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Lesson 47 The great escape大逃亡 Economy is one powerful motive for camping, since after the initialoutlay upon equipment, or through hiring it, the total expense can be far lessthan the cost of hotels. But, contrary to a popular assumption, it is far frombeing the only one, or even the greatest. The man who manoeuvres carelesslyinto his twenty pounds worth of space at one of Europes myriad permanentsites may find himself bumping a Bentley. More likely, Ford Escort will be hubto hub with Renault or Mercedes, but rarely with bicycles made for two. That the equipment of modern camping becomes yearly moresophisticated is an entertaining paradox for the cynic, a brighter promise forthe hopeful traveller who has sworn to get away from it all. It alsoprovides---and some student sociologist might care to base his thesis upon thephenomenon----an escape of another kind. The modern traveller is often a manwho dislikes the Splendide and the Bellavista， not becausehe cannot afford, or shuns their material comforts, but because he is afraid ofthem. Affluent he may be, but he is by no means sure what to tip the doorman orthe chambermaid. Master in his own house, he has little idea of when to sayboo to a maitre d`hotel.对旅馆管事不满. From all such fears camping releases him. Granted, a snobbery ofcamping itself, based upon equipment and techniques, already exists; but it isof a kind that, if he meets it, he can readily understand and deal with. Thereis no superior they in the shape of managements and hotel hierarchies to darken hisholiday days. | 
