Many young persons seem to think it of not much consequence if they do not improve their time well in youth,
許多年輕人似乎認為,如果年輕時不善于管理時間,并不會產(chǎn)生什么不良后果,
vainly expecting that they can make it up by diligence when they are older.
只是徒勞地寄希望于長大后通過勤奮進行彌補。
They also think it is disgraceful for men and women to be idle,
他們還認為懶惰對于男人和女人來說都是件不光彩的事,
but that there can be no harm for persons who are young to spend their time in any manner they please.
但對于年輕人來說,用他們自己喜歡的任何方式安排時間都是沒有大礙的。
George Jones thought so. When he was twelve years old, he went to an academy to prepare to enter college.
喬治.瓊斯就是這么想的。當他12歲時,進入專科學(xué)校學(xué)習,為考大學(xué)做準備。
His father was at great expense in obtaining books for him, clothing him, and paying his tuition.
他父親花了很多錢為他準備書本、衣服和交學(xué)費。
But George was idle.
但是喬治總是很懶散。
The preceptor of the academy would often tell him that if he did not study diligently when young he would never succeed well.
學(xué)校的老師總會告訴他,如果年輕時不努力學(xué)習,將來就不會有所成就。
But George thought of nothing but present pleasure.
但是喬治什么都不想,只想著眼前的快樂。
He would often go to school without having made any preparation for his morning lesson;
他經(jīng)常不做任何預(yù)習就去學(xué)校上早課;
and, when called to recite with his class, he would stammer and make such blunders that the rest of the class could not help laughing at him.
而叫他背誦時,他就會結(jié)結(jié)巴巴地犯錯誤,其他同學(xué)們都忍不住要笑話他。
He was one of the poorest scholars in the school, because he was one of the most idle.
他在學(xué)校是成績最差的學(xué)生,就因為他總是懶惰。
When recess came, and all the boys ran out of the academy upon the playground, idle George would come moping along.
課間休息時間到了,所有的男孩都跑出教室,到操場上去,懶惰的喬治總是沒精打采地挪過去。
Instead of studying diligently while in school, he was indolent and half asleep.
課間休息時間到了,所有的男孩都跑出教室,到操場上去,懶惰的喬治總是沒精打采地挪過去。
When the proper time for play came, he had no relish for it.
當真正玩耍的時間到了,他也不能享受其中的樂趣。
I recollect very well, that, when "tossing up" for a game of ball,
我記得非常清楚,每當玩球“拋硬幣”分組時,
we used to choose everybody on the playground before we chose George;
我們通常會在選擇了操場上的每個人之后再選喬治;
and if there were enough without him we used to leave him out.
如果不用選他,人數(shù)已經(jīng)夠了,我們就把他甩在一邊。