美丽英文:推开生活之门-第6章
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趴戳似鹄础�
在与他的交谈中,我发现他很小就养成了在口袋中放一本袖珍书的习惯,休息时就拿出来看。他发现特别是在等候的时候,有一本书特别有用,它可以让人的心情得到放松。我们每天都要等吃饭、等坐车、等看病、等理发、等电话、等约会、等表演,或是等待其他事情的发生。在这些时间里,他有了属于自己的每天阅读所需的15分钟,甚至更多,一年他能读20本书,一生就是一千本书。
没有什么通用公式。每天,我们都必须发现自己的15分钟。最好是有规律的,这样所有其他的额外时间就会有意外的收获了。找到额外时间读书的机会很多,也会有一些意外感。昨晚,一位朋友不请自到,人手多了,我便不能打桥牌,可是我的手边刚好有一本简装书,尽管没有打成桥牌,可是我依然很愉快。
唯一所需的就是读书的决心。这样无论多忙,你都可以找到这15分钟。而且,手边一定要有一本书。既然这15分钟已经开始,就不要浪费一秒。把书事先准备好,穿衣服的时侯将它放进口袋,床头放一本,浴室放一本,餐桌上也要放一本。
这样你就不会丢失这15分钟了,这意味着你一个星期就能读半本书,一个月就能读两本,一年能读20本,一生能读一千本,或者更多。这可是一个博览群书的简便办法。
忙忙碌碌的现代人,总是苦于没有时间读书。现在好了,这篇文章为你提供了一种好方法——每天只要抽出15分钟的时间,何不一试呢?定会让你受益终生。
How to Find Time to Read
Louis Shores
If you are an average reader you can read all average book at the rate of 300 words a minute。 You cannot maintain that average; however; unless you read regularly every day。 Nor can you attain that speed with hard books in science; mathematics; agriculture1; business; or any subject that is new or unfamiliar to you。 The chances are you will never attempt that speed with poetry or want to race through some passages in fiction over which you wish to linger。 But for most novels; biographies; and books about travel; hobbies or personal interests; if you are an average reader you should have no trouble at all absorbing meaning and pleasure out of 300 printed words every 60 seconds。txt电子书分享平台
如何找出时间阅读(3)
Statistics are not always practicable; but consider these: If the average reader can read 300 words a minute of average reading; then in 15 minutes he can read 4;500 words。 Multiplied by 7; the days of the week; the product is 31;500。 Another multiplication by 4; the weeks of the month; makes 126;000。 And final multiplication by 12; the months of the total number of words of average reading an average reader can do in just 15 minutes a day for one year。
Books vary in length from 60;000 to 100;000 words。 The average is about 75;000 words。 In one year of average reading by an average reader for 15 minutes a day; 20 books will be read。 That’s a lot of books。 It is 4 times the number of books read by public…library borrowers in America。 And yet it is easily possible。
One of the greatest of all modern physicians was Sir William Osler。 He taught at the Johns Hopkins Medical School。 He finished his teaching days at McGil University。 Many of the outstanding physicians2 today were his students。 Nearly all of the practicing doctors of today were brought up on his medical textbooks。 Among his many remarkable contributions to medicine are his unpublished notes on how people die。
His greatness is attributed by his biographers and critics3 not alone to his profound medical knowledge and insight but to his broad general education; for he was a very cultured man。 He was interested in what men have done and thought throughout the ages。 And he knew that the only way to find out what the best experiences of the race had been was to read what people had written。 But Osler’s problem was the same as everyone else’s; only more so。 He was a busy physician; a teacher of physicians; and a medical…research specialist。 There was no time in a 24…hour day that did not rightly belong to one of these three occupations; except the few hours for sleep; meals; and bodily functions。
Osler arrived at his solution early。 He would read the last 15 minutes before he went to sleep。 If bedtime was set for 11:00 ; he read from 11:00 to 11:15。 if research kept him up to 2:00 :00 to 2:15。 Over a very long lifetime; Osler never broke the rule once he had established it。 We have evidence that after a while he simply could not fall asleep until he had done his 15 minutes of reading。
In his lifetime; Osler read a significant library of books。 Just do a mental calculation for half a century of 15…minute reading periods daily and see how many books you get。 Consider what a range of interests and variety of subjects are possible in one lifetime。 Osler read widely outside of his medical specialty。 Indeed; he developed from this 15…minute reading habit an avocational specialty to balance his vocational specialization。 Among scholars in English literature; Osler is known as an authority on Sir Thomas Browne; seventeenth century English prose master and Osler’s library on Sir Thomas is considered one of the best anywhere。 A great many more things could be said about Osler’s contribution to medical research; to the reform of medical teaching; to the introduction of modern clinical methods。 But the important point for us here is that he answered supremely well for himself the question all of us who live a busy life must answer: How can I find time to read?
如何找出时间阅读(4)
The answer may not be the last 15 minutes before I go to sleep。 It may be 15 minutes a day at some other time。 In the busiest of calendars there is probably more than one 15…minute period tucked away somewhere still unassigned。 I’ve seen some curious solutidns to the problem of finding time for reading。
During army days in the last year of the war; I discovered a Pfc。 in my squadron who seemed unusually well read。 I found in his 201 file a remarkable civilian and military biography。 His four years of service included two overseas; all meritorious but without heroics。 Had all of his remendations4 for promotion gone through he would have had not only his mission; but probably the rank of captain。 But here he was; still a private first…class—because despite the military emphasis on education; efficiency; loyalty; and all other criteria for determining promotion; accident plays a most important part。 Every time this Pfc。 had been remended for promotion; except once; he had been transferred or e up against tablel of organization limitatious; or a new change in regulations; or a superior officer who had filled out the forms incorrectly or forgotten them in his third right…hand drawer。 And so he had remained a Pfc; and had taken his reward in reading。 The amount he did in the army was prodigious。
I was curious about his method。 And one day; before I asked him。 I found a partial answer。 Every day the enlisted men put in an hour of drill and formations。 During that time at least one fairly long period of rest was called。 Imagine my surprise on my first visit to the drill field when; at the mand “rest!” I saw one man in the whole long line pull out a paper pocket book and begin to read; standing up。
When I talked with him; I found that from boyhood he had developed the habit of carrying a little book in his pocket from which he read every minute he was not doing something else。 He found a book especially useful and relaxing during the periods of waiting which all of us experience daily—waiting for meals; buses; doctors; hair cuts; telephone calls; dates; performances to begin; or something to happen。 There were his 15 minutes a day; or more。 There were his 20 books a year—1;000 in a lifetime。
No universal formula can be prescribed。 Each of us must find our own 15…minute period each day。 It is better if it is regular。 Then all additional spare minutes are so many bonuses。 And; believe me; the opportunity for reading…bonuses are many and unexpected。 Last night an uninvited guest turned up to make five for bridge。 I had the kind of paper book at hand to make being the fifth at bridge a joy。
The only requirement is the will to read。 With it you can find the 15 minutes no matter how busy the day。 And you must have the book at hand。 Not even seconds of your 15 minutes must be wasted starting to read。 Set that book out in advance。 Put it into your pocket when you dress。 Put another book beside your bed。 Place one in your bathroom。 Keep one near your dining table。
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