It is August, and summer vacation is half-way over. Yes, it feels like it's downhill all the way from here.
来到八月，暑假也已过半。的确，感觉上就好像从现在开始，一切每况愈下。
Those perfect summer books are going to go unread, your last-minute plans will go undone, and the optimism you held at the beginning that this season would be different–that this would be the best summer ever–has gone entirely.
那些完美夏日书籍还没来得及读，那些最后一刻制定的计划也都无疾而终。假期开始时，你乐观地认为，这个暑期定会别开生面，将是你度过的最美好的暑假。而今，这种乐观情绪早已消失殆尽。
However, before you become depressed, it is not too late. Let's list what you meant to do, what you actually did, and suggest how to salvage your good intentions.
然而，在你心情跌到谷底之前，现在还是为时不晚的。把你要做的和已做的事情列份清单，让我们看看如何挽回你的良好初衷。
Vacation at home
宅人假期
Intention: Make a bunch of travel plans.
初衷：制定一系列旅行计划。
As usual you made a few plans: you were going to visit popular places such as seaside cities, or country towns. Or perhaps you were invited to visit high school friends in other cities.
跟往常一样，你制定了一些计划：你打算去像海滨城市或乡村小镇这样的热门旅游胜地。或者，你也许受邀前往其他城市去拜访高中同学。
But as things turned out you discovered that plane tickets were too expensive, train tickets were sold out, and friends stood you up.
但结果是，你发现机票太贵，火车票售罄，而朋友们也放了你的鸽子。
New suggestion: Vow to go nowhere.
新建议：发誓哪儿都不去
Making travel plans can give you a headache. Going traveling can make you suffer more. So, lower your expectations.
制定旅行计划令人头疼不已。旅游更是让人痛苦不堪。所以，降低你的期望。
No one claims that summer vacation is incomplete without travel. It's up to you to decide how you spend your time.
没有人会认为，暑假不出去旅行就不完整。如何安排时间，这取决于你自己。
Read what comes to hand
阅读手边的书籍
Intention: Track down a summer reading list.
初衷：对照一份夏季阅读清单，按部就班。
You were supposed to get it together and read some good books, or at least read the list that you put together to remind yourself of what you should be reading.
你本应该理清头绪来阅读一些好的书籍，或者至少要看看自己罗列起来的书单，提醒自己应该读些什么。
New Suggestion: Just read whatever you can lay your hands on.
新建议：阅读那些你手边的书籍。
You can take a recommendation from friends, or maybe just go into your favorite local bookstore and buy something of the right size and weight that looks great. Go home, fix yourself a cold drink and read the book. Stay up the whole night to finish it if you want, because it's summer and you can.
你可以听从朋友推荐，或者也许你只需要走进当地自己最喜欢的那家书店，购买一些大小重量恰到好处且看起来不错的书。回到家，为自己准备一杯冷饮，开始阅读。如果你愿意，可以熬个通宵读完整本书。因为这是暑假，你可以这么做。
Ditch those flip-flops
丢弃人字拖
Intention: Promise to never wear flip-flops again.
初衷：发誓从此不再穿人字拖。
You decided to wear espadrilles. However, the promise is very likely to be broken when you go buy breakfast in the morning, take a short walk after dinner, or when your parents ask you to take the trash downstairs.
你决定改穿帆布鞋。但这个决定很可能在买早点、晚饭后散步或者父母让你下楼倒垃圾时，便不攻自破了。
New Suggestion: Throw away your flip-flops.
新建议：把你的人字拖扔进垃圾桶。
They are truly disgusting at this point, and possibly carry a virus, but we still don't trust you not to wear them. Be strong. Put them in the trash and don't look back.
此时此刻，尽管那些人字拖鞋实在是令人生厌，也许还携带着病毒，但我们仍旧不相信你会抛弃它们。狠心点，把它们丢进垃圾桶，头也不回地离开。
Anything goes in the summer
我的暑假，我做主
Intention: Peruse your wardrobe.
初衷：仔细检查你的衣柜。
We told you to buy tank tops and shorts, because you would wear them. How did that go?
我们曾告诉你去买些背心和短裤，因为你穿得着。后来如何呢？
New Suggestion: Pull out the clothes you haven't worn and wear them while there's still time.
新建议：取出那些你没有穿过的衣服，趁还有时间，穿穿看。
It is the point in the summer that we call "everything goes".
这正是我们称之为“我的暑假，我做主”的原因。
Not too late for a little romance
谈谈恋爱，为时不晚
Intention: Promise yourself you'll make that move.
初衷：答应自己，你会有所行动。
This was our nudge to infuse your summer with a bit romance. You were supposed to go for it, ask your crush on a date, work up the nerve to tell that boy or girl what kind of feeling you have for them.
我们鼓励你去为自己的假期注入一些小浪漫。你应该大胆一试，跟你的心上人约会，鼓起勇气向心仪的男孩或女孩表白，诉说你对他（她）的感觉。
New Suggestion: Depends how well the first move went.
新建议：取决于你的第一步进展得如何。
Repeat: it is not too late for summer romance. If your first fling went badly, you're probably about ready to jump in the pool again.
再次重申：暑期恋爱还为时不晚。如果你的第一次尝试很糟糕，你也许要准备好再次受挫了。
Timing is nearly everything. Make a plan to hang out with that dear friend you haven't seen nearly enough (or at all) this summer, before we get into September.
安排好时间是王道。制定计划，在步入九月之前，约上那些今夏相聚次数少得可怜或几乎为零的好友们出去闲逛。
You've got what it takes
你已然准备好了
If you have accomplished our list, there's no way your summer has been so terrible as you imagine it to be. If you feel like you've only done a few things, or none, take a deep breath and try harder.
如果你已经实现了我们清单中列举的这些，那么你的暑假绝不会像你想象中的那样糟糕。如果你觉得自己只完成了其中几条，或者几乎零作为，那就深吸一口气，再加把劲吧。
Chances are, you've got what it takes to make this summer yours, and if you don't, you really shouldn't be complaining when school starts.
有可能，你已经做好足够的准备去打造一个专属自己的假期。如果你没有这样做，那么到了开学时，你真的没什么好抱怨的了。