第532期:英语美文-以始为终

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　　今天，依旧分享《高效能人士的七个习惯》中的经典篇章，这一章节中，着重阐述了“以终为始”的重要性。培养好这个习惯，了解了这个做事的原则，会让我们更加清楚自己内心真正的诉求，并为自己真正想要的东西，或是达成的目标而奋斗。掌握这个原则，不仅会让我们少走弯路，并且在达到目标时，也能充满幸福感。

　　New Words:

　　academician n. 院士；大学生；

　　plumber¹ n. 水管工；

　　blueprint² n. 蓝图，设计图；

　　mortar³ n.灰浆

　　To Begin with the End in Mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It

　　means to know where you're going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.

　　以终为始说明在做任何事之前,都要先认清方向。这意味着你对现在自己的方向和处境了如指掌，这样当你行动的时候，就不至于误入歧途。

　　It's incredibly easy to get caught up in an activity trap, in the busy-ness of life, to work harder and

　　harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover it's leaning against the wrong wall. It is possible to be busy -- very busy -- without being very effective.

　　人生旅途的岔路很多,一不小心就会走冤枉路。许多人拼命埋头苦干,到头来却发现追求成功的梯子搭错了墙 ,就算你很忙很忙，也未必出成果。

　　People often find themselves achieving victories that are empty, successes that have come at the

　　expense of things they suddenly realize were far more valuable to them. People from every walk of life -- doctors, academicians, actors, politicians, business professionals, athletes, and plumbers⁴ – often struggle to achieve a higher income, more recognition⁵ or a certain degree of professional competence⁶, only to find that their drive to achieve their goal blinded them to the things that really mattered most and now are gone.

　　很多人功成名就之后,反而感到空虚,发现自己牺牲了许多更宝贵的东西。上至达官显贵、富蒙巨贾,下至平头百姓、凡夫俗子,无一不在追求更多的财富，更大的势力或更高的声望,而这些目标常常蒙蔽了对于他们来说真正重要的事情, 等回过头时，才发现，早已人去楼空。

　　How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply important to us, and, keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day to be and to do what really matters most. If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster. We may be very busy, we may be very efficient, but we will also be truly effective only when we Begin with the End in Mind.

　　当我们了解生命中最重要的事情时,生活将会不同。头脑中要时刻牢记：每天希望自己成为什么样的人,什么对于自己来说才是最重要的。如果通往成功的梯子一直搭错墙,那每一次行动无疑加快了失败的步伐。我们也许会很忙, 也能很高效，但是唯有心中牢记以终为始，才能算作真正的高效。

　　"Begin with the End in Mind" is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There's a

　　mental or first creation⁷, and a physical or second creation to all things.

　　“以终为始”的一个原则基础是“任何事都是两次创造而成”。我们做任何事都是先在头脑中构思,即智力上的或第一次的创造，然后付诸实践,即体力上的或第二次的创造。

　　Take the construction of a home, for example. You create it in every detail before you ever hammer the first nail into place. You try to get a very clear sense of what kind of house you want. If you want a family-centered home, you plan a family room where it would be a natural gathering⁸ place. You plan sliding doors and a patio⁹ for children to play outside. You work with ideas. You work with your mind until you get a clear image of what you want to build. Then you reduce it to blueprint and develop construction plans. All of this is done before the earth is touched. If not, then in the second creation, the physical creation, you will have to make expensive changes that may double the cost of your home.

　　以建筑为例,在拿起工具建造之前,你需要先在脑海中构思每一细节。你需要很清楚地知道你想要什么样的房子。如果你想要一个以家人为中心的家，那么你在设计房间的时候，它将会是一个天然的聚会场所。你会为孩子们规划好滑门和露台。你要不断地想，直到这些想法在你脑中变成清晰的，你真正想要的画面。接着你将这一切变成设计图，进而变成施工方案。这一切都要在开始施工之前完成。如果没有，那么在二次实际的创作中， 你将不得不为一些改动付出昂贵的代价，甚至可能会让你整体的价格翻倍。

　　The carpenter's rule is "measure twice, cut once." You have to make sure that the blueprint, the first creation, is really what you want, that you've thought everything through. Then you put it into bricks¹⁰ and mortar. Each day you go to the construction shed¹¹ and pull out the blueprint to get marching orders for the day. You Begin with the End in Mind.

　　木工的法则是“量两次，切一次”。你必须确保你的蓝图，就是第一次创造是你真正想要的，你已经将一切细节考虑在内。你才能开始施工。接着，你每天都去工棚，拿着你的蓝图指挥当天的行动。这就叫做以终为始。

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