大多数人只知道用钱消费,却不知道还有一个比消费更为重要的用途。
在阅读本文前,请你/您认真想想,钱除了用来消费,还有什么用途。
今天带来的文章片段来自《定投改变命运》(《On Really Investing》)。
最初我看到本段时,很震撼。这世上公平的事物很少,而时间是最为常见的。
每人每天都是24小时,不够用也不会变多,花不完也没人能抢走。
可是,有的人却可以在有限的时间内办更多的事,这就值得我们学习了。
本文也许会改变你/您的一生,请务必认真阅读。
原文与参考翻译:
1.3 Why to Use Money to Make Money
为什么要用钱挣钱?
For most people, money only has one use: consumption. Sadly, this is the basic reason why most people are unable to achieve financial independence. They have almost never seriously thought about money's second and much more important use: investment.
对于大多数人来说,钱仅有一个用处: 消费——悲哀的是,这也是为什么大多数人不能实现财富自由根本的原因。他们几乎从未认真想过金钱的第二个,远比第一个更重要的用途:投资。
For those who only know how to consume and don't understand investment, it's hard to escape their original fate. They can only make money by selling their time, and the amount of time that they can sell is extremely limited –- we have much less time than we think.
对于那些只知消费不懂投资的那些人,他们很难逃脱他们原有的命运。因为他们只能靠出售自己的时间挣钱,而他们能够用来出售的时间总量是十分有限的——比他们以为的要少。
There is a set of data that can help us understand how little time we actually have to sell. If we take an average lifespan of 78 years...
有一组数据可以帮助我们理解事实上可用来出售的时间究竟有多少。假设我们平均寿命为78岁。
- We sleep for 28.3 years;
睡觉时间28.3年 - We work for only 10.5 years (this is the time - that most people are able to sell);
工作时间仅有10.5年(这是大多数人可以用来出售的时间); - We spend 9 years watching TV, playing video games, and using social networks;
看电视、玩游戏和社交网络9年; - We spend 6 years doing chores;
做家务6年; - We spend 4 years eating and drinking;
吃喝4年; - We only spend 3.5 years on education;
教育仅有3.5年; - We spend 2.5 years grooming;
梳妆打扮2.5年; - We spend 2.5 years shopping;
购物2.5年; - We spend 1.5 years on child care;
照顾孩子1.5年; - We spend 1.3 years commuting.
通勤1.3年;
According to these estimates, we only have nine years left to allocate as we please! The amount of time we have to sell is our work time of 10.5 years plus the nine years we spend on leisure. Even if we allocate all of those 9 years to paid work, we still haven't even doubled the time we have to sell. And we still sleep for longer than the time we have available to sell. Sleep is expensive!
根据这些估算,我们可以自由支配的时间仅剩9年! 我们可以用来出售的时间总量是工作时间的10.5年,和我们的闲暇的9年时间。尽管我们把可自由支配的9年时间全部用来工作,也才19.5年,可供出售的时间仍然没有翻倍。并且,我们用来睡觉的28.3年时间,竟然比可以用来出售的10.5年时间长?! 睡觉实在太贵了!
生词 (上文斜体标粗):
- consumption n. 消费;
- basic adj. 基础的,根本的;
- achieve v. 实现,达成;
- financial independence 财富自由;
- consume v. 消耗;吞噬;吃喝;
- escape v. 逃离;n. 解脱;逃避;
- fate n. 命运;
- extremely limited 非常有限;
- average lifespan 平均寿命;
- chores n. 家务活;
- grooming n. 梳妆打扮;
- commuting n. 通勤;
- According v. 与……相符;
- estimates v. n. 估计;
- allocate v. 分配,支配;
- leisure n. 空闲时间;
结构划分参考:
第一句:
For most people(状), money(主)only (状)has(谓)one use(宾): consumption(同位语).
第二句
Sadly(状), this(主) is(谓) the basic reason(宾)why most people are unable to achieve financial independence(定从).
第三句
They(主)have almost never seriously thought(谓)about money's second and much more important use(宾从): investment.
第四句
For those who only know how to consume and don't understand investment(状从), it's hard(主系表) to escape their original fate(目的状语).
第五句
They(主)can only(谓)make money (宾)by selling their time(方式状语), and the amount (主2)of time(定1) that they can sell(定2) is (系)extremely (状)limited (表)–- we have much less time than we think(同位语从句).
第六句
There(主) is(谓) a set of data(宾)that can help us understand how little time we actually have to sell(定从).
第七句
If we take an average lifespan of 78 years...
(条件状语从句)
第八句
According to these estimates(状), we(主)only(状)have(谓)nine years(宾) left to allocate as we please(宾补)!
第九句
The amount(主)of time(定1)we have to sell(定2) is(谓)our work time(宾1)of 10.5 years(定3)plus the nine years(宾2)we spend on leisure(定4).
第十句
Even if we allocate all of those 9 years to paid work(让步状语从句), we(主)still(状2) haven't(谓)even(状3)doubled the time(宾)we have to sell(定从).
第十一句
And we still sleep for longer than the time we have available to sell(比较状语从句).
第十二句
Sleep(主)is(系) expensive(表)!
思考题:
如何区分投资和消费?换句话说,消费和投资的边界在哪?
欢迎在屏幕下方写下你/您的看法。
往期文章
《再有人说语法不用学,把本文甩给他》
《On Really Investing》翻译与结构划分(014篇)
《学英语就像写代码》