簡化你的生活

Simplify Your Life
簡化你的生活

and free up time to do what you love most
擠出些時間做你最想做的事

【1】Two years ago Shirley Michels of St. Louis found herself getting up earlier and earlier, and going to bed later and later, just to meet everyday demands. The wife, mother and ophthalmic technician met her responsibilities『責職；任務』, but lacked time for the things that mattered most.

【1】兩年前，聖路易斯州的雪莉·米歇爾斯發現自己起得越來越早，睡得越來越晚卻僅能滿足日常的生活需求。儘管無論是作爲一名妻子，一位母親，還是眼科技師她都已盡了職責，但她卻沒有時間做最重要的事情.

【2】She and her husband, Vic, an attorney, began searching for ways to simplify『簡化；精簡』their lives. “We had to decide what was really important,” says Shirley. They knew they wanted more time to play with their three-year-old son, Ryan, to exercise and eat right, and to nurture『培育；養育』friendships.

【2】她和她的丈夫維克，一名律師，開始想辦法簡化他們的生活。雪莉說：“我們得決定什麼是生活中真正重要的。”他們知道自己想擁有更多的時間和三歲的兒子瑞安在一起，做做遊戲，做做運動，讓他吃好，以培養他們之間的感情.

【3】So the couple chose to live more modestly『適中的；適度的』, shopping with care for necessities and enjoying inexpensive pleasures such as reading, cooking and going to the park. Shirley quit her job and began working part time from home. She printed up business cards that read “At your service—buy yourself a little time,” and hired herself out for personal tasks such as shopping, paying bills, organizing parties, doing Internet research—whatever clients needed.

【3】 因此這對夫妻選擇了一種更簡單的生活方式，注意只買生活的必需品，從事一些花錢不多的消遣，諸如閱讀、烹調、逛公園。雪莉辭掉了原來的工作，開始做半天工作，比如說爲私人購物、付款、組織聚會、做國際互聯網研究方面的事情——做客戶所要求做的一切。她在她的商業名片上印上“聽候您的吩咐——給你自己留點時.

【4】“I still work hard, but being able to control my hours makes all the difference,” she says. “I can carve out『（雕）刻出；開闢出』time to take my son to the zoo or play basketball with him. My stress headaches are gone. Having a chance to get to know neighbors not only has been fun, but it’s also helped us further simplify.

【4】她說：“我仍然在努力工作，但現在能夠自己控制時間卻使一切變得大不一樣了。我能抽出一些時間領兒子去動物園或，和他一起玩玩籃球。我因壓力而造成的頭痛消失了。有機會去了解鄰居不僅給生活帶來了樂趣，而且還有助於使我的生活變得更加簡單化。 .

【5】According to trend watchers『趨勢；時尚』, the Michelses are far from『完全不』 alone in wanting to slow down『減速』 and live a more satisfying life. A Gallup Poll found that half of all Americans claim they lack enough time to do what they want. Fifty-four percent of parents say they spend too little time with their children, and 47 percent of married couples complain that they lack time together.

【5】根據時尚觀察者們所說，米歇爾斯們並非單單想放慢生活的節奏，過一種更舒服的生活。蓋洛普民意測驗，發現有一半美國人說他們缺少足夠的時間來做他們想做的事。54%的家長說他們和孩子呆在一起的時間太少了。47%的已婚夫婦抱怨他們缺少在一起的時間.

【6】Where does the time go? For most people, work and commuting『（口語）通勤』dominate『在……中佔主要部分』the day. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one out of five of us put in 49 or more hours a week on the job; one out of 12 logged 60 hours or more.

【6】那麼時間都到哪兒去了呢？對大多數人來說，工作和乘公交車上下班佔據了一天的大部分時間。根據勞動局統計數字表明，有五分之一的人一週要工作49個小時或者更多；十二分之一的人工作60小時或更多.

【7】Then there’s the rich smorgasbord of modern life—so much information to sift through, so many products beckoning. “We’re wearing ourselves out『wear out:（使）疲乏；（使）厭倦』trying to have it all,” says Elaine St. James, author of Living the Simple Life.

