The Shrink 神经医生
There are scores of books recommending places to see, books to read, music to hear, golf holes to play or watercourses to fly-fish before we die. There are even dedicated websites that assist people in ticking items off the list. You might agree that this sounds a bit excessive. But aren’t we all under an ill-defined pressure to do, see and experience more? And aren’t we all accompanied by a vague sense of inadequacy if we realise we’re not keeping up? 有许许多多的书，推荐一生必游的地方、必看的书、必听的音乐、必打的高尔夫球场球洞和飞钓必去的水域。甚至还有专门的网站，帮助人们把“必做”名单上的项目一一勾掉。你也许也会认为这听上去有点儿过分了。然而，我们都在承受着一种莫名的压力，要去做、去看、去经历更多，不是吗？如果意识到自己落后于他人，我们都会怀有一种隐隐的不称职感，不是吗？
It is sadly true that our time on earth is limited, and we’d be well advised to avoid wasting it. It has been said that instead of getting through our days doing routine things on autopilot, we should engage in new and uncomfortable experiences. These stretch our perception of time and, in a sense, our life. Then there is the research that tells us that people are happier when they spend their money on experiences rather than objects. 我们在世的时间是有限的，这是个令人遗憾的事实；因此不要浪费时间是个好建议。有人说，与其像开启了自动驾驶一样天天重复着同样的事情，我们不如投身于新的、不那么自在的体验。这样做能够拉长我们对时间的观感，并在某种意义上拉长我们的人生。此外，有研究表明，人们在体验上花钱，比买东西时更愉悦。
But we shouldn’t absorb this cultural pressure unquestioningly. How many new experiences we engage in and how often we do so should depend on our personality, values and situation. Spending our time well doesn’t always equate with doing more. 但我们不应不假思索地接受这种文化压力。投身于多少种新体验、多频繁地投入，应由我们的性格、价值观和处境所决定。好好利用时间，并不总是等同于做更多事。
For a start, if you rely on novelty to keep life interesting, you risk ending up on a perpetual treadmill, always seeking the next thrill. We should also consider the possibility of restoring some sparkle to routine things by doing them more mindfully. While a certain amount of novelty can certainly be valuable, there are other goods – simplicity, contentment and the savouring of small everyday pleasures. A rich life can be one in which a few things have been experienced deeply. 首先，如果依赖新奇感来保持生活的趣味，最终可能踩上一部永不停止的跑步机，永远在追寻下一个刺激。我们应该也思考一下是否有可能通过多花些心思，让日常事务在某种程度上重放异彩。当然，一定程度的新奇感会是有价值的，但生活中还有别的美好事物——简单、满足感、对日常小乐趣的玩味。深刻地体会少数几样事物，也可以构建一个丰富的人生。
The answer to the question of what must we do before we die, by the way, is “nothing”. Like everything else, diversity of experience will become oppressive if taken as a “must”, even if you’re the kind of person who thrives on it. We don’t have to do anything, although we might choose to do many things. On the other hand, we might just find it more satisfying to watch the blue tits in our garden, like we have done so many times before. 顺便说一句，“什么是人生必须做的事”，这个问题的答案是：没有。跟所有东西一样，当多样化的体验变成一种“必须”时，它也会变得令人难以忍受，即便你是那种喜欢多姿多彩生活的人。没有什么必须做的事情，不过我们可以选择去做许多事情。但另一方面，可能我们就是觉得，观察自家花园中的青山雀更有意思，就像以往多次做过的那样。
There are scores of books recommending places to see, books to read, music to hear, golf holes to play or watercourses to fly-fish before we die. There are even dedicated websites that assist people in ticking items off the list. You might agree that this sounds a bit excessive. But aren’t we all under an ill-defined pressure to do, see and experience more? And aren’t we all accompanied by a vague sense of inadequacy if we realise we’re not keeping up? 有许许多多的书，推荐一生必游的地方、必看的书、必听的音乐、必打的高尔夫球场球洞和飞钓必去的水域。甚至还有专门的网站，帮助人们把“必做”名单上的项目一一勾掉。你也许也会认为这听上去有点儿过分了。然而，我们都在承受着一种莫名的压力，要去做、去看、去经历更多，不是吗？如果意识到自己落后于他人，我们都会怀有一种隐隐的不称职感，不是吗？
It is sadly true that our time on earth is limited, and we’d be well advised to avoid wasting it. It has been said that instead of getting through our days doing routine things on autopilot, we should engage in new and uncomfortable experiences. These stretch our perception of time and, in a sense, our life. Then there is the research that tells us that people are happier when they spend their money on experiences rather than objects. 我们在世的时间是有限的，这是个令人遗憾的事实；因此不要浪费时间是个好建议。有人说，与其像开启了自动驾驶一样天天重复着同样的事情，我们不如投身于新的、不那么自在的体验。这样做能够拉长我们对时间的观感，并在某种意义上拉长我们的人生。此外，有研究表明，人们在体验上花钱，比买东西时更愉悦。
But we shouldn’t absorb this cultural pressure unquestioningly. How many new experiences we engage in and how often we do so should depend on our personality, values and situation. Spending our time well doesn’t always equate with doing more. 但我们不应不假思索地接受这种文化压力。投身于多少种新体验、多频繁地投入，应由我们的性格、价值观和处境所决定。好好利用时间，并不总是等同于做更多事。
For a start, if you rely on novelty to keep life interesting, you risk ending up on a perpetual treadmill, always seeking the next thrill. We should also consider the possibility of restoring some sparkle to routine things by doing them more mindfully. While a certain amount of novelty can certainly be valuable, there are other goods – simplicity, contentment and the savouring of small everyday pleasures. A rich life can be one in which a few things have been experienced deeply. 首先，如果依赖新奇感来保持生活的趣味，最终可能踩上一部永不停止的跑步机，永远在追寻下一个刺激。我们应该也思考一下是否有可能通过多花些心思，让日常事务在某种程度上重放异彩。当然，一定程度的新奇感会是有价值的，但生活中还有别的美好事物——简单、满足感、对日常小乐趣的玩味。深刻地体会少数几样事物，也可以构建一个丰富的人生。
The answer to the question of what must we do before we die, by the way, is “nothing”. Like everything else, diversity of experience will become oppressive if taken as a “must”, even if you’re the kind of person who thrives on it. We don’t have to do anything, although we might choose to do many things. On the other hand, we might just find it more satisfying to watch the blue tits in our garden, like we have done so many times before. 顺便说一句，“什么是人生必须做的事”，这个问题的答案是：没有。跟所有东西一样，当多样化的体验变成一种“必须”时，它也会变得令人难以忍受，即便你是那种喜欢多姿多彩生活的人。没有什么必须做的事情，不过我们可以选择去做许多事情。但另一方面，可能我们就是觉得，观察自家花园中的青山雀更有意思，就像以往多次做过的那样。
