Life in the Philosophy Class

 A professor stood before his Philosophy class and had some items in front of him.    
一個教授帶了一些東西來到他的哲學課堂
When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.  
開始上課的時候他一言不發地拿起一個大的空的蛋黃醬瓶子。然後往裏面放滿了高爾夫球。    
He then asked the students if the jar was full.  
然後他問學生這個瓶子是否滿了  
They agreed that it was.    
他們說是的  
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.    
然後教授又拿起一些小一些的鵝卵石繼續放入瓶子  
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.    
他輕輕晃動瓶子以至鵝卵石填滿了高爾夫球的所有空隙  
He then asked the students again if the jar was full.    
然後他又問學生是否這個瓶子滿了  
They agreed it was.    
學生回答滿了  
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.    
教授又繼續往裏倒入了沙子  
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.    
當然沙子填滿了整個瓶子  
He asked once more if the jar was full.    
教授又問同樣的問題  
The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'    
學生異口同聲回答滿了  
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire co ntents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.    
這是教授從桌子下面倒了兩杯咖啡，然後把咖啡一滴不剩地倒入了瓶子裏，咖啡很快滲入了每個角落  
The students laughed.    
學生們都大笑了起來  
'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.    
'現在'教授等笑聲平息以後說道：'我希望你們把這個瓶子比作你們的生活'  
'The golf balls are the important things - your God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.    
'高爾夫球代表了你生命中所有最重要的元素-你的信仰，家庭，你的孩子，健康，朋友，還有你的激情-這些就算什麼其他的你都失去了你也還一樣擁有的話，你的生活還是會一樣充實。'  
'The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.    
'鵝卵石就代表了那些其他事情比如：工作，房子還有你的車子。'  
'The sand is everything else--the small stuff.    
'沙子更是那些最次要的瑣屑事'  
'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.    
'如果你先把沙子放入瓶中，'他繼續說：'那就不會再有放鵝卵石和高爾夫球的空間了'  
'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.    
'生活也是一樣的。  
'如果你花了你所有的時間和精力在那些瑣事上，你永遠也不會有時間和機會花在那些對你其實意味深遠的事上。  
'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.    
'請把注意力放在那些最你有真正意義的事上：  
'Play with your children.    
'花時間和孩子玩耍  
'Take time to get medical checkups.    
'花時間去做健康檢查  
'Take your partner out to dinner.    
'帶你的伴侶出去晚餐  
'Play another 18.    
'花時間在你的興趣上  
'There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.    
'永遠應該有時間去整理房子和把該修的地方修好  
'Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter.  
'首先照顧好你的'高爾夫球'，這纔是你最重要的  
'Set your priorities.  
'按優先級別安排你的生活  
'The rest is just sand.'    
'其他的事情就只是些沙子  
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented..    
這是一個學生舉手提問問:那咖啡代表什麼  
The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked.    
教授笑着說：我很高興你問問這個問題  
'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.'    
'其含義就是讓你知道，不管你的生活安排得有多滿，你也總該有時間和朋友喝上兩杯咖啡 ;o)