He said, “[do] external things distract you?

他說："外部事物是否讓你分心？

Then make time for yourself to learn something worthwhile; stop letting yourself be pulled

然後為自己騰出時間，學習一些有價值的東西；不要再讓自己被拉著走。

in all directions.

在所有的方向。

But make sure you guard against the other kind of confusion.

但要確保你防止另一種混亂。

People who labor all their lives but have no purpose to direct every thought and impulse

一生勞作卻沒有目標的人，他們的每一個想法和衝動都是由他們自己決定的。

toward are wasting their time—even when hard at work.”

即使在努力工作的時候，也在浪費他們的時間。"

In my opinion, Marcus got to the heart of a focused life: do something worthwhile.

在我看來，馬庫斯抓住了專注生活的核心：做有價值的事情。

A surprising amount of depth and power lies behind this simple idea, and the best way

這個簡單的想法背後蘊含著令人驚訝的深度和力量，而最好的方法是

I can explain it is through a dialogue.

我可以解釋是通過對話。

--- Taisho, a wealthy businessman, climbed to

--- 大正，一個富有的商人，爬上了

the top of Mt Miyazaki where he met with a wise monk.

他在宮崎山頂與一位聰明的和尚會面。

The following conversation ensued.

隨後進行了以下對話。

T: I find myself distracted everyday.

T：我發現自己每天都心不在焉。

I'm the head of a large company whose revenue is declining each quarter.

我是一家大公司的負責人，其收入每季度都在下降。

People are depending on me, but I can't seem to focus on the business.

人們都在依賴我，但我似乎無法專注於業務。

How can I regain my attention?

我怎樣才能重新獲得我的注意力？

M: Live sincerely.

M：真誠地活著。

T: What do you mean?

T：你是什麼意思？

M: Do something worth your while.

M：做一些值得你去做的事情。

T: How will that lead to ultimate focus?

T：這將如何導致最終的專注？

M: When you live sincerely, when you do something worth your while, when you do what you genuinely

M：當你真誠地生活，當你做一些值得你做的事情，當你做你真正的

want to do, your focus is never forced.

想做的事，你的注意力從來不是被迫的。

Watch your mind.

注意你的思想。

Notice: when you're at work, your attention is being pulled by something you consider

注意：當你在工作時，你的注意力被一些你認為的東西所吸引

more worthwhile.

更值得一提的是。

Perhaps your attention is drawn to another business idea, or relationship problems, or

也許你的注意力被另一個商業想法所吸引，或關係問題，或

recreational activities.

娛樂活動。

Focus naturally falls on what we consider worthwhile.

重點自然落在我們認為有價值的東西上。

It gravitates towards the things we value.

它對我們所珍視的事物有吸引力。

T: But as a CEO, I can't always do what I want to do.

T：但作為一名首席執行官，我不能總是做我想做的事。

I have duties.

我有職責。

M: Then you should not expect ultimate focus.

男：那麼你就不應該期待最終的專注。

You should expect to be distracted, and you shall be distracted by the very things you

你應該預期會分心，而且你會被你的事情分心。

genuinely want to do, which is where your attention naturally falls.

真正想做的事，也就是你的注意力自然會落在這裡。

If you live a life of duty, your attention will always be torn between doing what you

如果你過著責任的生活，你的注意力將總是在做你的事和做你的事之間徘徊。

“should do” and what you want to do.

"應該做 "和你想做的事。

Your entire life will be a state of distraction.

你的整個生活將是一種分心的狀態。

While in a meeting, you will be thinking of something more worthwhile—resolving a fight

在開會的時候，你會想一些更有價值的事情--解決爭吵。

with your spouse, creating another business, or planning a vacation–and you will not

與你的配偶，創建另一項業務，或計劃一個假期，而你將不會

be attentive at work.

在工作中要專心致志。

T: Then your words are useless to me.

T：那麼你的話對我來說是無用的。

How can anyone hope to live a life of ultimate focus?

任何人怎麼能希望過一種終極專注的生活呢？

Doesn't everyone have to do things they don't want to do?

難道不是每個人都要做他們不想做的事情嗎？

M: No.

M：沒有。

People choose to live insincerely.

人們選擇不真誠地生活。

They choose to live according to what they “should do” rather than what they want

他們選擇按照他們 "應該做的 "而不是他們想做的來生活。

to do because it brings them security.

因為這能給他們帶來安全感。

I am not saying that you should or shouldn't do anything.

