THE MAYONNAISE JAR AND COFFEE

朋友傳來的一篇文章，覺得很有道理，現譯如下：

 

THE MAYONNAISE JAR AND COFFEE
美乃滋（蛋黃醬）瓶和咖啡

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the coffee…
當你生命裡看起來有太多的事情要處理，一天２４小時不夠用，就記住美乃滋瓶和咖啡．

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
一位哲學教授站在課堂上，前面擺著一些東西．
 
When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
開始上課時，教授不發一言地，拿起一個很大的空美乃滋瓶子，放滿了高爾夫球．

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
然後他問學生們，瓶子是不是已經滿了．他們都認為是．

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
其後，教授拿起一盒卵石，倒進瓶子裡．他輕輕地搖了搖瓶子．卵石滾進了高爾夫球間的空隙．他又問學生們瓶子是否滿了．他們都認為是．

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous " Yes. "

教授接著拿起一盒沙子倒進瓶子裡．理所當然地，沙子把餘下的空間填滿了．他又問了一遍瓶子是否滿了．學生們一致回答：＂是的＂．
 
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

然後，教授從桌子底下拿出兩杯咖啡，全部倒進瓶子裡，恰好連沙子之間的空隙也填滿了．學生們都笑了起來．
 
" Now, " said the professor, as the laughter subsided, " I want you to recognise that this jar represents your life: The golf balls are the important things – God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favourite passions – things that if everything else was lost and  only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else: the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
當笑聲平息時，教授說：＂現在，我要你們把這瓶子當作是你們的人生：高爾夫球代表重要的事情－－上帝，家庭，孩子，健康，朋友，還有你最熱衷的事情－－就算其他的事情忽略了，而只剩下這些事，你的人生仍然是豐盛的．卵石代表其他的東西，像你的工作，房子和車子．沙子是另外一些很瑣碎的事務．如果你先把沙子倒進瓶子，＂他接著說＂就沒有空間放高爾夫球和卵石了．＂

 

The same goes for life.
人生也是一樣．

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
如果你把所有的時間和精力都投放在小事情上，你永遠也沒有空做重要的事情．

 
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. " "Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
把注意力放在對你的幸福至關重要的事情上．與孩子玩耍．花時間做醫療檢查．與你的另一半共進晚餐．重溫一次十八歲的時光．收拾房子和清理垃圾這些事情甚麼時候都可以做．先把高爾夫球照顧好，這些才是最重要的事．分清事情的輕重，其他瑣碎的事都是沙子．

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

其中一個學生舉手問咖啡代表甚麼．教授微笑著回答：＂很高興有人問了這個問題．它代表了無論你的生活看起來有多忙，總會有空和你的朋友喝杯咖啡，聊聊天．＂