首页 -> 2006年第9期
时间的重要性
作者：思 晴
无论认为时间是怎样的构成，有一点是相同的，人们都会感叹时间的稍纵即逝。时间是如此重要，当时当下，我们再不能够重复来过。现在，让我们看看这篇文章的阐述：
It is said that[1]life and death are not in anyone's hands[2]. They are things that just happen every time and with everyone. Same is the case with time. Most of the times we take it for granted[3]that there is always plenty of time. Due to this perhaps we indulge in various activities, which are a wholesale waste of time.
据说生与死是任何人都不能掌控的。生与死可能会发生在任何时间和任何人身上。时间也是如此。大多数时候，我们总是理所当然地认为时间多的是。于是我们沉迷于各种各样的活动当中，浑然不知其实正在浪费时间。
The clock is always ticking. The second keeps on ticking just like busy ants. The ants keep themselves always busy by always hunting for[4]food everywhere. Similarly the second always keeps on ticking to attain short-term goals[5] of making a minute with 60 ticks. After reaching a milestone of a minute, the second hand of a clock doesn't take a break[6], but start afresh for another round of 60 ticks. They take it minute by minute and reach a quarter of an hour, and hour and then a day.
时钟总是在嘀嗒、嘀嗒地走动。秒针嘀嗒前进的时候，就像只忙忙碌碌地在四处觅食的蚂蚁。它不停地爬格子，只为了达成一个短期的目标——用六十步构成一分钟。秒针走完一分钟后一刻也没得闲，又开始了下一轮的行走。他们走完一分钟又是一分钟，接着走完了一刻钟、一小时和一天。
They always focus on[7]the smaller targets-that is a minute and the bigger aim of the clock itself gets fulfilled. That's why the minute hand has to work less, as the second hand does most of the running around. The minute hand just has to make 60 movements on a clock dial. The hour hand is the luckiest of the lot. It just moves once in an hour. But the second hand moves for 3600 times around the dial for the same hour.
正是因为它们一直专攻较小的目标——走完一分钟，时钟的更大目标才得以实现。这就是为什么分针走得少、秒针走得多的原因。分针走完一小时只需要迈60步。时针是指针中最幸运的一个。它一小时只需要走一步，但秒针却要走3600步。
Parallel to this, in our life to we never realizes that we have lots to do. Between every big task we can always find enough time to fit in those small tasks. If you are waiting for a train at the station, you can always read a magazine or rather chalk out your study timetable for exams. While traveling in the bus too, one can find enough time to at least skim through[8]the previous days notes.
同样的，我们在生活中从没意识到身边有大量的事情要去做。在处理每一个大任务的间隙，我们是可以找到足够的时间来完成那些细小的任务的。如果你在车站等火车，可以看杂志甚至是为考试大致列个学习计划。做巴士旅行的时候，你仍可以找到足够的时间去浏览前一天的笔记。
Be like the clock. Always keep on ticking by involving yourself in[9]various things and learning new things. These small knowledge and experience modules will perhaps one day take you to your bigger goal some day. They say“Time and Tide waits for no man”. If so, now stop staring at the screen and utilize your time effectively.
就如时钟嘀嗒嘀嗒走动一样，我们也在永不停息地将自己投入到多种多样的环境当中，并由此学习新的知识。这些琐碎的知识和经验，或许可以在日后帮助你实现很多更大的目标。俗话说：时间和机遇不等人。如果真是这样，我们现在做事情就不能浮于表面，而要更有效地利用时间才好。
【细节链接】
[1] It is said that：据说。
[2] be in one's hands：相当于 under one's control，在某人的控制中。例如：It is said that the world peace is in our hands.（有人说，世界的和平就掌握在我们的手中。）
[3] take for granted：想当然。take sth. for granted：认为某事是理所当然的事。
[4] hunt for：狩猎，寻找。
[5] short-term goal：短期目标。long-term goal：长远目标。
[6] take a break：喘息一下，休息一下。
[7] focus on sth.：专注于，将……视为焦点。
[8] skim through: 浏览。
[9] involve in sth./ doing sth.：沉湎于，投入其中。