時間就是金錢。所有的時間都是寶貴的。下面是一篇關於時間的中石油職稱英語閱讀理解題，希望能對大家的備考有所幫助。
The Value of Time 時間的價值
1."Time" says the proverb "is money". Thismeansthatevery momentwell-spentmay put some money into our pockets. If our time is usefully employed, it willeitherproduce some useful and importantpiece of work whichwill fetch its price in the market, or it will add to our experience and increase our capacitiesso as toenable us to earn moneywhenthe proper opportunity e can thus beno doubt thattime is convertible into money. Let thosewho think nothing of wasting time(定語從句)remember this; letthem remember thatan hourmisspent is equivalent tothe loss of abanknote; and thatan hourutilizedis tantamount toso much silver or gold; and then they willprobablythink twicebeforethey give their consent to the loss of any part of their time.
1、諺語(proverb)說：“時間就是金錢。(Timeis money)”這句話的意思是，一時片刻只要用得有效(well-spent adj. 使用得當的;充分利用了的)， 都會讓我們的口袋增添一些錢。如果(if)我們的時間使用得當，就能生產出有用的、重要的產品(piece of work 工件，即產品)，(which引導的定語從句)(這些產品)在市場上賣得(fetch)一定的價錢;就能充實(add to)經驗，增長才幹(capacities)，等到適當的時機(opportunity)來臨時，我們就能掙得金錢(enable us to earn money)。因此，毫無疑問的是：時間可以轉化為金錢(convertible adj. 可改變的;可變換的)。讓那些對浪費時間滿不在乎的人記住這一點(think nothing of 把...視為平常)。讓他們記住，浪費一小時等於(be equivalent to)損失一張鈔票，而利用一小時就等於(be tantamount to)得到若干金銀。這樣，他們想浪費時間時或許會三思(think twice)而後行。
over, our lifeis nothing more thanour kill timeis thereforea form ofsuicide. We are shocked when wethink ofdeath, and we spareno pains, no trouble, and noexpenseto preserve life. But we aretoooften indifferent to (後跟名詞或名詞性短語) loss of anhour or of a day, forgettingthat our life isthe sum totalof the days and ofthe hourswe live(定語從句).A day or an hourwastedis thereforeso much lifeforfeited. Let usbear this in mind, and waste oftime will appear to usin the lightofa crimeas culpable assuicide itself.
2、再說，我們的生命無非就是(be nothing more than)我們活在人世的時間。因此，浪費時間也就是一種自殺(a form of 一種...的形式)。我們想到死，便驚恐不已，因而不惜一切努力、麻煩和費用來保全(preserve)我們的生命(spare no pains 不遺餘力，全力以赴)。可是，我們對於損失一個小時或者一天的時間卻往往漠不關心(indifferent adj.)，忘記了我們的生命原本就是我們生活的每一天、每一小時的總和。因此，浪費一天或一小時也就是喪失(forfeited是forfeit的過去分詞，此處是做定語)一天或一小時的生命。讓我們記住(bear inmind)這一點，這樣就會把浪費時間看作(in the light of)一種罪過，跟自殺一樣應該受到懲罰(culpable adj. 應受處罰的)。
e is a third considerationwhichwill also tend towarnusagainstloss of time. Our life isa brief spanmeasuringsome sixty or seventy years in all, but nearly one half of this has to be spentin sleep; some years have to be spent over our meals; some over dressing andundressing; some in makingjourneyson landandvoyages by sea;some in merry-making,eitheron ourown accountor for the sake of others; some in celebrating religious and social festivities; somein watching overthe sick-beds of ournearest and dearest f all these years were to be deducted from the termover which our lifeextends, we shall find about fifteen or twenty years at ourdisposalfor active work.(虛擬語氣句型) Whoever remembers this canneverwillinglywaste a singlemoment of his life. "It isastonishing"says Lord Chesterfield, "thatanyone can squander awayin absolute idlenessone single moment ofthat portion of timewhich is allotted to us in this the true value of time;snatch,seize, and enjoy every moment of it!"