【7】現代的生活是豐富多彩的斯堪的納維亞式自助餐棗有那麼多的信息等你去篩選，那麼多的產品吸引着我們。《過一種簡單的生活》的作者伊萊恩聖詹姆斯說：“爲了擁有這一切我們已累得精疲力盡了.

【8】Simplifying means becoming aware of the ways, big and small, that we expend money, time and energy, and then raking steps to curb the waste. Here, from the experts, are some suggestions for gaining control over life’s hassles in order to have time for the pleasures.

【8】生活簡單化就意味着要我們注意所花的錢、時間和精力、方方面面、大大小小的事情，然後再採取措施去控制浪費。根據專家們的一些建議，儘量避免生活中發生爭吵以便有更多的時間來娛樂.

Start the Day Right一天之計在於晨

【9】Before she applied “the rule,” mornings were a trial for Baltimore teacher Claudia Bowe, mother of Alex, 11, and Clara, nine. “The kids, my husband and I had to leave every day at exactly 7:45. Invariably『一定的；總是』, books would be missing. My son isn’t a morning person, so he was dazed『暈眩的；茫然的』and at his worst when I needed him to be most efficient. By the time we were off, we were all in bad moods. We had to change our habits.

【9】在採用這種方法之前，早晨對於巴爾的摩市的教師克勞迪婭·鮑來說真是個磨難。她是11歲的亞歷克斯和9歲的克萊爾的母親。她說：“孩子、丈夫和我每天早7：45必須離開家。在這時總是書本不見了。我兒子不適合早起，所以當我需要他高效率時，他卻總是昏沉沉，表現得最糟糕。到我們離家時，我們的心情都已很糟透了。所以我們得改變一下習慣.

【10】Bowe’s rule? Do everything possible the night before to prepare for the next day. For instance, get a coffee maker that can be timed to start brewing when you wake up. Decide what to wear, including belts and socks; check for spots, wrinkles, missing buttons. Children can set the table with bowls, spoons and cereal boxes—everything but the milk.

【10】鮑的辦法是什麼呢？在前一天晚上爲第二天做好一切準備。比如說，買一個可以定時的咖啡壺，當你醒來時它就能開始煮咖啡了。決定好明天穿什麼，包括腰帶、襪子。進行逐項檢查，衣褲皺痕，丟失的扣子。孩子們可以在桌子擺好碗，匙和穀物食品棗以及除了牛奶以外一切的東西.

【11】“Provide a list of items kids need for school the next morning—homework, library books, lunch money,—and have them check them off before getting into bed every night,” suggests organizational expert Ann Gambrell, owner of Creative Time Plus in Torrance, Calif. Set anything to be carried out into the world—backpacks, dry cleaning—in front of the door. Always put keys in the same place. Studies show that the average『平均；平均數』adult spends 16 hours a year searching for lost keys.

【11】加利福尼亞州託 斯市Creative Time Plus的老闆， 管理專家安·甘布里爾加立福尼亞州建議“準備好孩子們第二天早晨上學所需的一切棗作業、圖書館借的書、午餐費棗並在每晚上牀睡覺之前檢查一下。”把要帶出去的東西都安排好棗把揹包和要乾洗的衣服放在門前。把鑰匙總放在同一個地方。研究結果表明成年人每年找鑰匙的所花的時間平均爲16小時.

utter Your Home 不要讓你房子凌亂不堪
【12】“Every possession you buy requires tending,” says Don Aslett, author of Clutter’s Last Stand. “Every chair, blouse, stationary bike, candlestick must be dusted, guarded, stored, repaired. Freeing yourself from unnecessary possessions frees up time.” .

【12】《凌亂的最後一站》一書的作者唐·阿斯萊特說“你買的每一件財產都需要照管。每一把椅子，一件外套，不用的自行車，燭臺，都要打掃、照管、貯存和修理。把你從不用的財產中擺脫出來會節省很多時間..

