(单词翻译:单击)
Recording One
录音一
Did you know that Americans have approximately 3 times the amount of space we had 50 years ago? Therefore, you'd think we'd have sufficient room for all of our possessions. On the contrary, the personal storage business is now a growing industry. We've got triple the space, but we've become such enthusiastic consumers that we require even more. This phenomenon has resulted in significant credit card debt, enormous environmental footprints, and perhaps not coincidentally, our happiness levels have failed to increase over the same half century.
你知道吗，美国人拥有的空间大约是50年前的3倍？因此，你会认为我们有足够的空间存放我们所有的个人财产。但相反，个人存储业务目前是一个蓬勃发展的行业。我们拥有三倍的空间，但身为狂热消费者的我们还需要更多。这一现象引发了大量的信用卡债务和巨大的环境足迹，而且不凑巧的是，我们的幸福水平在同样的半个世纪里却没有提高。
I'm here to suggest an alternative - that having less, might actually be a preferable decision. Many of us have experienced, at some stage, the pleasure of possessing less. I propose that less stuff and less space can not only help you economize, but also simplify your life. I recently started an innovative project to discover some creative solutions that offered me everything I required. By purchasing an apartment that was 40 square meters instead of 60, I admittedly saved $200,000. Smaller space leads to reduce utility bills, and also a smaller carbon footprint. Because it's designed around an edited collection of possessions, limited to my favorite stuff, I'm really excited to live there.
为此，我提出了一个替代方案，即拥有的更少，这实际上可能是一个更好的决定。我们中的许多人在某些阶段都曾经历过拥有更少东西的乐趣。我建议让我们拥有的东西和空间变得更少，这样不仅可以节省开支，而且可以简化生活。我最近开始了一个创新项目，通过发现一些创造性的解决方案来提供我所需要的一切。我买了一套40平方米的公寓，而没买60平方米的，无可否认，我省了20万美元。更小的空间可以减少水电费，也可以减少碳足迹。公寓的设计理念是围绕着我所拥有的大量个人财产而进行的，所以我只能存放我最喜欢的东西，我真的很兴奋住在那里。
How can we live more basically? Firstly, we must ruthlessly cut the unnecessary objects out of our lives. To stem consumption, we should think before we buy, and ask ourselves," will it truly make me happier?" Obviously, we should possess some great stuff, but we want belongings that we're going to love for years. Secondly, we require space efficiency. We want appliances that are designed for use most of the time, not for occasional use. Why own a six-burner stove when you rarely use even three burners? Finally, we need multifunctional spaces and housewares.
我们怎样才能更基本地生活？首先，我们必须无情地从我们的生活中剔除不必要的东西。为了抑制消费，我们应该在购买之前思考一下，问问自己，“它真的会让我更快乐吗？”显然，我们应该拥有一些很棒的东西，但我们想要一些我们会爱惜多年的东西。第二，我们需要空间效率。我们要的电器是专为频繁使用而设计的，而不是那些用的很少的。当你很少使用三个炉子的时候，为什么还要拥有六个炉子呢？最后，我们需要多功能空间和家庭用品。
I combined a movable wall with transforming furniture to get more out of my limited space. Consider my coffee table. It increases in size to accommodate ten. My office is tucked away, easily hidden. My bed simply pops out the wall. For guests, I can relocate the movable wall and utilize the foldable guest beds I installed.
我把移动墙和改造家具结合起来，使有限的空间得到更多的利用。想想我的咖啡桌。它的大小可以调整到10倍大。我的办公室能够很容易藏起来。我的床可简单从墙上弹下来。至于可以，我可以重新安置移动墙，并利用我安装的可折叠客房床来招待他们。
I'm not saying we should all live in tinier apartments, but consider the benefits of an edited life. When you return home and walk through your front door, take a moment to ask yourselves," could I do with a little life editing? Will that give me more freedom and more time?"
我并不是说我们都应该住在更小的公寓里，而是请大家考虑一下变形生活的好处。当你回到家，走过前门时，花点时间问问自己，“我能接受一部分变形生活吗？那会给我更多的自由和时间吗？”
16. What has prevented Americans happiness levels from increasing?
16. 是什么阻止了美国人的幸福感水平的提高？
17. What things should we possess according to the speaker?
17. 演讲者认为我们应该拥有什么东西？
18. What do we learn about the items in the speaker's home?
18. 从演讲者家里的物品来看，我们可以了解到什么？
