate means have always something left in their pockets to help others ;whereas your wasteful and careless fellows who spend all never find an opportunity for helping anybody. 

It is a poor sort of economy, however, to be a skinflint. Narrow-mindedness in living and dealing is generally short-sighted and often leads to failure. The penny soul, it is said, never comes to two pence. Generosity and liberality,like honesty, prove the best policy after all. And there are numerous examples of brilliant results from a course of generous and honest policy. 

The proverb says:“An empty bag cannot stand upright. ”Neither can a man who is in debt. Debt makes everything a temptation. It lowers a man in self-respect, places him at the mercy of his tradesmen and his servants and makes him a slave in many respects ; for he can no longer call himself his own master,nor boldly look the world in the face. It is also difficult for a man who is in debt to be truthful. Therefore,it is said that lying rides on debt, s back. The debtor has to frame. excuses to his creditor for postponing payment of the money he owes him;and probably also to bring about falsehoods. 

It is easy enough for a man who will exercise a healthy resolution to avoid incurring the first obligation;but the facility with which that has been incurred often becomes a temptation to a second;and very soon the unfortunate borrower becomes so entangled that no belated exertion of industry can set him free. The first step in debt is like the first step in falsehood, almost involving the necessity of proceeding in the same course,debt following debt as lie follows lie. 

Dr. Johnson held that early debt is ruin. His remarks on the subject are weighty and worthy of being held in remembrance. 

“ Do not，” said he，“accustom yourself to considering debt only as an inconvenience; you will find it a disaster. Poverty takes away so many means of doing good and produces so much inability to resist evil,both natural and moral,that it is by all virtuous means to be avoided.Let it be your first care,then,not to be in any man’s debt. Resolve not to be poor;whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness;it certainly destroys liberty and it makes some virtues impracticable and others extremely difficult. No man can help others that wants help himself;we must have enough before we have to spare. ” 

41. “To live within one’s means” is most accurately explained as_________.