英語美文：時間，究竟是敵是友？

　　Western society promotes being busy at all times and at all costs. As a result, it seems that we are always rushing. We live by the calendar and we are run by the clock. We learn early on in life that you had better be on time for things or bad stuff will happen. Be late to turn in your papers and your grade gets lowered. Be late to pay your bills and you get stuck with a penalty. Be late to finish your work and you may be out of a job.

　　西方社會時刻都在不遺余力地倡導(dǎo)快節(jié)奏。最終導(dǎo)致了我們總是行色匆忙。我們不是按照日歷活著，就是被鬧鐘支配著。小時候我們就懂得了于任何事情都要守時，否則將陷入泥淖。遲于交卷會的低分，逾期付款會受到處罰，未按時完成工作還會丟掉飯碗。

　　As a result many people conclude that time is their enemy. It must be battled and beaten. But there is no permanence in any victory over time — the clock gets reset tomorrow and the calendar at the first of the month, or at the very latest at the first of the year.

　　結(jié)果，多數(shù)人就得出了結(jié)論：時間是他們的敵人，必須與之戰(zhàn)斗和抗衡的敵人。但在這時間之戰(zhàn)中，沒有永恒的勝利——鬧鐘會在第二天重置，日歷會在下個月，或者最遲來年翻新。

　　Consider the popular phrase, "Life is too short to __________." Here are some beauties you hear all the time:

　　斟酌下面的名句，“人生苦短，_____________”。你隨時都會聽到諸如此類的美言：

　　Life is too short to hold on to regret.

　　人生苦短，切莫后悔。

　　Life is too short to work at a job you hate.

　　人生苦短，切莫做你討厭的工作。

　　Life is too short to play small.

　　人生苦短，切莫虛行。

　　Life is too short to {insert your favorite here}.

　　人生苦短，{ 自己填上喜歡的下半句吧 }。

　　Aphorisms like these certainly imply that time is your enemy. However, time is not the reason why you ought to give up regret, revamp your career, or up your game. Even the shortness of life is not the reason. There is an assumption going on here that entirely misses where the real problem lies.

　　此般格言暗示時間就是你的敵人。但是，它并不是讓你杜絕后悔，重振事業(yè)或停止玩樂的措辭。即使人生短暫，時間也不能成為那樣的措辭。有一個錯誤假設(shè)，才導(dǎo)致了真正的問題所在。

　　A short life and limited time would be a blessing in these circumstances. After all, the less time one spends in some undesired state, the better. A short amount of regret? Sounds great. A short time at a crummy job? Excellent. A short time of cowering in the corner? What could be better?

　　在某些情況下短暫的人生和有限的時間是種恩慈。畢竟，一個人在不鐘情的事物上花費的'時間越少，就越好。偶爾后悔一下?聽起來不錯。找份工作打點醬油?太棒了。躲在角落里瑟縮一刻?還有什么比這更好?

　　So let me give you a different way to look at things:

　　所以允我讓你們從另外一個角度去看事情：

　　"Life is too long to __________."

　　“人生漫長，____________。”

　　When you approach your problems and challenges from this standpoint, time is not only not your enemy, it is your best friend. It is because of the abundance of time and life that you are motivated to seek change and transformation. After all, since you are going to be here for some time, don't you want to make the best of it?

　　當(dāng)你站在這個角度去處理問題，克服挑戰(zhàn)時，時間非但不是你的敵人，還是你最好的朋友。因為充足的時間和人生能夠激勵你去努力做出改變。畢竟，當(dāng)你已經(jīng)決定要干一段時間，難道就不想好好地利用它繼續(xù)干下去嗎?

　　When you have a habit or circumstance that needs fixing, imagine what your life would be like if you delayed taking action to fix it. See yourself a year from now with this problem still hanging around. What impact has it had on you? How has it hurt your relationships? What is it doing to you at work? What cost have you paid to your health?

　　當(dāng)你有一個習(xí)慣需要改正，或者有一種環(huán)境需要改善時，試想如果你遲遲不行動，你的人生會怎樣?看看纏繞了你一年的問題，它對你有哪些影響?它是怎樣破壞了你的感情?它是怎樣困擾你的工作?你對自己的健康又花費了多少?

　　Now take it out to five years. What have you lost? What have you suffered? What have the people close to you been forced to pay?

　　現(xiàn)在，五年過去了。你失去了什么?你遭遇過什么?你身邊的人被迫付出過什么?

　　Time keeps marching on. It is now ten years with your unresolved problem. What has happened to your faith and hope? How insurmountable does this problem now look? How much weaker are you now than when this problem first arose?

　　時間繼續(xù)流逝。你的問題已經(jīng)已經(jīng)擱置了十年。你的信念和希望有所改變嗎?當(dāng)初無法克服的問題現(xiàn)在看起來怎樣?比起問題萌發(fā)之初，你的力量減弱了多少?

　　We are far from the end of the calendar. Twenty years go by. Can you even remember life without your problem? Can you muster the energy to even care anymore? Are you locked in to a state of resignation?

　　日歷末頁遙不可及。二十年過去了。你會忘卻生活的問題嗎?你能全力以赴去處理一下嗎?你會陷入回天乏術(shù)的地步嗎?

　　When you consider the impact that leaving something unresolved for a long period of time can heap upon you, you start to realize the value of taking action in this moment. Time isn't out to hurt you here. It is giving you an opportunity. Some resolutions will require hours or days, some weeks or months. But time is there for you. Take what you need.

　　當(dāng)你思索到問題被長時間積累而形成的影響時，你就會開始意識到即刻采取行動的意義。時間在這個時候不會傷害你。它會給你機會。有些解決方法需要數(shù)小時或數(shù)天，也可能數(shù)周或數(shù)月。但時間會等你。想要多少就有多少。

　　Time has no agenda. It will allow you whatever you need. This is not to say that some problems don't have deadlines. But it is not time that imposes such restrictions. Time will either offer you volume or impetus. It is on your side.

　　時間沒有安排行程。你什么時候需要，它就什么時候出現(xiàn)。這并不是說那些問題沒有期限。但限定期限的不是時間。它會充分支持你或給你動力。站在你這邊力挺你。

　　Waiting for the perfect moment is a fool's errand. You don't have to be very experienced in life to know the truth of that. Partner with time to get the most out of life. Time is waiting for you.

　　只有傻瓜才會等待最佳時機。你也無需充滿人生閱歷，懂得其中的真諦。要與時間作伴，體會生活之外的重大意義。時間在等你。

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