3、還有第三層考慮(consideration)，也會提醒我們別浪費時間(warn against 警告...不要)。人生短暫(a brief span)，總共(in all)不過六七十年，可是將近一半時間必須(has to)用於睡眠;吃飯時間加起來也得花去一些年; 穿衣脫衣又是一些年;水陸、陸路旅行(journeys旅行;voyages 長途旅行)又是一些年;再加上一些年娛樂(merry-make vi. 盡情歡樂)時間(不論是為自己還是為別人)(for the sake of 為了);一些年慶祝宗教節日和社會節日(festivity-festivities);還有一些年在病床(sick-bed)邊照看(watch over)至親至愛。現在如果從我們的壽命中扣除(deduct from)所有這些歲月(the term)，我們將會發現，能受我們支配的有效的工作時間大約僅十五或二十年而己(disposal n.支配;處理)。誰能記住這一點，誰就不會心甘情願地(willingly)浪費他生命的每一刻時間。查斯特菲爾德勳爵說過，“對於分配給(allot to)我們這一生的時間，若有人遊手好閒(idleness n.)，即使浪費(squander away)片刻，也是令人吃驚的(astonishing adj.)。要認識到時間的'真正價值，要爭分奪秒(snatch, seize)，充分利用有限的時間。”
time is precious; butthe time of our childhoodandofour youthismore precious thanany other portion ofour existence, forthose are the periods whenalone we canacquireknowledge and develop our faculties and capacities. If weallowthese morning hours of lifetoslip away,unutilized, we shall never be able torecoupthe loss. As we grow older, ourpower of acquisition gets blunted,sothat the art or science which is not acquired in childhood or youthwill never be acquired at asmoney laid out at interest doubles and trebles itselfin time, so the precious hoursof childhood and youth, if properly used, will yield usincalculableadvantages. "Everymoment you lose" says Lord Chesterfield "is so muchcharacter and advantage lost; ason the other hand, everymomentyou now employ usefully(定語從句)is so much time wisely laid out at prodigiousinterest."
4、所有的時間都是寶貴的(precious)，而我們童年和青年時期的光陰比一生中的其他階段都更為寶貴，因為(for)只有在這兩個階段我們才能獲取(acquire)知識、增長才幹(faculty-faculties)和發展各種才能(capacity-capacities)。如果我們讓這些生命的早晨時光悄悄溜走(slip away)，未得到利用(unutilized)，這損失將永遠也無法彌補(recoup)。等我們長大了，獲得知識(acquisition n.)的能力就變得遲鈍了(blunt vt. 使遲鈍adj.)，因此在童年和青年時期未能獲得的知識和技能將永遠不能獲得了。正像(just as)儲蓄金錢，產生利息(interest)，到時候(in time)會翻兩三倍(doubles and trebles itself)一樣，童年和青年時期的寶貴時光，如果使用得當，必將帶來(yield)不可估量的收益(incaluclableadvantages)。查斯特菲爾德勳爵還說過，“喪失的每一時刻就等於喪失了與之相當的名和利。從另一方面看，你現在有效利用的每一時刻正是明智地以這時間作為投資，將來定會獲取鉅額的(prodigious adj.)利息。”
5.A proper employment of time is ofgreat benefit to usfrom amoralpoint of view. Idleness is justlysaidto bethe rust of the mind andanidle brainis said to be Satan's workshop. It is mostlywhen you do not knowwhat to dowith yourselfthat you do something ill or wrong. The mind of the idlerpreys upon itself. As Wattshas said:
In works of labor or of skill
Let me be busy too;
For Satan finds some mischief still
For idle hands to do.
5、從道德的(moral adj.)觀點來看，恰當地利用時間對我們也有很大的好處(benefit)。懶惰(idleness)據說是(said to be)心靈上的鏽跡，懶人的頭腦據說是撒旦的作坊，這話說得很有理。犯錯誤大多數是由於無所事事、百無聊賴所致。懶人只會自尋煩惱或作繭自縛(prey upon 掠奪;捕食)。正如瓦茨所說，“我要勤快地工作，不管是粗活(labor)還是細活(skill);因為撒旦還有些壞事(mischief n. 惡作劇)，專借懶人的手去做。”
練習：
1. There can thus beno doubtthat time is into money.
A. convert B. Converted C. Convertible D. convertable
2. Our life is our time.
A. nothing more than B. something more
C. nothing more hing more than
3. We are shocked when we think of death, and we no pains, no trouble, and no expense topreserve life.
A. spend r t D. spare
4. A day or an hour is so much life .
A. waste、forfeit ed、forfeited
C. wasting、forfeiting D. wasted、forfeiting
5. There is a third considerationwhichwill tend to warn us loss of time.
A. don’t nst D. again
6. If all these years deducted from the term over which our lifeextends, we find about fifteen or twenty years at ourdisposal for active work.
A. will; shall to be; will
C. were to be; shall D. are to be; shall
7. The time of our childhood and of our youth is than any other portion of our existence,forthose arethe periods alone we can acquire knowledge and develop ourfaculties and capacities.
A. preciouser; when B. most proicous; that
C. more proicous ;when D. Precious; that
8. If we allow these morning hours of life to slip , we shall never be abletorecoupthe loss.
A. away C. out D. down
9. If properly used, the precious hours ofchildhood and youth will yieldus advantages.
A. calculable B. Incalculable C. Calculate ulated
10. The mind of the idler preys itself.
A. into C. on D. upon
