The 'big rocks' in life 人生的大石頭

One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget.

一天，時(shí)間管理專家為一群學(xué)生講課。他現(xiàn)場(chǎng)做了演示，給學(xué)生們留下了一生都難以磨滅的印象。

As he stood in front of the group of overachievers he said, "OK, time for a quiz."

站在那些高智商高學(xué)歷的學(xué)生前面，他說：“我們來做個(gè)小測(cè)驗(yàn)”。

He pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth jar and set it on the table in front of him.

拿出一個(gè)一加侖的廣口瓶放在他面前的桌上。

He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar.

隨后，他取出一堆拳頭大小的石塊，仔細(xì)地一塊塊放進(jìn)玻璃瓶。

When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"

直到石塊高出瓶口，再也放不下了，他問道：“瓶子滿了？”

Everyone in the class yelled, "Yes."

所有學(xué)生應(yīng)道：“滿了！”。

The time management expert replied, "Really?"

時(shí)間管理專家反問：“真的？”

He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel.

He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar, causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.

他伸手從桌下拿出一桶礫石，倒了一些進(jìn)去，并敲擊玻璃瓶壁使礫石填滿下面石塊的間隙。

He then asked the group once more, "Is this jar full?"

“現(xiàn)在瓶子滿了嗎？”他第二次問道。

By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered.

但這一次學(xué)生有些明白了，“可能還沒有”，一位學(xué)生應(yīng)道。

"Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel.

“很好！”專家說。他伸手從桌下拿出一桶沙子，開始慢慢倒進(jìn)玻璃瓶。沙子填滿了石塊和礫石的所有間隙。

Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"

他又一次問學(xué)生：“瓶子滿了嗎？”

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