英語閱讀：你真的沒時間嗎

摘要：回想一下，你(還有我本人)用“沒時間”來搪塞自己爲什麼不能做某事、不能接新任務、不能幫助別人、不能見別人的頻率有多高。我們都快把這個藉口用濫了。有時候事實可能的確如此，但有時候我們必須正視它只是個藉口。

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Do You Have the Time?In English, this question hastwo different first one is: “Do youknow what time it is?” While not uncommon, this isless frequently used than the simpler question withthe same meaning: “What time is it?”The othermeaning is: “Do you have the time (e.g. to do this orthat)?” This is a very commonly asked question,whether in American, British, or Australian Iwere the editor of the Grand Encyclopedia of Excuses(a book which does not yet exist), I think that theresponse — “I don’t have the time” — would win theprize for being the most commonly used excuse, year after r all, it’s such aconvenient excuse.

你真的沒時間嗎?在英文中，“你有時間嗎”(Do You Have the Time?)有兩種截然不同的含義。第一種含義是“你知道現在幾點嗎?”雖然這種問法並不少見，但比起直接問“幾點啦”(What time is it ?)用得還是比較少。第二種含義是“你有時間(做某事)嗎?”這種問法在美國英語、英國英語、澳洲英語中都十分常見。假如我是《藉口大辭海》(一本迄今爲止還不存在的書)的編輯，我會認爲“沒時間”將成爲歷年“最常用藉口”大獎的得主。畢竟，用“沒時間”做藉口再方便不過。

Think about how often you (and I) have used this as an explanation of why we couldn’t dosomething, take on a new task, help someone, visit someone, etc. We’ve all used this excusecountless times. Sometimes it’s a statement of fact, and let’s face it, sometimes it’s just distinction here between a when it’s a statement of fact and when it’s an excuseis blurry and subjective, but deep down we each have a pretty clear idea of the actical terms, the lack of available time seems to be, and often is, a valid reason for why wecannot take something on. Unless, of course, we make the effort to re-arrange our time,within our abilities to do so, probably making a sacrifice of some sort in the process.“I justdon’t have the time” is — all too often — a dodge, a hedge, and a cop-out. Once we get to acertain age, when we are generally considered to be “grown-ups”, we are expected to havedeveloped improved time management many instances, “I don’t have time” has thesame meaning as “I am not willing to make time.” Sure, we’re all busy; but in the end, it’s amatter of priorities: within work, work versus family, spouse or partner, friends, community,etc.

回想一下，你(還有我本人)用“沒時間”來搪塞自己爲什麼不能做某事、不能接新任務、不能幫助別人、不能見別人的頻率有多高。我們都快把這個藉口用濫了。有時候事實可能的確如此，但有時候我們必須正視它只是個藉口。在這裏，事實和藉口的界線十分模糊，也很主觀，但在內心深處，我們都非常清楚它們的不同。在現實中，缺少時間似乎是，並且經常是我們不能做某事的正當理由。當然，除非我們能在能力許可的範圍內儘量重新安排時間，並在這一過程中作出某種犧牲。“我只是沒時間” 在太多情況下只是一種躲閃、迴避和逃離。當我們到了某個年齡，被當作是“大人”時，就要求我們具備更完善的管理時間的技能。很多時候，“我沒時間”和“我不願意花時間”意思相同。的確，我們都很忙，但歸根結底還是熟輕孰重的問題，這包括在工作中，也包括在工作和家庭、伴侶和合作夥伴、朋友和社會之間。

No one gives you the time. It doesn’t grow on trees or fall from the sky like raindrops. Youmake the time, as well as most of the related decisions about what is important. The key iswhat criteria you rely on. It may be coolness, a money-making opportunity, hanging out withthe right crowd, or reaching out to people in you don’t decide on the use of your time,the decision will be taken away from you. Lots of powerful magnets surround us, ready to pullour time from us like loose iron shavings off a table top. It’s really up to us to decide on how tobalance and manage time, and that’s a her saying in English is “take your time,”which means “relax; no great rush; follow your own pace” similar to the Chinese, “慢慢來”.I see adeeper meaning to this simple phrase, which is that if you don’t take (control of) your time,someone else will do so for you. It’s a bit like a child being told “eat your food, or someone elsewill.”That does not mean we should ignore unpredictable urgent demands on our time whichcan arise, which often impinge on our ability to do other more meaningful things. But it doesmean we need to develop a clear-minded approach to prioritizing, and a disciplined approachto time management.