【13】To overcome『戰勝；克服』the hoarder『貯藏者；囤積者』inside screaming “I may need this,” Smith College psychologist Randy O. Frost advises talking back to yourself. “I’ll never use this twisted『古怪的；滑稽的』umbrella. New ones cost only six dollars.” Or, “Yes, I may need this leftover『殘餘的；剩下的』wallpaper someday, but am I going to save everything I might need someday? If so, maybe I should rent a warehouse.

【13】要想克服囤積者內心的呼喚，“我也許需要這個。”史密斯大學心理學家蘭迪·奧·弗羅斯特建議要反駁自己說：“我決不使用這把難看的雨傘。新傘僅需6美元。”或者“是的，也許哪一天還需要剩下的牆紙，但我有必要爲了某一天也許用得着就把一切都留下嗎？如果這樣的話，也許我該租一個倉庫了。” .

【14】San Francisco cleaning expert Jeff Campbell, author of Clutter Control, advises clients drowning『淹沒；浸溼』in debris『垃圾；碎片』—but who seem unable to part with『放棄』 so much as a stray screw—to start small. Do one drawer, one shelf, at a time. If it’s broken, fix it or toss it. If it doesn’t fit, alter『修改；改變』it or give it away.

【14】舊金山的《控制凌亂》一書的作者、清潔專家傑夫·壩貝爾建議那些不願意扔掉掉下的螺絲釘，整天淹沒在破爛中的人棗 從小事做起。從一個抽屜，一個架子做起。如果它壞了，或者修理或者扔掉；如果它確實不合適了，修理一下或把它送人.

【15】Cultivating『培養；陶冶』just one good habit can prevent『防止；預防』clutter from accumulating『累積；積聚』: don’t put anything down “for now.” Don’t leave jackets on chairs or glasses in the sink “for now.” As Mom said, “Don’t put it down, put it away.” To do otherwise『否則；不然』means handling everything more than once.

【15】只要養成一種好習慣就能避免散亂物越聚越多；現在不要放下任何東西，不要把夾克放在椅子上，或把眼鏡放在洗滌糟上。正如媽媽所說：“不要把它放下，不要把它放在一邊。”那樣做就意味着要不只一次地收拾這些東西.

ly Say “No” 和顏悅色地說聲“不”

【16】When Lyn Petit from Ridgewood, N. J., was a stay-at-home『不出門的；經常呆在家裏的』mom to her two daughters, Sarah, ten, and Elizabeth, 12, she taught Sunday school, helped run a thrift shop『節儉商店；慈善性二手貨商店』and chaired just about any committee she was invited to take on. After returning to her job as a floral designer, she continued trying to do it all.

【16】新澤西州Ridgewood 市的林恩·柏蒂是位有二個女兒的家庭主婦：薩拉10歲，伊麗莎白12歲。她在主日學校教書，幫助經營一個廉價舊貨店，還被邀請擔任某些員會的主席。 在她重新做花樣設計師後，她仍然儘量幫助做一切事情.

【13】To overcome『戰勝；克服』the hoarder『貯藏者；囤積者』inside screaming “I may need this,” Smith College psychologist Randy O. Frost advises talking back to yourself. “I’ll never use this twisted『古怪的；滑稽的』umbrella. New ones cost only six dollars.” Or, “Yes, I may need this leftover『殘餘的；剩下的』wallpaper someday, but am I going to save everything I might need someday? If so, maybe I should rent a warehouse.”

【13】要想克服囤積者內心的呼喚，“我也許需要這個。”史密斯大學心理學家蘭迪·奧·弗羅斯特建議要反駁自己說：“我決不使用這把難看的雨傘。新傘僅需6美元。”或者“是的，也許哪一天還需要剩下的牆紙，但我有必要爲了某一天也許用得着就把一切都留下嗎？如果這樣的話，也許我該租一個倉庫了。” .

【14】San Francisco cleaning expert Jeff Campbell, author of Clutter Control, advises clients drowning『淹沒；浸溼』in debris『垃圾；碎片』—but who seem unable to part with『放棄』 so much as a stray screw—to start small. Do one drawer, one shelf, at a time. If it’s broken, fix it or toss it. If it doesn’t fit, alter『修改；改變』it or give it away.

