Many young persons seem to think it of not much consequence if they do not improve their time well in youth,
许多年轻人似乎认为，如果年轻时不善于管理时间，并不会产生什么不良后果，
vainly expecting that they can make it up by diligence when they are older.
只是徒劳地寄希望于长大后通过勤奋进行弥补。
They also think it is disgraceful for men and women to be idle,
他们还认为懒惰对于男人和女人来说都是件不光彩的事，
but that there can be no harm for persons who are young to spend their time in any manner they please.
但对于年轻人来说，用他们自己喜欢的任何方式安排时间都是没有大碍的。
George Jones thought so. When he was twelve years old, he went to an academy to prepare to enter college.
乔治.琼斯就是这么想的。当他12岁时，进入专科学校学习，为考大学做准备。
His father was at great expense in obtaining books for him, clothing him, and paying his tuition.
他父亲花了很多钱为他准备书本、衣服和交学费。
But George was idle.
但是乔治总是很懒散。
The preceptor of the academy would often tell him that if he did not study diligently when young he would never succeed well.
学校的老师总会告诉他，如果年轻时不努力学习，将来就不会有所成就。
But George thought of nothing but present pleasure.
但是乔治什么都不想，只想着眼前的快乐。
He would often go to school without having made any preparation for his morning lesson;
他经常不做任何预习就去学校上早课；
and, when called to recite with his class, he would stammer and make such blunders that the rest of the class could not help laughing at him.
而叫他背诵时，他就会结结巴巴地犯错误，其他同学们都忍不住要笑话他。
He was one of the poorest scholars in the school, because he was one of the most idle.
他在学校是成绩最差的学生，就因为他总是懒惰。
When recess came, and all the boys ran out of the academy upon the playground, idle George would come moping along.
课间休息时间到了，所有的男孩都跑出教室，到操场上去，懒惰的乔治总是没精打采地挪过去。
Instead of studying diligently while in school, he was indolent and half asleep.
课间休息时间到了，所有的男孩都跑出教室，到操场上去，懒惰的乔治总是没精打采地挪过去。
When the proper time for play came, he had no relish for it.
当真正玩耍的时间到了，他也不能享受其中的乐趣。
I recollect very well, that, when "tossing up" for a game of ball,
我记得非常清楚，每当玩球“抛硬币”分组时，
we used to choose everybody on the playground before we chose George;
我们通常会在选择了操场上的每个人之后再选乔治；
and if there were enough without him we used to leave him out.
如果不用选他，人数已经够了，我们就把他甩在一边。