我不是說你應該或不應該做什麼。

I am not saying to neglect your duties as the head of a company, but if you live insincerely,

我不是說要忽視你作為公司負責人的職責，但如果你不真誠地活著。

if you do things that you don't feel are worthwhile, you should expect to be distracted.

如果你做那些你覺得不值得做的事情，你應該預期會被分心。

I am simply describing to you the way your own mind works.

我只是在向你描述你自己的思維運作方式。

T: What you're saying makes a bit of sense, but this idea of living sincerely seems unrealistic

T：你說的有點道理，但這種真誠地生活的想法似乎不切實際

to me.

對我來說。

What if someone wants to commit a crime?

如果有人想犯罪怎麼辦？

Do you advise they follow what they want to do then?

那你建議他們遵循他們想做的事嗎？

M: I am not advising anything.

男：我沒有建議什麼。

I am saying that when someone does what they view as worthwhile, they naturally achieve

我是說，當一個人做他們認為有價值的事情時，他們自然會實現

ultimate focus.

最終的重點。

Let me ask you a question: have you met a criminal who was not a slave to his passions?

讓我問你一個問題：你見過一個沒有被激情奴役的罪犯嗎？

A criminal who was not a slave to his anger, or his lust, or his envy, or his greed, or

一個不為自己的憤怒、慾望、嫉妒、貪婪所奴役的罪犯，是不可能的。

his resentment, or his worldview?

他的怨恨，還是他的世界觀？

T: I can't say that I have.

T：我不能說我有。

M: So you asked me if one who goes beyond duty becomes a criminal, yet we both agree

男：所以你問我，一個人如果超越了職責就會成為罪犯，然而我們都同意

that it is the criminal's duty to his own feelings, passions, and worldview that cause

導致犯罪的是罪犯對自己的感情、激情和世界觀的責任。

his behaviour.

他的行為。

And I have met hundreds of this type, the ones who do what they “should do”, the

我見過數以百計的這種類型的人，他們做他們 "應該做的"，他們是 "應該做的"。

ones who follow their duty.

遵循其職責的人。

Endless crimes have been committed in the name of duty: duty to one's pride, one's

以責任的名義犯下了無盡的罪行：對自己的自尊心的責任，對自己的

anger, one's jealousy, one's family, one's king, one's nation, or one's god.

一個人的憤怒，一個人的嫉妒，一個人的家庭，一個人的國王，一個人的國家，或者一個人的神。

Every criminal believes she knows how the world “should be”, and this “should”

每個罪犯都認為她知道這個世界 "應該 "是怎樣的，而這個 "應該"

is what leads to her crime.

是導致她犯罪的原因。

T: I'm at a loss for words.

T：我不知所措了。

But if I do what I want to do, won't I get fat and lazy?

但如果我做我想做的事，我不會變胖和變懶嗎？

M: Maybe.

M：也許吧。

Maybe not.

也許不是。

You might become the strongest you have ever been.

你可能會成為你有史以來最強壯的人。

T: How is that possible?

T：這怎麼可能呢？

M: When one lives sincerely, without being sheltered from the consequences of their actions,

男：當一個人真誠地生活，而不被其行為的後果所掩蓋。

they truly learn.

他們真正的學習。

When one truly learns, the things they want change.

當一個人真正學會了，他們想要的東西就會改變。

After months of eating, drinking, and relaxing, you will suffer some consequences.

經過幾個月的吃喝玩樂和放鬆，你將承受一些後果。

And after these consequences, you may realize that is not how you truly want to spend your

而在這些後果之後，你可能會意識到這並不是你真正想要的生活方式。

life.

生活。

T: What if I can't live life the way you suggest?

T：如果我不能按照你的建議生活呢？

What if I choose to live an insincere life?

如果我選擇過一種不真誠的生活呢？

How can I focus then?

那我怎麼能集中精力呢？

M: Then you must get rid of all the things you genuinely want to do from your environment.

男：那麼你必須從你的環境中去掉所有你真正想做的事情。

Prisoners in your city often read and exercise when they are sent to prison because they

你所在城市的囚犯在被送入監獄時經常閱讀和鍛鍊，因為他們

have nothing better to do.

沒有更好的事情可做。

You must design your life so that you have nothing better to do than your work.

你必須設計你的生活，使你沒有比你的工作更好的事情可做。

Remove it all, and then you might achieve the focus you desire.

