Simplify Your Life
简化你的生活

and free up time to do what you love most
挤出些时间做你最想做的事

【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『责职；任务』, but lacked time for the things that mattered most.

【1】两年前，圣路易斯州的雪莉·米歇尔斯发现自己起得越来越早，睡得越来越晚却仅能满足日常的生活需求。尽管无论是作为一名妻子，一位母亲，还是眼科技师她都已尽了职责，但她却没有时间做最重要的事情.

【2】She and her husband, Vic, an attorney, began searching for ways to simplify『简化；精简』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；养育』friendships.

【2】她和她的丈夫维克，一名律师，开始想办法简化他们的生活。雪莉说：“我们得决定什么是生活中真正重要的。”他们知道自己想拥有更多的时间和三岁的儿子瑞安在一起，做做游戏，做做运动，让他吃好，以培养他们之间的感情.

【3】So the couple chose to live more modestly『适中的；适度的』, 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】 因此这对夫妻选择了一种更简单的生活方式，注意只买生活的必需品，从事一些花钱不多的消遣，诸如阅读、烹调、逛公园。雪莉辞掉了原来的工作，开始做半天工作，比如说为私人购物、付款、组织聚会、做国际互联网研究方面的事情——做客户所要求做的一切。她在她的商业名片上印上“听候您的吩咐——给你自己留点时.

【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；开辟出』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】她说：“我仍然在努力工作，但现在能够自己控制时间却使一切变得大不一样了。我能抽出一些时间领儿子去动物园或，和他一起玩玩篮球。我因压力而造成的头痛消失了。有机会去了解邻居不仅给生活带来了乐趣，而且还有助于使我的生活变得更加简单化。 .

【5】According to trend watchers『趋势；时尚』, the Michelses are far from『完全不』 alone in wanting to slow down『减速』 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】根据时尚观察者们所说，米歇尔斯们并非单单想放慢生活的节奏，过一种更舒服的生活。盖洛普民意测验，发现有一半美国人说他们缺少足够的时间来做他们想做的事。54%的家长说他们和孩子呆在一起的时间太少了。47%的已婚夫妇抱怨他们缺少在一起的时间.

【6】Where does the time go? For most people, work and commuting『（口语）通勤』dominate『在……中占主要部分』the day. According to the Bureau of Labor¹ 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】那么时间都到哪儿去了呢？对大多数人来说，工作和乘公交车上下班占据了一天的大部分时间。根据劳动局统计数字表明，有五分之一的人一周要工作49个小时或者更多；十二分之一的人工作60小时或更多.

【7】Then there’s the rich smorgasbord of modern life—so much information to sift² through, so many products beckoning³. “We’re wearing ourselves out『wear out:（使）疲乏；（使）厌倦』trying to have it all,” says Elaine St. James, author of Living the Simple Life.

【7】现代的生活是丰富多彩的斯堪的纳维亚式自助餐棗有那么多的信息等你去筛选，那么多的产品吸引着我们。《过一种简单的生活》的作者伊莱恩圣詹姆斯说：“为了拥有这一切我们已累得精疲力尽了.

【8】Simplifying means becoming aware of the ways, big and small, that we expend⁴ money, time and energy, and then raking steps to curb⁵ 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】生活简单化就意味着要我们注意所花的钱、时间和精力、方方面面、大大小小的事情，然后再采取措施去控制浪费。根据专家们的一些建议，尽量避免生活中发生争吵以便有更多的时间来娱乐.

Start the Day Right一天之计在于晨

【9】Before she applied⁶ “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；总是』, books would be missing. My son isn’t a morning person, so he was dazed『晕眩的；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】在采用这种方法之前，早晨对于巴尔的摩市的教师克劳迪娅·鲍来说真是个磨难。她是11岁的亚历克斯和9岁的克莱尔的母亲。她说：“孩子、丈夫和我每天早7：45必须离开家。在这时总是书本不见了。我儿子不适合早起，所以当我需要他高效率时，他却总是昏沉沉，表现得最糟糕。到我们离家时，我们的心情都已很糟透了。所以我们得改变一下习惯.

【10】Bowe’s rule? Do everything possible the night before to prepare for the next day. For instance, get a coffee maker⁷ that can be timed to start brewing⁸ 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】鲍的办法是什么呢？在前一天晚上为第二天做好一切准备。比如说，买一个可以定时的咖啡壶，当你醒来时它就能开始煮咖啡了。决定好明天穿什么，包括腰带、袜子。进行逐项检查，衣裤皱痕，丢失的扣子。孩子们可以在桌子摆好碗，匙和谷物食品棗以及除了牛奶以外一切的东西.

【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；平均数』adult spends 16 hours a year searching for lost keys.

