雅思阅读材料之十个改变生活的小方法

　10个影响深远的小改变

　　When you want to change something in your life, it can feel overwhelming. Whether it’s losing 50lbs or switching careers, starting a side business or spring cleaning the home, it might be a change you’re desperately keen to make … but getting started is really tough.

　　当你想在生活中做出一些改变，你会感到深远的影响。不论是减重50磅还是改变职业，不论是开办副业还是打扫房屋，这也许是你一直渴望进行的改变。但开始这种改变确实很困难。

　　You don’t have to take huge, sweeping, radical steps, though. Small and simple changes are often the best way forwards – they’re sustainable and manageable, and you’re not likely to give up after one half-hearted attempt.

　　其实你没有必要采取巨大、complete、激进的措施。一些细小简单的改变往往是前进的途径。它们可持续、易管理，在一次缺乏热情的尝试之后你也不太容易放弃。

　　Here are ten to try.

　　下面就是10个可以尝试的小改变。

　　1. Set Your Alarm Half an Hour Earlier

　　把闹钟提前半小时

　　There’s never enough time in the day – especially when you want to start something new. Maybe you’d love to write a novel, take up exercise, or have time to pray or meditate.

　　白天的时机永远不够用，尤其当你想开始某件新事情时。也许你想写篇小说，锻炼一下，或者花些时间祷告或冥想。

　　Rather than trying to overhaul your schedule or make massive efficiency gains, how about simply setting your alarm half an hour earlier? An extra 30 minutes in the morning, before you go out to work, could make all the difference.

　　如果不想complete修改你的日程表，也不用大幅提升效率，只是把你的闹钟提前半小时怎么样?早晨在你出去工作前额外的30分钟会让一切不同。

2. Go For a Twenty Minute Walk Before Dinner

　　晚饭前散步20分钟

　　We all know how importance exercise is – particularly when it comes to keeping our energy levels up and reducing our chance of serious disease. But how many of us really manage to make exercise a consistent part of our lives?

　　我们都知道锻炼的重要性，尤其是它可以让我们保持能量充沛、降低患重病的几率。但我们有多少人真的在生活中坚持锻炼呢?

　　Instead of coming up with yet another over-enthusiastic routine (which lasts for all of a week), go for a much simpler change: add in a twenty minute walk each day, before dinner. You could head to the local store to pick up fresh veggies, or simply walk around the block a few times.

　　为了避免又一次三分钟热度的锻炼(顶多坚持一周)，你可以选择一种更加简单的改变：每天增加20分钟的散步时间。你可以走去本地的商店采购新鲜蔬菜，或者在街区附近走几个来回。

　　3. Put a Bottle of Water On Your Desk

　　在桌上放一瓶水

　　You may have taken on board the 6 – 8 glasses of water per day message, but do you really manage that? If you do, do you find yourself gulping down water when you get thirsty, after spending a morning or afternoon dehydrated?

　　你也许知道每天应该喝6-8杯水，但你真的做到了吗?如果做到了，你是不是发现自己在感到口渴，经历了一早上或者一下午脱水之后才大口喝水呢?

　　One of the simplest tricks for drinking more water is to keep a bottle of it on your desk. It’s easy to take a swig regularly if you’ve got water in arm’s reach – and if you keep the cap on the bottle, there’s no chance of a spillage.

　　一个多喝水的小秘诀就是把一瓶水放在你的桌上。如果你伸手就能拿到水，规律饮水就会更加容易。只要把瓶子盖好，水也不会洒出来。

　4. Hide the Television Remote (and Keep a Book by the Couch)

　　把电视遥控器藏起来(在沙发边放一本书)

　　There’s nothing wrong with watching television. But for many of us, the TV becomes a default activity. It’s all too easy to come home, slump on the couch, and reach straight for the remote without even thinking.

　　看电视没什么错。但对于我们许多人来说，电视成为了一项默认的活动。回到家中，窝在沙发里，想也不想就伸手拿遥控器，这一切都太容易了。

　　If that’s a habit you’re trying to break, put the remote somewhere else. Hide it in a cupboard or on a high shelf. That way, you’ll have to make a real decision to watch television.

　　如果你想改变这种习惯，就把遥控器放在别的地方。把它藏在橱柜或者高的架子上。这样一来，你就需要慎重决定要不要看电视了。

　　You can go even further with this by putting a book that you want to read, or something else you want to get on with, next to the couch.

　　你还可以更进一步，把一本你想读的书，或者别的你想看的东西放在沙发边上。

　　5. Take a Packed Lunch to Work

　　带着午饭便当去上班

　　Trying to save money or eat more healthily? Fed up of wasting half your lunch break standing in line to buy a sandwich? Then take your own lunch to work.

　　想要省钱或者吃得更健康?厌倦了把一半午休时间都浪费在排队买三明治上?那就自带午餐去上班吧。

　　It costs much less to make a sandwich at home than to buy one out, and it only takes a few minutes. You’ll know exactly what’s going into your meal, so you can control the amount of fat and the number of calories, too.

　　在家自制一个三明治比在外面买一个便宜得多，而且只需要几分钟。你会清楚知道这一餐的成分，这样你也可以控制脂肪和卡路里的摄入量。