第15章 大石块的故事 The Story of Big Rocks

佚名/Anonymous

One day, an expert in time-management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget.

As he stood in front of the group of high-powered over achievers, he said,“Okay, time for a quiz.”He then pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth masonry jar and set it on the table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one by one, into the jar.

When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked,“Is this jar full?”Everyone in the class said,“Yes.”

Then he said,“Really?”He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel.

Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar, causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the space between the big rock. Then he asked the group once more,“Is this jar full?”By this time the class was on to him.“Probably not,”one of them answered.“Good!”he replied.

He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question,“Is this jar full?”“No!”the class shouted. Once again, he said,“Good!”Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim.

Then the expert in time-management looked at the class and asked,“What is the point of this illustration?”One eager beaver raised his hand and said,“The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it.”

“No,”the speaker replied,“that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is this: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all. What are the big rocks in your life? Your children? Your spouse? Your loved ones? Your friendships? Your education? Your dreams. A worthy cause? Teaching or mentoring others? Doing things that you love? Time for yourself? Your health? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first, or you'll never get them in at all. If you sweat the little stuff (i.e. gravel, the sand) then you'll fill your life with little things, you will never have the real quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff (the big rocks). So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the“big rocks”in my life? Then put those in your jar first.

一天，一位时间管理专家给一群商务学员做讲座，为了清晰地阐述他的观点，使学生铭记在心，他进行了演示。

他站在这群渴望成功的学员面前，说：“我们来做个小实验。”他在面前的桌子上，放了一个可盛一加仑东西的大口瓦罐，然后他把一些拳头大小的石块，小心地放进瓦罐里。

瓦罐里再也放不进石块了。这时，他问道：“满了吗？”班上每个人都回答道：“满了。”

然后，专家说：“真的吗？”他把手伸进桌子下面，拿出一桶砂砾。

他把一些砂砾倒进瓦罐，然后摇了摇，这些砂砾便渗进石块的缝隙中。这时，他又问这些学员：“满了吗？”此时，班级里的学员倾向了他这一边。“可能还没有。”一位学员回答道。“是的。”他应声道。

专家再次从桌子下面拿出一桶细沙倒进瓦罐，细沙渗进石块与砂砾的缝隙中，他再次问道。“满了吗？”“没有！”班级里的人异口同声地叫道。他又说：“回答得好！”然后，他拎起一壶水，注满了瓦罐。

这时，这位时间管理专家看了看班上的学员，问道：“这个演示说明了什么？”一位学员迫不及待地举手回答：“这说明，不管你的时间表排得多满，只要用心，就可以挤出时间来做其他事。”

“不对。”这位专家回答道：“这不是我的目的。这个演示告诉我们：假如你不把石块先放进去，其他东西也不可能放进去。”那么，一生中你的大石块是什么呢？你的孩子？你的爱人？你所爱的人？你的朋友？你的学业？你的梦想？一切值得你去做的事业？教育指导别人？做你喜欢做的事？你自己？你的健康？记住，先把大石块放进去，否则，它们永远也不可能被放进去。如果你忙碌于一些小事（像砂砾、细砂之类的），那么你的世界里都是这些小事，你就没有宝贵的时间来做大事、要事（如大石块）。所以，早上或晚上，当你想起这个故事时，请问自己这样一个问题：我生命中的大石块是什么？然后把它们先放进瓦罐里去。

记忆填空

1.He____________pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth masonry jar and set it on the____________in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized____________and carefully placed them, one by one, into the____________.

2.He reached under the table and____________out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went____________all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the____________.“Is this jar full?”“No!”the class shouted. Once a ain, he said,“Good!”Then he grabbed a pitcher of____________and began to pour it in until the jar was____________to the brim.

佳句翻译

1.他把一些砂砾倒进瓦罐，然后摇了摇，这些砂砾便渗进石块的缝隙中。

译___________________________________________________

2.不管你的时间表排得多满，只要用心，就可以挤出时间来做其他事。

译___________________________________________________

3.记住，先把大石块放进去，否则，它们永远也不可能被放进去。

译___________________________________________________

短语应用

1.As he stood in front of the group of high-powered over achievers...

in front of：在……面前

造___________________________________________________

2.Then he asked the group once more.

once more：再一次；又一次

造___________________________________________________