【11】加利福尼亚州托 斯市Creative Time Plus的老板， 管理专家安·甘布里尔加立福尼亚州建议“准备好孩子们第二天早晨上学所需的一切棗作业、图书馆借的书、午餐费棗并在每晚上床睡觉之前检查一下。”把要带出去的东西都安排好棗把背包和要干洗的衣服放在门前。把钥匙总放在同一个地方。研究结果表明成年人每年找钥匙的所花的时间平均为16小时.

2.Declutter Your Home 不要让你房子凌乱不堪
【12】“Every possession you buy requires tending,” says Don Aslett, author of Clutter⁹’s Last Stand. “Every chair, blouse, stationary¹⁰ bike, candlestick must be dusted, guarded, stored, repaired. Freeing yourself from unnecessary possessions frees up time.” .

【12】《凌乱的最后一站》一书的作者唐·阿斯莱特说“你买的每一件财产都需要照管。每一把椅子，一件外套，不用的自行车，烛台，都要打扫、照管、贮存和修理。把你从不用的财产中摆脱出来会节省很多时间..

【13】To overcome『战胜；克服』the hoarder『贮藏者；囤积者』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『残余的；剩下的』wallpaper someday, but am I going to save everything I might need someday? If so, maybe I should rent a warehouse¹¹.

【13】要想克服囤积者内心的呼唤，“我也许需要这个。”史密斯大学心理学家兰迪·奥·弗罗斯特建议要反驳自己说：“我决不使用这把难看的雨伞。新伞仅需6美元。”或者“是的，也许哪一天还需要剩下的墙纸，但我有必要为了某一天也许用得着就把一切都留下吗？如果这样的话，也许我该租一个仓库了。” .

【14】San Francisco cleaning expert Jeff Campbell, author of Clutter Control, advises clients drowning『淹没；浸湿』in debris『垃圾；碎片』—but who seem unable to part with『放弃』 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；改变』it or give it away.

【14】旧金山的《控制凌乱》一书的作者、清洁专家杰夫·坝贝尔建议那些不愿意扔掉掉下的螺丝钉，整天淹没在破烂中的人棗 从小事做起。从一个抽屉，一个架子做起。如果它坏了，或者修理或者扔掉；如果它确实不合适了，修理一下或把它送人.

【15】Cultivating『培养；陶冶』just one good habit can prevent『防止；预防』clutter from accumulating『累积；积聚』: 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『否则；不然』means handling everything more than once.

【15】只要养成一种好习惯就能避免散乱物越聚越多；现在不要放下任何东西，不要把夹克放在椅子上，或把眼镜放在洗涤糟上。正如妈妈所说：“不要把它放下，不要把它放在一边。”那样做就意味着要不只一次地收拾这些东西.

3.Gently Say “No” 和颜悦色地说声“不”

【16】When Lyn Petit from Ridgewood, N. J., was a stay-at-home『不出门的；经常呆在家里的』mom to her two daughters, Sarah, ten, and Elizabeth, 12, she taught Sunday school, helped run a thrift¹² shop『节俭商店；慈善性二手货商店』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】新泽西州Ridgewood 市的林恩·柏蒂是位有二个女儿的家庭主妇：萨拉10岁，伊丽莎白12岁。她在主日学校教书，帮助经营一个廉价旧货店，还被邀请担任某些员会的主席。 在她重新做花样设计师后，她仍然尽量帮助做一切事情.

【13】To overcome『战胜；克服』the hoarder『贮藏者；囤积者』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『残余的；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】要想克服囤积者内心的呼唤，“我也许需要这个。”史密斯大学心理学家兰迪·奥·弗罗斯特建议要反驳自己说：“我决不使用这把难看的雨伞。新伞仅需6美元。”或者“是的，也许哪一天还需要剩下的墙纸，但我有必要为了某一天也许用得着就把一切都留下吗？如果这样的话，也许我该租一个仓库了。” .

【14】San Francisco cleaning expert Jeff Campbell, author of Clutter Control, advises clients drowning『淹没；浸湿』in debris『垃圾；碎片』—but who seem unable to part with『放弃』 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；改变』it or give it away.

【14】旧金山的《控制凌乱》一书的作者、清洁专家杰夫·坝贝尔建议那些不愿意扔掉掉下的螺丝钉，整天淹没在破烂中的人棗 从小事做起。从一个抽屉，一个架子做起。如果它坏了，或者修理或者扔掉；如果它确实不合适了，修理一下或把它送人.

【15】Cultivating『培养；陶冶』just one good habit can prevent『防止；预防』clutter from accumulating『累积；积聚』: 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『否则；不然』means handling everything more than once.

【15】只要养成一种好习惯就能避免散乱物越聚越多；现在不要放下任何东西，不要把夹克放在椅子上，或把眼镜放在洗涤糟上。正如妈妈所说：“不要把它放下，不要把它放在一边。”那样做就意味着要不只一次地收拾这些东西.

