过来人给年轻人的11个人生忠告

Call it life experience or the school of hard knocks, by 50 we all have the hindsight to know which decisions were good ones and which decisions were, well, a result of youthful naïveté.

到了50岁，我们会后知后觉的意识到，过往的决定哪些是正确的，而哪些又不是。这可以称作人生经验或者生活磨练，又或许这就是年少无知的结果。

But whether you're a firm believer in "everything happens for a reason" or you wish the brains at Google would develop a time machine, you've probably learned a thing or two from your failures.

也许你是个坚信“事出必有因”的因果论者，也许你懊恼谷歌智囊为什么不发明个时光机器帮你重回青春……但不管怎样，你可能已经从失败中吸取到一些教训了。

We asked our Facebook fans what they wish they'd known at 25 that they know now. Here's what they said every 20-something ought to know about life.

我们在脸书上对《赫芬顿邮报》的粉丝进行了调查，询问哪些事是他们现在已经知道的，而希望25岁时就明白的。以下所列的是他们认为20多岁的人应该知道的事。

1. Speak up more.

有想法就尽情说出来

As the saying goes, it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. You are your one and only true advocate, so never be afraid to stand up for yourself and speak your mind, because regret's a b****.

常言道：“会叫的孩子有糖吃”。你是自己唯一并且真正的拥护者，所以不要害怕表达自己的想法，捍卫自己的权益，因为世上没有后悔药。

2. Know when to walk away.

适时走开

Many readers voiced that walking away, while it may be a difficult decision, is sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself. And the quicker you can come to this realization, the more you can save yourself from making up for lost time.

许多读者称，离开可能是一个艰难的决定，但有时这是你最好的选择。越早的认清现实，就有越多的时间来弥补过失。

3. Save more money.

多存钱

Retirement is no joke, as you'll learn by 50. As you stare at the bleak reality of your 401K, you might find yourself counting every nickel and dime you wasted on frivolous expenses. So pack your lunch, find street parking (or take the bus) and remember that a penny saved is a penny earned, as cheesy as it sounds.

到了50岁，你就会发现退休这件事真的不是玩笑。在了解了退休计划的惨痛事实后，你可能会意识到过去无意中浪费掉的每一分钱都是种奢侈。所以从现在开始自带午餐吧，将车停泊在街边停车位，或者改乘公交车。这虽然听起来很俗气，但记住：省钱就是赚钱。

4. Re-think a college major.

慎重考虑大学专业

A few readers mentioned how they wish they'd re-considered their choice of college major, or even thought twice before dropping out.

有几位读者提到，他们真希望能够重新选择大学专业，而且退学前一定要三思。

5. Travel more.

多旅游

You're only young once. So before you get tied down by responsibilities of a mortgage, a spouse and kids, it's a good idea to explore the world and all it has to offer (as long as it doesn't break the bank!). Consider working abroad. Visit the city you dream about all day. Just go somewhere that will make you look up and around rather than down at your smartphone.

青春只有一次。所以在你被按揭贷款、婚姻和孩子束缚之前，多去看看世界，不管花费多大代价那都是值得的。可以考虑去海外工作。去你梦寐以求的城市旅游。去个能让你抬头看风景而不是低头看手机的城市。

6. Incur less debt.

少借债

Don't buy things you don't need and think long and hard before getting a credit card. No matter what they tell you, it's not free money, and no matter how high the limit, you shouldn't go blow it all on designer duds and a fancy vacation. Debt sucks in any form. Instead, focus on building a solid credit history and credit score so you can finally nab a killer interest rate when you go sign a mortgage.

不要买你不需要的东西，在申请信用卡前要三思而后行。无论推销人员怎么宣传，这些都不是“免费的午餐”。无论卡的最高限额到多少，你都不应该把钱花在购买高级服装和奢侈假期上。不管从哪个角度看，欠债都不是好事儿。相反的，你应该把精力专注在建立良好信用记录和信用积分上，这样当你需要贷款时，你就能获得最低利率了。

7. Wear more sunscreen.

多涂防晒霜

Basking in the rays may pay off in the short run with a glistening tan, but in the long run it leads to age spots, wrinkling and sagging of the skin. So grab the SPF year-round, reach for self-tanner or just embrace your skin tone for what it is.

沐浴在阳光下可能会让你在短期内拥有闪耀的古铜色肌肤，但长期如此的话，会导致老年斑、皱纹和皮肤下垂。所以要全年涂防晒霜，用其他方法去获得古铜肌肤，或者欣然接受你本身的肤色。

8. Think carefully before marriage.

结婚前要深思熟虑

Several readers voiced they would have waited to get married. One reader said she would have waited until at least 30. While there's no hard and fast rule everyone can apply, it's sound advice at any age — to think carefully before you wed.

一些读者表示他们希望当初能晚点结婚。有个读者说她希望当初能等到至少30岁再结婚。虽然并没有每个人都适用的硬性标准，但这给各个年龄段的人都提了个醒——深思熟虑之后再步入婚姻。

9. Slow down.

放慢脚步

Too many of us waste precious moments because we're too busy connected to our digital devices or on social media or worrying about the next career move. Life is short. Savor it. We think a reader put it perfectly: “I would not have been so driven to be successful and work 80 hours a week to make partner all those years. I would have lingered. I would have defined myself by more than what I did for a living.”

我们总是忙于各种电子设备和社交媒体，忙着担忧未来的事业变动……浪费掉太多宝贵的时间。生命短暂，要尽情享受。我们觉得有一位读者说得很好：“如果能够重来，我一定不会为了追求成功，那么多年努力地开拓客户、每周工作80个小时。我想要慢慢品味时光，我要用更多的方式定义生活，而不只是工作。”

10. Get a better education.

接受更好的教育

As the saying goes, nobody can take your accomplishments away from you. Education is one of those accomplishments. Many readers wished they would have either gone to or stuck to college. Whether it's to land you the career of your dreams, or to meet people from different walks of life or to learn to see things a little differently, education is always a good choice, whatever form it takes.

俗话说，没有人能够夺走你的成就。你所受的教育就是这些成就之一。许多读者希望他们接受过大学教育，或者当时能坚持读完大学。不论目的是在于实现职业梦想，还是结识来自各行各业的人，或者为了从另一个视角看待事物，教育总是一个好选择，什么样形式的教育都可以。

11. Consider health issues.

关心健康问题

By 25 you might have noticed your metabolism slowing down. Looking after yourself at this time is about creating habits (and breaking bad ones) that will lead to a long life in which you're healthy enough to do everything you want to do. So quit smoking or cut back on the alcohol. As many of you said, little changes can lead to big benefits in the long run.

到了25岁，你可能已经注意到新陈代谢开始变慢。在这个年纪照顾好自己主要在于养成良好的习惯（还包括戒除一些坏习惯），这些好习惯有助于延年益寿，使你有足够健康的身体去做你想做的事。所以要戒烟或少喝酒。正如大家说的，从长远来看，小改变可以带来大益处。

Vocabulary

mortgage：贷款，住房贷款等

age spots：老年斑

hard and fast rule：精确的标准；固定规则

savor：品尝，欣赏

metabolism：新陈代谢