英语美文：人生如筷

 Chopsticks. Right now, millions of people are digging into  their food with two sticks that have stood the test of time as a utensil¹ for humans, even when countless² thousands of other tools, gadgets³ and products haven't. But what's so special about them?

筷子。现如今，当数不尽的工具、器具和产品都已被时间淘汰，只有筷子经受住了时间的考验，成千上万的人们用它们来夹取食物。那么它们到底有什么特别之处呢？

What can we learn from mere⁴ chopsticks?

从这简简单单的筷子中，我们能学到什么？

Personally, I have used them all my life, but it was only recently I realised the depth of influence they had in many people's way of life. They teach us the importance of:

对于我个人而言，我一生都在使用筷子，但直到最近，我才认识到它们深深地影响了许多人的生活方式。它们教会了我们许多重要的事：

Simplicity⁵. They can come in all kinds of colours and sizes but essentially⁶ they are just two long sticks. There's hardly anything more simple than two bits of wood being pushed together. With new technology being released everyday and adverts⁷ bombarding us with the need to be able to do more with less, multi-tasking and multiple-use devices, it is sort of refreshing⁸ to still have something which has just one use—simply to eat. Chopsticks are a living example that simplicity simply works, and we don't need to keep developing, improving and fixing things all the time.

简简单单。虽然筷子颜色各异，长短不同，但实质上，它们就是两根长棍。没有比两根靠在一起就能使用的木棍更简单的东西了。在科技日新月异的今天，铺天盖地的广告告诉我们应该使用那些事半功倍的多功能设备，筷子却仍旧保持着其单一的用途——就只是用来吃饭，这还真是与众不同啊。而筷子这个活生生的实例说明：简单的东西照样能派上大用场，我们并不需要一直改善更新，发展再发展。

Versatility⁹. Chopsticks can be used for picking up all kinds of food; meat, veg, rice, even the bones from fish, because by nature, their simplicity means that they are adaptable¹⁰. Instead of aiming for a niche¹¹ in an attempt to find a "gap in the market", or to fill a hole that probably doesn't need filling, they cater¹² to a wide range purposes. Imagine being like chopsticks in this way, able to appeal to many people because you are useful, without worrying about being "more innovative¹³" or "better" in anyway. They just do what they are made to do; they just are.

运用广泛。筷子能用来夹取各种各样的食物，诸如肉、蔬菜、米饭等，还能用来挑鱼骨头，因为它们简单的本质意味着能屈能伸、适应性强。它们能满足各种广泛的要求，而非只瞄准于弥补某些市场缺口或者填补那些可能没必要填补的空白。想想筷子的哲学——用途广泛且不用担心被革新或被改善，所以深受人们喜爱。筷子只是做它本应做的，筷子就是筷子。

Aim. If you've ever tried using them, you know that you can't get what you want by just haphazardly¹⁴ stabbing at the plate. To be able to get what you want, you have to aim for it. There's no way you can pick up everything in one go. Know what you want, and just do it. Sometimes, a little bit of focus makes the difference between failure and success.

目标明确。如果你曾经试过用筷子吃饭，就会知道在餐盘上乱戳是夹不到你想要的东西的，必须得瞄准目标下筷。你不可能一下夹到所有东西，而应认清你要什么，然后努力得到它。成功或失败有时就在于那一点点的准确性。

Practice. Using chopsticks doesn't come naturally. You have to learn to use them and practice it. But how will you learn? Should you just read about it? Most would agree that there's no better way to practice than to look at the delicious food in front of you and tell yourself that you can't have any until you can use the chopsticks to get it. In real life, you can read as much as you like about all the things you want to do, but it will just amount to dreams and theory if you don't try actually doing it. Don't just watch others eating, put yourself out there and give the chopsticks a go.

熟能生巧。没人生来就会使用筷子。你必须要学着使用并不断练习。但是怎样学习呢？仅仅只是看使用说明吗？大部分人都同意最好的练习方法就是看着摆在眼前的美味食物，告诉自己不用筷子夹就不能吃。在现实生活中，你能(从书中)阅读到任何你想要做的事情，但是如果你不去试着实践，它们就仅仅只是梦想和理论。不要只看着别人吃，自己也去拿双筷子试试看。

Slowing Down. A common health tip is to try to eat with chopsticks when you can. Why? Because it slows you down and allows your stomach to tell your brain you're full before you overeat. Eating with chopsticks is a slower process, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes we need to slow down and take things one step at a time, break it down at each stage so that we have time to think, to realise that we're actually full and that we don't have to keep charging full speed through life.

放慢节奏。有一个众所周知的健康技巧是：尽可能使用筷子吃饭。为什么呢？因为它能让你放慢节奏，让肚子在吃撑前告诉大脑：你饱了。虽然用筷子吃饭是个较慢的过程，但这不见得是件坏事。有时我们需要放慢节奏，一步一步来，每个阶段停顿一下，以使我们有时间思考，认识到自己实际上已经饱了。我们没有必要总是保持高速冲刺的生活。

Sometimes it's nice to enjoy each morsel¹⁵ of life as it comes.

有时候，按部就班地享受生活的一点一滴是很幸福的。

1 utensil   

n.器皿，用具

参考例句：

• The best carving utensil is a long, sharp, flexible knife.最好的雕刻工具是锋利而柔韧的长刻刀。
• Wok is a very common cooking utensil in every Chinese family.炒菜锅是每个中国人家庭里很常用的厨房食用具。

2 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

3 gadgets   

n.小机械，小器具（ gadget的名词复数 ）

参考例句：

• Certainly. The idea is not to have a house full of gadgets. 当然。设想是房屋不再充满小配件。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• This meant more gadgets and more experiments. 这意味着要设计出更多的装置，做更多的实验。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

4 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

5 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

6 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

7 adverts   

advertisements 广告，做广告

参考例句：

• the adverts on television 电视广告
• The adverts are not very informative. 这些广告并没有包含太多有用信息。

8 refreshing   

adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的

参考例句：

• I find it'so refreshing to work with young people in this department.我发现和这一部门的青年一起工作令人精神振奋。
• The water was cold and wonderfully refreshing.水很涼，特别解乏提神。

9 versatility   

n.多才多艺，多样性，多功能

参考例句：

• Versatility is another of your strong points,but don't overdo it by having too many irons in the fire.你还有一个长处是多才多艺，但不要揽事太多而太露锋芒。
• This versatility comes from a dual weather influence.这种多样性是由于双重的气候影响而形成的。

10 adaptable   

adj.能适应的，适应性强的，可改编的

参考例句：

• He is an adaptable man and will soon learn the new work.他是个适应性很强的人，很快就将学会这种工作。
• The soil is adaptable to the growth of peanuts.这土壤适宜于花生的生长。

11 niche   

n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)

参考例句：

• Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。
• The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。

12 cater   

vi.(for/to)满足，迎合；(for)提供饮食及服务

参考例句：

• I expect he will be able to cater for your particular needs.我预计他能满足你的特殊需要。
• Most schools cater for children of different abilities.大多数学校能够满足具有不同天资的儿童的需要。

13 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

14 haphazardly   

adv.偶然地，随意地，杂乱地

参考例句：

• The books were placed haphazardly on the shelf. 书籍乱七八糟地堆放在书架上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It is foolish to haphazardly adventure. 随便冒险是愚蠢的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

15 morsel   

n.一口，一点点

参考例句：

• He refused to touch a morsel of the food they had brought.他们拿来的东西他一口也不吃。
• The patient has not had a morsel of food since the morning.从早上起病人一直没有进食。