时间——到底是朋友还是敌人？

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.

西方社会时刻都在不遗余力地倡导快节奏。最终导致了我们总是行色匆忙。我们不是按照日历活着，就是被闹钟支配着。小时候我们就懂得了于任何事情都要守时，否则将陷入泥淖。迟于交卷会的低分，逾期付款会受到处罚，未按时完成工作还会丢掉饭碗。

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.

结果，多数人就得出了结论：时间是他们的敌人，必须与之战斗和抗衡的敌人。但在这时间之战中，没有永恒的胜利---闹钟会在第二天重置，日历会在下个月，或者最迟来年翻新。

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，_____________”。你随时都会听到诸如此类的美言：

Life is too short to hold on to regret.

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

Life is too short to play small.

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

人生苦短，切莫后悔。

人生苦短，切莫做你讨厌的工作。

人生苦短，切莫虚行。

人生苦短，{自己填上喜欢的下半句吧}。

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.

此般格言暗示时间就是你的敌人。但是，它并不是让你杜绝后悔，重振事业或停止玩乐的措辞。即使人生短暂，时间也不能成为那样的措辞。有一个错误假设，才导致了真正的问题所在。

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?

在某些情况下短暂的人生和有限的时间是种恩慈。毕竟，一个人在不钟情的事物上花费的时间越少，就越好。偶尔后悔一下？听起来不错。找份工作打点酱油？太棒了。躲在角落里瑟缩一刻？还有什么比这更好？

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

所以允我让你们从另外一个角度去看事情：

“Life is too long to __________.”

“人生漫长，____________。”

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?

当你站在这个角度去处理问题，克服挑战时，时间非但不是你的敌人，还是你最好的朋友。因为充足的时间和人生能够激励你去努力做出改变。毕竟，当你已经决定要干一段时间，难道就不想好好地利用它继续干下去吗？

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?

当你有一个习惯需要改正，或者有一种环境需要改善时，试想如果你迟迟不行动，你的人生会怎样？看看缠绕了你一年的问题，它对你有哪些影响？它是怎样破坏了你的感情？它是怎样困扰你的工作？你对自己的健康又花费了多少？

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?

现在，五年过去了。你失去了什么？你遭遇过什么？你身边的人被迫付出过什么？

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?

时间继续流逝。你的问题已经已经搁置了十年。你的信念和希望有所改变吗？当初无法克服的问题现在看起来怎样？比起问题萌发之初，你的力量减弱了多少？

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?

日历末页遥不可及。二十年过去了。你会忘却生活的问题吗？你能全力以赴去处理一下吗？你会陷入回天乏术的地步吗？

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.

当你思索到问题被长时间积累而形成的影响时，你就会开始意识到即刻采取行动的意义。时间在这个时候不会伤害你。它会给你机会。有些解决方法需要数小时或数天，也可能数周或数月。但时间会等你。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.

时间没有安排行程。你什么时候需要，它就什么时候出现。这并不是说那些问题没有期限。但限定期限的不是时间。它会充分支持你或给你动力。站在你这边力挺你。

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.

只有傻瓜才会等待最佳时机。你也无需充满人生阅历，懂得其中的真谛。要与时间作伴，体会生活之外的重大意义。时间在等你。