Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds is written in two volumes, and presents itself as an objective account of a history of Scottish folly. The author, Charles Mackay, was a famous Scottish journalist, poet, novelist, and songwriter with an incredible legacy of scholarship and activism. Mackay's personal beliefs and strong oppositional voice flow easily through the pages as he takes the reader on a journey to explore Scottish history and societal foibles. This volume also contains a litany of detailed engravings, designed to help the reader to better understand the context and import of the written content. The book series discusses three subjects of folly: National Delusions, Peculiar Follies, and Philosophical Delusions. Volume one highlights economic bubbles such as the Mississippi Company bubble, and the South Sea Company bubble; the practice of alchemy and notable alchemists; and turn-of-the-century mystic beliefs. Mackay doesn't pull any punches and lambastes alchemic practice as "hazardous" and "not scientific at all". He is also incredibly direct on his thoughts around the spiritualist movement, lumping modern prophecies, fortune-telling, and the magnetizers into one group wrought with superstition and willful duplicity. Mackay takes particular offense to the long standing belief that politics and religion accompany hygiene choices -- influencing the length and style of hair and beards. While the book has a strong sensational tone to its style, it is interesting to note that the content of the series garnered academic support due to its input on the history of psychopathology and social psychology. Ultimately, the book Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds works as a social commentary and critique on not only Scottish society but also European society as a whole. This book provides an entertaining look at social beliefs and their criticisms. This is an interesting read for individuals who want to know more about Scottish history, social psychology, and historic sociology. 试译要求： 译文流畅； 财经名词翻译准确； 稿件齐清定，无遗留问题。 试译篇幅：试译前言部分，一千字左右即可。 试译时间：参考截止日期 20-30天（从收到试译文件之日起计算）。 感谢您参与机工社华章分社作品的试译！ 有其他问题，请联系编辑： 欧俊 hzoj@hzbook.com 任静静 rjj@hzbook.com

2016.2.22重开试译，继续招募译者 Charles Mackay, the son of a navy lieutenant was born in Scotland in 1814. His mother died when he was young and so he was brought up by foster parents. At the age of sixteen he was employed as the private secretary to William Cockerill, an ironmaster based in Belgium. In his spare-time he wrote articles for the local newspaper. Mackay returned to Britain in 1832 and for the next three years contributed to several newspapers. In 1835 he obtained his first permanent post in journalism when he was appointed as an assistant to George Hogarth, the sub-editor of the Morning Chronicle. Other journalists working for the newspaper at the time included Charles Dickens and William Hazlitt. Mackay eventually was promoted to the post of assistant editor. In 1844 Mackay left the Morning Chronicle and became editor of the Glasgow Argus. While in Scotland he also contributed articles and poetry to the Daily News, a newspaper established by Charles Dickens in 1846. After four years in Glasgow, Mackay returned to London and joined the staff of the London Illustrated News the successful journal owned by Herbert Ingram. In 1849 Henry Mayhew suggested to John Douglas Cook, the editor of the Morning Chronicle, that the newspaper should carry out an investigation into the condition of the labouring classes in England and Wales. Cook agreed and recruited Mackay, Angus Reach and Shirley Brooks to help Mayhew collect the material. Mackay was given the task of surveying the situation in Liverpool and Birmingham. Mackay's poetry was collected together until the title Voices from the Crowd. Some of them were set to music by his friend Henry Russell. These were very successful and one songsheet, The Good Time Coming, sold over 400,000 copies. Mackay published his two volume autobiography, Forty Years Recollections and Through the Long Day two years before his death in 1889.