沒有人能給你時間，時間不是樹上結出的果子，也不會像雨點般從天而降。你只能自己創造時間，並對與其關係最緊密的問題，也就是事物重要性的問題做出決定。其中關鍵就是決策的依據，這個依據可能是酷，可能是掙錢的機會，可能是與情投意合的人結伴玩耍，也有可能是向有需要的人施以援手。如果你不支配自己的時間，那決定權就由不得你。我們身邊有很多強力的磁場，會像從桌上吸走鐵屑一樣瞬間就吸走我們的時間。如何平衡與管理時間真的要取決於我們自己的決定，這是一個挑戰。英語中有個說法叫“take your time”，意思是“放鬆，彆着急，跟着自己的節奏走”，和中文中的“慢慢來”頗爲相似。這個簡單的短語讓我看到一層深意，就是如果你不慢慢來(不控制時間)，別人就會幫你控制。就像我們常對孩子說的：“吃你的飯，要不該被別人吃了。”這並不是說要忽略出人意料的突發事件在時間上對我們的要求，因爲這種情況通常會激發我們的潛力，讓我們做出更有意義的事。但是，它意味着我們必須對優先排序和時間管理有個思路清晰、條理清楚的辦法。

If you consider customer relationships, how often is the root of a customer’s dissatisfactionthe perception that we were too busy to pay attention to his or her needs? This is often acore element of customer unhappiness, and part of the reason we lose customers. If youconsider friends and family relationships, how often is the root of hurt feelings the perceptionthat “so and so” has become too busy to call, visit, answer our communications, etc? Left topeople’s imagination and common fears, these feelings easily evolve into a sense of rejection,an erosion of trust, and eventually a breakdown in relationships. That is, unless we reallycare. And if we care, all it takes to avoid these speed bumps — in the workplace or elsewhere —is keeping a clear focus on priorities, and not getting swept up into the hectic pace to theextent that we begin to overlook some of the really important stuff. What helps to make “Idon’t have the time” the most common excuse of all is that we often don’t even say it out simply think it, and act on it; so the other party is left wondering what the reason for ourinattention is. That creates uncertainty, plants the seeds of doubt, and hurt feelings.

講到客戶關係，客戶不滿意從根本上講有多少是與我們太忙而無法關注他們的需求有關?這往往是引起客戶不高興的主因，也是客戶流失的部分原因。講到朋友和家庭關係，傷感情的根本原因有多少是與某某人忙得沒時間打電話、看望或迴應溝通有關?僅憑想象和擔憂，這種感覺很容易就會演化爲反感、不信任，甚至最終導致關係的破裂。也就是說，除非我們真的在乎。如果在乎的話，爲避免這種“減速帶”，無論在職場或其他地方，所要做的就是關注輕重緩急，不要陷入手忙腳亂的節奏，以至於開始忽略真正重要的東西。讓“我沒時間”變成常用藉口的一個幫兇就是我們通常不會大聲把它說出來，而只是想想或者直接去做。結果，對方完全不明白我們不理不睬的原因，這樣不僅會滋生不確定性，還會埋下懷疑和傷害感情的種子。

If we find that that has happened, whether at work or outside, the best antidote is to have thecourage to say “I’m sorry.” It won’t solve the whole problem, but it helps repair the initialdamage, and sets the stage for ongoing repair. If you think about your friends, colleagues andbusiness partners, it’s not difficult to divide them into two categories: those rare ones whoalways make time for you when you need them, and those common folks who mostly don’t. Inthe long run, your loyalties will naturally gravitate to those who do. Beware the world’s mostcommon excuse, whether you speak the words or just think the thought. When you look backon your life, you’ll be more appreciative of those occasions when you made the time than forthose when you seized the advantage.

一旦發生這種情況，不管是在單位還是在外邊，最好的矯正辦法就是鼓足勇氣說聲“對不起”。雖然這解決不了什麼問題，但卻有助於修補最初的裂痕，併爲進一步修復關係搭建平臺。回想一下你的朋友、同事和商業夥伴，他們很容易就被分爲兩類：一類是極少數總能在你需要時擠出時間的人，另一類是大多數總也沒有時間的人。長此以往，你的心自然就會偏向那些願意爲你花時間的人。對於這個世界上最常見的藉口，大家一定要好好了解，無論是把它說出來還是藏在心裏。回顧一生，那些擠出時間才完成的事總要比順便才做的事更讓你印象深刻。

　　時間的價值

We have more compromises,but less time;

我們妥協更多，時間更少;

Treasure Every Moment That You Have! Yesterday Is History. Tomorrow Is Mystery.

珍惜你所擁有的每一刻時間。昨日已成歷史，而明日仍是個謎。

Today is a gift. That's why it's called “the present”

今天則是珍貴的禮物，那是它爲何被稱做『禮物』的原因。

To realize the value of one year:

要想知道一年的價值

Ask a student who has failed a final exam.

那就去問期末考試不及格的學生。

To realize the value of one month:

要想知道一個月的價值

Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

那就去問生了早產兒的母親。

To realize the value of one week:

要想知道一週的價值

Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

那就去問週報的編輯

To realize the value of one hour:

要想知道一小時的價值

Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

那就去問等待見面的戀人

To realize the value of one minute:

要想知道一分鐘的價值

Ask a person who has missed the train, bus or plane.

那就去問誤了火車、汽車或者飛機的人

To realize the value of one second:

要想知道一秒鐘的價值

Ask a person who has survived an accident.

那就去問大難不死的人

To realaize the value of one millisecond:

要想知道一毫秒的價值

Ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.

那就去問奧運會獲得銀牌的人

Time waits for no one.

時間不等人

Treasure every moment you have

你擁有的每一刻都要珍惜。