On Saving Time

HSK 3 · 428 characters · Seneca's Letters

Seneca watches a rich Roman guard his coins and waste his afternoon — and writes his young friend a letter about the one thing no one can earn back.

两千年liǎng qiān nián前qián，在zài罗马luó mǎ，住zhù着zhe一位yī wèi老lǎo哲学家zhé xué jiā，他tā叫jiào塞内卡sāi nèi kǎ。Two thousand years ago, in Rome, there lived an old philosopher named Seneca.他tā常常cháng cháng给gěi远方yuǎn fāng一个yī ge年轻nián qīng的de朋友péng you写信xiě xìn，这是zhè shì第一dì yī封fēng信xìn。He often wrote letters to a young friend far away. This is the first letter.

亲爱qīn ài的de朋友péng you：Dear friend,今天jīn tiān我wǒ想xiǎng跟gēn你nǐ谈tán一件yī jiàn最zuì重要zhòng yào的de东西dōng xi——时间shí jiān。Today I want to talk with you about the most important thing of all — time.

昨天zuó tiān我wǒ在zài城里chéng lǐ看见了kàn jiàn le一个yī ge很hěn有钱yǒu qián的de人rén。Yesterday in the city I saw a very rich man.他tā坐zuò在家zài jiā门口mén kǒu，一块yī kuài一块yī kuài地de数shǔ他的tā de钱qián。He sat at his front door, counting his money coin by coin.数shǔ完了wán le，他tā把bǎ钱qián小心地xiǎo xīn de放fàng好hǎo，还hái让ràng人rén看着kàn zhe门mén。When he finished, he put it away carefully and even had someone watch the door.可是kě shì那天nà tiān下午xià wǔ，他tā什么shén me都dōu没méi做zuò，只是zhǐ shì坐着zuò zhe等děng一个yī ge朋友péng you。But that afternoon he did nothing at all — he just sat there waiting for a friend.朋友péng you没有méi yǒu来lái，一个yī ge下午xià wǔ就这样jiù zhè yàng过去guò qù了le。The friend never came, and the whole afternoon slipped away.他tā丢diū了le半天bàn tiān的de生命shēng mìng，可是kě shì他tā一点儿yī diǎnr也yě不bù难过nán guò。He lost half a day of his life, and it didn't bother him one bit.

你nǐ看kàn，人们rén men把bǎ钱qián看kàn得很de hěn重zhòng，把bǎ时间shí jiān看kàn得很de hěn轻qīng。You see, people treat money as precious and time as worthless.如果rú guǒ有人yǒu rén拿走ná zǒu他们tā men的de钱qián，他们tā men会huì非常fēi cháng生气shēng qì。If someone took their money, they would be furious.可是kě shì别人bié ren拿走ná zǒu他们tā men的de时间shí jiān，他们tā men却què笑着xiào zhe说shuō：“没关系méi guān xi。”But when someone takes their time, they just smile and say, "It's fine."

我的wǒ de朋友péng you，钱qián丢diū了le，可以kě yǐ再zài赚回来zhuàn huí lai。My friend, money that is lost can be earned back.时间shí jiān丢diū了le，就jiù永远yǒng yuǎn回huí不bù来了lái le。Time that is lost never comes back.我们wǒ men总是zǒng shì说shuō：“以后yǐ hòu再zài做zuò，明天míng tiān再zài开始kāi shǐ。”We always say, "I'll do it later; I'll start tomorrow."可是kě shì生命shēng mìng不在bù zài以后yǐ hòu，生命shēng mìng就jiù在zài今天jīn tiān。But life is not in "later" — life is today.

每měi过guò一天yī tiān，我们wǒ men就jiù死了sǐ le一天yī tiān。With every day that passes, we die a little.这zhè话huà听起来tīng qi lai可怕kě pà，其实qí shí很hěn简单jiǎn dān。That sounds frightening, but really it is simple.死亡sǐ wáng不是bù shì在zài前面qián miàn等děng我们wǒ men，它tā每天měi tiān都dōu拿走ná zǒu我们wǒ men的de一yī小xiǎo块kuài生命shēng mìng。Death is not waiting up ahead — every day it takes a small piece of our life.想xiǎng清楚qīng chu了le这一点zhè yī diǎn，你nǐ就jiù不用bù yòng害怕hài pà，你nǐ会huì更gèng自由zì yóu。Once you see this clearly, you need not be afraid — you will be freer.

所以suǒ yǐ，从cóng今天jīn tiān开始kāi shǐ，做zuò时间shí jiān的de主人zhǔ rén吧ba。So, starting today, become the master of your time.每天měi tiān晚上wǎn shang问wèn问wèn自己zì jǐ：今天jīn tiān的de时间shí jiān，我wǒ用yòng在哪里zài nǎ lǐ了le？Every evening, ask yourself: where did today's time go?抓住zhuā zhù今天jīn tiān。Seize today.别人bié ren可以kě yǐ拿走ná zǒu你的nǐ de钱qián，别bié让ràng他们tā men拿走ná zǒu你的nǐ de时间shí jiān。Others can take your money — don't let them take your time.

我wǒ老了lǎo le，剩下shèng xià的de时间shí jiān不bù多duō，所以suǒ yǐ我wǒ更gèng爱ài每měi一天yī tiān。I am old, and not much time remains, so I love each day all the more.今天jīn tiān的de礼物lǐ wù就jiù送到sòng dào这里zhè lǐ。保重bǎo zhòng身体shēn tǐ，我的wǒ de朋友péng you。That is today's gift. Take care of yourself, my friend.