【14】舊金山的《控制凌亂》一書的作者、清潔專家傑夫·壩貝爾建議那些不願意扔掉掉下的螺絲釘，整天淹沒在破爛中的人棗 從小事做起。從一個抽屜，一個架子做起。如果它壞了，或者修理或者扔掉；如果它確實不合適了，修理一下或把它送人.

【15】Cultivating『培養；陶冶』just one good habit can prevent『防止；預防』clutter from accumulating『累積；積聚』: don’t put anything down “for now.” Don’t leave jackets on chairs or glasses in the sink “for now.” As Mom said, “Don’t put it down, put it away.” To do otherwise『否則；不然』means handling everything more than once.

【15】只要養成一種好習慣就能避免散亂物越聚越多；現在不要放下任何東西，不要把夾克放在椅子上，或把眼鏡放在洗滌糟上。正如媽媽所說：“不要把它放下，不要把它放在一邊。”那樣做就意味着要不只一次地收拾這些東西.

ly Say “No” 和顏悅色地說聲“不”

【16】When Lyn Petit from Ridgewood, N. J., was a stay-at-home『不出門的；經常呆在家裏的』mom to her two daughters, Sarah, ten, and Elizabeth, 12, she taught Sunday school, helped run a thrift shop『節儉商店；慈善性二手貨商店』and chaired just about any committee she was invited to take on. After returning to her job as a floral designer, she continued trying to do it all.

【16】新澤西州Ridgewood 市的林恩·柏蒂是位有二個女兒的家庭主婦：薩拉10歲，伊麗莎白12歲。她在主日學校教書，幫助經營一個廉價舊貨店，還被邀請擔任某些員會的主席。 在她重新做花樣設計師後，她仍然儘量幫助做一切事情。

【17】Eventually her impossible schedule led to anxiety attacks『（疾病等的）發作；（工作等的）開始、着手』, which forced her to prioritize『把事情按優先順序排好』and limit her volunteer work to the Girl Scouts and PTA. Now the family sits down to dinner together every night. Petit is there to help with homework, and she says, “It’s great to get to know my husband again.”

【17】她的那些難以實施的計劃最終導致憂慮的開始，迫使她依主次安排活動。使她把志願工作限定在女童子軍和學生家長和學生的聯誼會上。 現在家人每晚坐下來一起吃晚餐。柏蒂輔導孩子做功課，並且她說：“能再次瞭解我丈夫真是太好了。”

【18】“No is a two-letter word that can free up many hours a week,” says Elaine St. James. Say it gently but immediately, offering a brief explanation, such as “I just don’t have time.” Avoid giving detailed excuses—the other person is likely to see a way you actually could fit in the request.

【18】“不”是兩個字母的詞它卻能讓你在一週內節省出很多時間。和顏悅色但要馬上說“不”，做簡單的解釋，比如說：“我只是沒時間。”避免做詳細的解釋，因爲其它的人也許能看出來你真的合適做這件事。

’t Save Pennies and Waste Hours

不要爲了節省幾個便士而浪費數個小時

【19】Most of us are taught to watch『小心；留意』money, but not to value『重視；珍視』time,” says Andrea Van Steenhouse, author of A Woman’s Guide to a Simpler Life. “As a result, we may not even think about how much irreplaceable『不能調換的』time we waste to save a few pennies.” Is it worth it to wander『閒逛；徘徊』through a giant discount『折扣；打折扣』mart, searching for picture hangers, when the neighborhood hard ware-store owner would point to them immediately? To wait for takeout『外賣』at the restaurant when delivery is available for a small tip? Rather than dismiss『不考慮；拋棄』the idea with the words “I can’t afford that,” it may pay to think twice.

