一个瓶子和两杯咖啡的哲理

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee(一个瓶子和两杯咖啡的哲理)

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 2 cups of coffee.

当生活中一些事情让你忙得失去自我，甚至一天24小时都不够用时，想一想关于“一个蛋黄酱瓶和两杯咖啡”的故事吧。

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

一位教授站在他的哲学课的讲台上，面前尚摆着一些其他的物件。刚开始上课时，他一言不发地拿出了一个很大的空蛋黄酱瓶，接着往里面装满了高尔夫球。

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

然后问他的学生们：瓶子是不是满了？学生们认同。

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 asked the students again if the jar was now full. They agreed it was.

教授又拿出了一盒小石头并把它们也倒进了瓶里，轻轻的摇匀。小石子们见缝插针般地挤进了高尔夫球间的缝隙。
他又问学生们：瓶子是不是满了。学生们当然说是。

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. ‘Yes’ was the reply.

教授接着拿出一盒沙，也倒进了瓶里。当然，沙子把瓶里的剩余空间填满了。他再度询问：瓶子是不是满了？学生们一致回答：是。

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 grains of sand. The students laughed.

教授这回从桌底'变出'了两杯咖啡，把咖啡都倒进瓶里，有效地填满了沙子之间的全部空隙。学生们笑声不绝。

‘Now ,’said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘ I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things: your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite passions. And if everything else was lost and only they remained; your life would still be full.’

等学生们的笑声平息之后，教授说：“我现在想告诉你们，这个瓶子就代表你们的生命 。那些高尔夫球是生命中很重要的一些东西，生命中的大事：你们的家庭、 孩子、健康、朋友，还有你们的挚爱 -- 如果你们失去其他，而唯有这些东西留下来，你们还是拥有你们全部的生命。”
‘The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else – the small stuff.’

“那些小石子是其他一些对你们比较要紧的东西：比如你们的工作，你们的房子和你们的车子。那些沙子就是其他一些次要的，不起眼的小玩意儿，也既是生命中的小事、琐碎事”

‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. 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.

教授继续说：“如果你先把沙子装进瓶子里，那瓶子就无法容纳小石子和高尔夫球。对生命来说也是这个道理。如果你把全部的时间和精力都耗在那些琐碎的小事上，那你永远都不能处理好生命中那些对你更重要的事情。”

'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Spare time for your parents and grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18 holes. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the shower. Take care of the golf balls first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

“请 关注那些对你们的幸福至关重要的事情。多花些时间在你们的孩子们身上。多花些时间陪陪你们的父母。多去看看你们的祖父母。定期做健康体检。 记得多带你们的伴侣出去用餐。再进另一个十八洞。反正你们总会有其他时间去整理房间和做其他的家务事。因此，当务之急就是要照顾好那高尔夫球所代表的一切 至关重要的大 事。凡事要分清楚轻重缓急，剩余的其实只是沙子。”

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 cup of coffee with a friend.'

这时，有个学生举手提问：“那咖啡代表了什么？”教授微笑着说：“我很高兴你问了这问题。那咖啡意味着，不管你们看上去有多忙，但你们总会找得着时间，陪你们的老友喝上一杯咖啡。”
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感谢老同学给我转来了这封值得思考的电邮。

人生只有一回，不能倒带重演，也没有时光机器把我们带回从前。我们的人生中有许许多多看似重要的东西，其实都可以放下。

如果我们能够将生命中各项事情的轻重缓急、优先顺序都搞清楚，不让一些繁琐小事缠身而忽略了真正的大事，我们的生命将更充实，活得更有意义。

朋友，停下太匆忙的脚步，看看周遭美景，让我们来享受一杯香醇浓咖啡吧。。。