3.Gently Say “No” 和颜悦色地说声“不”

【16】When Lyn Petit from Ridgewood, N. J., was a stay-at-home『不出门的；经常呆在家里的』mom to her two daughters, Sarah, ten, and Elizabeth, 12, she taught Sunday school, helped run a thrift shop『节俭商店；慈善性二手货商店』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】新泽西州Ridgewood 市的林恩·柏蒂是位有二个女儿的家庭主妇：萨拉10岁，伊丽莎白12岁。她在主日学校教书，帮助经营一个廉价旧货店，还被邀请担任某些员会的主席。 在她重新做花样设计师后，她仍然尽量帮助做一切事情。

【17】Eventually her impossible schedule led to anxiety attacks『（疾病等的）发作；（工作等的）开始、着手』, which forced her to prioritize『把事情按优先顺序排好』and limit her volunteer work to the Girl Scouts¹³ 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】她的那些难以实施的计划最终导致忧虑的开始，迫使她依主次安排活动。使她把志愿工作限定在女童子军和学生家长和学生的联谊会上。 现在家人每晚坐下来一起吃晚餐。柏蒂辅导孩子做功课，并且她说：“能再次了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 detailed¹⁴ excuses—the other person is likely to see a way you actually could fit in the request.

【18】“不”是两个字母的词它却能让你在一周内节省出很多时间。和颜悦色但要马上说“不”，做简单的解释，比如说：“我只是没时间。”避免做详细的解释，因为其它的人也许能看出来你真的合适做这件事。

4.Don’t Save Pennies and Waste Hours

不要为了节省几个便士而浪费数个小时

【19】Most of us are taught to watch『小心；留意』money, but not to value『重视；珍视』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『不能调换的』time we waste to save a few pennies.” Is it worth it to wander『闲逛；徘徊』through a giant discount『折扣；打折扣』mart, searching for picture hangers¹⁵, when the neighborhood hard ware-store owner would point to them immediately? To wait for takeout『外卖』at the restaurant when delivery is available for a small tip? Rather than dismiss『不考虑；抛弃』the idea with the words “I can’t afford that,” it may pay to think twice.

【19】《妇女简化生活指南》一书的作者安德烈亚·范·斯延豪斯 说：“我们大部分人都被教导要节俭，而不是珍惜时间。结果是：我们也许没考虑为了节省几便士，浪费了多少无法挽回的光阴。”当邻居五金店的老板能马上拿给你要买的画框时，你是否还值得在大的打折市场走来走去。当只需一点小费就可送货上门时，你是否还要排队等候外卖食品。不是让你放弃“我负担不起”的想法，而是让你三思是否值得去做.

 

5.Encourage Your Kids to Help

鼓励孩子们帮忙

【20】Stephanie Culp is a productivity consultant『咨询者；顾问』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 exempt¹⁶ 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；预先』what’s expected of them. Posting a rotating『轮流；轮换』chore list that spells out『详细说明』who does what prevents squabbles『争吵；口角』such as “It’s not my turn to clear the table.”

【20】斯蒂法妮·卡而普是加利福尼亚州Temecula的生产顾问和《每天你能为你找出更多的时间》一书的作者。她关于家庭方面的金玉良言是除了婴儿以外，人人都得做家务。三岁到四岁的孩子能给家人盛饭或取婴儿的尿布。五岁到七岁的孩子能摆桌子、铺床叠被、扫扫人行道。八岁到十二岁的孩子能除草、打扫灰尘和出去倒垃圾。让孩子事先知道他们应做什么，贴一张谁该做什么的家务表，可避免像这样的争吵“不该我收拾桌子” 　

【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；令人生厌的』, it may be a sabotage¹⁷ maneuver¹⁸『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 delegation¹⁹『委派；授权』, may use the same tactic『战术；策略；手法』to get out of other chores.

【21】最初不要对孩子期望太高，被子叠得不好也要比不去叠强得多。但如果被子叠得特别糟，也许是故意的。卡而普说，要坚持你的立场，如果你让步的话，你的孩子尝到了抵抗上方授权的甜头，会用同样的方法对付你而不做其它的家务。

6.Turn Off the Tube

关上电视机

【22】Americans average 16 hours a week watching TV, making it the nation’s dominant『占优势的；支配的』leisure 『空闲的；业余的』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】美国马里兰州州立大学研究美国人如何合理地支配时间的项目负责人约翰·皮·鲁滨逊说：美国人平均每周看电视16小时，这标志着电视已成为这个民族的一种主要娱乐活动。“然而很少有人把这种消遣看成是重要的或是能给人带来快乐的。如果大部分人能把他们昏昏沉沉地消磨在看电视上的1/3时间抽出来的话，生活会变得更简单了. 　

【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】鲁滨逊和其他专家建议先制订家庭活动计划，然后再看电视报，决定看什么节目。把要看的节目录下来。放完录像后马上关上电视机。某些时候决不允许看电视棗吃饭时和周日下午。

【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】这样做的结果就是一切变简单了。你有时间做你最想做的事，比如说和孩子们一起做游戏，做做园艺或出去旅游。这是最简单不过的事情了。

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