【19】《婦女簡化生活指南》一書的作者安德烈亞·範·斯延豪斯 說：“我們大部分人都被教導要節儉，而不是珍惜時間。結果是：我們也許沒考慮爲了節省幾便士，浪費了多少無法挽回的光陰。”當鄰居五金店的老闆能馬上拿給你要買的畫框時，你是否還值得在大的打折市場走來走去。當只需一點小費就可送貨上門時，你是否還要排隊等候外賣食品。不是讓你放棄“我負擔不起”的想法，而是讓你三思是否值得去做.

urage Your Kids to Help

鼓勵孩子們幫忙

【20】Stephanie Culp is a productivity consultant『諮詢者；顧問』in Temecula, Calif., and author of You Can Find More Time for Yourself Every Day. Her golden rule for families: except for babies, no one is exempt from『免除』housework. Three to four-year-olds can fill Rover’s bowl or fetch the baby’s diapers. Five- to seven- year- olds can set tables, make beds, sweep walks. Children eight to 12 can weed, dust, take out the trash. Let kids know in advance『事先；預先』what’s expected of them. Posting a rotating『輪流；輪換』chore list that spells out『詳細說明』who does what prevents squabbles『爭吵；口角』such as “It’s not my turn to clear the table.”

【20】斯蒂法妮·卡而普是加利福尼亞州Temecula的生產顧問和《每天你能爲你找出更多的時間》一書的作者。她關於家庭方面的金玉良言是除了嬰兒以外，人人都得做家務。三歲到四歲的孩子能給家人盛飯或取嬰兒的尿布。五歲到七歲的孩子能擺桌子、鋪牀疊被、掃掃人行道。八歲到十二歲的孩子能除草、打掃灰塵和出去倒垃圾。讓孩子事先知道他們應做什麼，貼一張誰該做什麼的家務表，可避免像這樣的爭吵“不該我收拾桌子” 　

【21】Be prepared to reduce expectations at first—a poorly made bed is a lot better than one left unmade. But if the bed- making is particularly pathetic『乏味的；令人生厭的』, it may be a sabotage maneuver『策略；花招』. Stick to your guns, says Culp. If you give in, your child, having savored『滋味；趣味』the victory of upward delegation『委派；授權』, may use the same tactic『戰術；策略；手法』to get out of other chores.

【21】最初不要對孩子期望太高，被子疊得不好也要比不去疊強得多。但如果被子疊得特別糟，也許是故意的。卡而普說，要堅持你的立場，如果你讓步的話，你的孩子嚐到了抵抗上方授權的甜頭，會用同樣的方法對付你而不做其它的家務。

Off the Tube

關上電視機

【22】Americans average 16 hours a week watching TV, making it the nation’s dominant『佔優勢的；支配的』leisure 『空閒的；業餘的』activity. “Yet it’s a pastime few see as important or even enjoyable,” says John P. Robinson, director of the Americans’ Use of Time Project at the University of Maryland. “Life would be simpler for a lot of people if they could reclaim『回收利用』even a third of the time they spend semihypnotized『着迷的；恍惚的』in front of the tube.”

【22】美國馬里蘭州州立大學研究美國人如何合理地支配時間的項目負責人約翰·皮·魯濱遜說：美國人平均每週看電視16小時，這標誌着電視已成爲這個民族的一種主要娛樂活動。“然而很少有人把這種消遣看成是重要的或是能給人帶來快樂的。如果大部分人能把他們昏昏沉沉地消磨在看電視上的1/3時間抽出來的話，生活會變得更簡單了. 　

【23】Robinson and other experts suggest families schedule activities before consulting a TV guide. Decide what programs to watch, tape them and promptly『迅速的；立即的』turn off the set after replaying. Have certain times—during meals, on Sunday afternoons—when TV is never allowed.

【23】魯濱遜和其他專家建議先制訂家庭活動計劃，然後再看電視報，決定看什麼節目。把要看的節目錄下來。放完錄像後馬上關上電視機。某些時候決不允許看電視棗吃飯時和週日下午。

【24】The payoff『收益』for all this simplifying? You’ll free up time to do what you love most, whether it’s playing with the kids, gardening or traveling. Nothing could be simpler.

【24】這樣做的結果就是一切變簡單了。你有時間做你最想做的事，比如說和孩子們一起做遊戲，做做園藝或出去旅遊。這是最簡單不過的事情了。