把它全部刪除，然後你就可能實現你所期望的焦點。

But then you will be a prisoner, and even in prison, you might not escape the distraction

但那樣的話，你就會成為一個囚犯，即使在監獄裡，你也可能無法逃脫分心的命運。

of your own thoughts.

你自己的想法。

It's your choice; live as you wish.

這是你的選擇；按你的意願生活。

--- Marcus Aurelius said that the path to ultimate

--- 馬庫斯-奧勒留說，通向終極的道路

focus was to do something worthwhile, and I explored the meaning behind this idea through

重點是做一些有意義的事情，我通過以下方式探索這個想法背後的意義

a dialogue.

a對話。

It seems that there are two ways to ultimate focus: sincerity or imprisonment.

似乎有兩種方式可以達到最終的專注：真誠或監禁。

In today's society, the popular way is the way of imprisonment.

在今天的社會中，流行的方式是監禁的方式。

Someone who takes this path wishes they had a chamber that could seal them in for a set

走這條路的人希望自己有一個可以把他們封在裡面的密室，以獲得一套

amount of time with nothing to do but their work.

除了工作之外，沒有任何事情可做的時間。

In fact, they'd prefer if they couldn't physically leave the chamber until their work

事實上，他們更希望在他們的工作結束前不能離開會議室。

was actually finished.

實際上已經完成了。

But that's just a glorified prison.

但那只是一個美化的監獄。

So if one takes the way of imprisonment, they spend their time downloading app blockers,

是以，如果一個人採取監禁的方式，他們會把時間花在下載應用程序阻止器上。

a-lotting time for themselves to take a break, turning off the internet, removing the TV

為自己留出休息的時間，關閉互聯網，移走電視。

and game consoles, hiding their phone, isolating themselves in a quiet place, and in general,

和遊戲機，藏起他們的手機，把自己隔離在一個安靜的地方，一般來說。

crafting an environment so there's nothing better to do than their work.

營造一個環境，讓人們沒有比他們的工作更好的事情可做。

None of these activities are bad in themselves, but they are often just band-aids over the

這些活動本身都不是壞事，但它們往往只是覆蓋在 "我 "身上的Ok繃。

realer, deeper problem.

更真實、更深刻的問題。

Someone who takes this path spends their life in conflict with themselves.

走這條路的人，一生都在與自己的衝突中度過。

And at the end of the day, these tricks often don't work.

而到了最後，這些招數往往不起作用。

The alternative path is the way of sincerity.

另一條路是真誠之路。

When one lives sincerely, they easily and instantly become focused.

當一個人真誠地生活時，他們很容易就會立刻變得專注。

And as one lives sincerely, without being sheltered from the consequences of their actions,

而正如一個人真誠地生活，不受他們行為後果的庇護。

they truly learn.

他們真正的學習。

And when one truly learns, they gain wisdom.

而當一個人真正學習的時候，他們就會獲得智慧。

And wisdom is the path to ultimate focus.

而智慧是通往最終專注的道路。

If someone thinks I'm saying to follow your passion, or do what you love, or some other

如果有人認為我在說追隨你的激情，或者做你喜歡的事情，或者其他什麼

cliche instruction, they haven't understood me.

陳詞濫調的訓示，他們還沒有理解我。

I'm saying when one does what they genuinely want to do, focus is the natural result.

我是說當一個人做他們真正想做的事情時，專注是自然的結果。

When someone does what they feel they should do, distraction is the natural result.

當有人做他們覺得自己應該做的事時，分心是自然的結果。

When someone does what they genuinely want to do without being sheltered from the consequences,

當一個人做他們真正想做的事而不被庇護的後果。

they become wiser.

他們變得更有智慧。

When someone does what they feel they should do, they gain knowledge at best, not wisdom.

當有人做他們覺得應該做的事時，他們最多獲得知識，而不是智慧。

And wisdom is the path to ultimate focus.

而智慧是通往最終專注的道路。

But at the end of the day, this is just my opinion and understanding of Marcus' words

但在最後，這只是我對馬庫斯的話的看法和理解

and the nature of focus, not advice.

和重點的性質，而不是建議。

Feel free to use this information however you like, and if you have a different take

請隨意使用這些資訊，如果你有不同的看法

on Marcus' words, I'd love to hear your perspective

關於馬庫斯的話，我很想聽聽你的看法

in

在

the comments.

的評論。