Adam Smith：The Wealth of Nations, Book II, Chapter V, Paragraph 887

The capital of the wholesale merchant replaces, together with their profits, the capitals of the farmers and manufacturers of whom he purchases the rude and manufactured produce which he deals in, and thereby enables them to continue their respective trades. It is by this service chiefly that he contributes indirectly to support the productive labour of the society, and to increase the value of its annual produce. His capital employs, too, the sailors and carriers who transport his goods from one place to another; and it augments the price of those goods by the value, not only of his profits, but of their wages. This is all the productive labour which it immediately puts into motion, and all the value which it immediately adds to the annual produce. Its operation in both these respects is a good deal superior to that of the capital of the retailer.

Source： https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3300
Locator：Book II, Chapter V, paragraph 887 · Verified：2026-10-19 · Verification：Exact match

This is a direct reading: the original and source are kept; commentary will be added later.

公版英文原典；批量导入，未附中文解读。

This text is in the public domain. The edition and source link are above. Copyright

← Back to the library