延迟满足 Delayed Gratification

上世纪shàng shìjì六十年代liùshí niándài，斯坦福大学Sītǎnfú Dàxué的de心理学家xīnlǐ xuéjiā做zuò过guo一个yí gè著名zhùmíng的de“棉花糖miánhuātáng实验shíyàn”。

In the 1960s, psychologists at Stanford University conducted the famous "marshmallow experiment."

研究人员yánjiū rényuán给gěi每个měi gè孩子háizi一块yí kuài棉花糖miánhuātáng，并bìng告诉gàosu他们tāmen：如果rúguǒ能néng忍住rěnzhù十五shíwǔ分钟fēnzhōng不bù吃chī，就jiù会huì再zài得到dédào一块yí kuài。

The researchers gave each child a marshmallow and told them: if you can hold out for fifteen minutes without eating it, you will get a second one.

有的yǒude孩子háizi迫不及待pò bù jí dài地de把bǎ糖táng塞sāi进jìn嘴里zuǐlǐ，有的yǒude则zé闭上bìshàng眼睛yǎnjing、唱歌chànggē分散fēnsàn注意力zhùyìlì，硬是yìngshì熬áo过guò了le漫长màncháng的de等待děngdài。

Some children stuffed the candy into their mouths at once; others shut their eyes or sang to distract themselves, and by sheer willpower endured the long wait.

数十年shù shí nián的de追踪zhuīzōng显示xiǎnshì，当年dāngnián能够nénggòu延迟yánchí满足mǎnzú的de孩子háizi，日后rìhòu在zài学业xuéyè和hé事业shìyè上shàng普遍pǔbiàn表现biǎoxiàn得de更gèng出色chūsè。

Decades of follow-up showed that the children who could delay gratification generally went on to do better in both school and career.

延迟yánchí满足mǎnzú并非bìngfēi压抑yāyì欲望yùwàng，而是érshì清楚qīngchu地de知道zhīdào：有些yǒuxiē回报huíbào，值得zhídé用yòng耐心nàixīn去qù交换jiāohuàn。

Delaying gratification is not repressing desire; it is knowing clearly that some rewards are worth trading patience for.

遗憾yíhàn的de是shì，现代xiàndài生活shēnghuó处处chùchù诱惑yòuhuò我们wǒmen“即刻jíkè享受xiǎngshòu”：外卖wàimài半小时bàn xiǎoshí送达sòngdá，短视频duǎnshìpín三sān秒miǎo切换qiēhuàn，连lián知识zhīshi都dōu要yào“十shí分钟fēnzhōng精通jīngtōng”。

Regrettably, modern life tempts us at every turn to "enjoy it now": takeout arrives in half an hour, short videos switch every three seconds, and even knowledge is sold as "mastered in ten minutes."

越是yuèshì容易róngyì得到dédào的de快乐kuàilè，越是yuèshì转瞬即逝zhuǎn shùn jí shì；越是yuèshì需要xūyào等待děngdài的de果实guǒshí，越是yuèshì甘甜gāntián。

The more easily a pleasure is gained, the more quickly it vanishes; the longer a fruit must be waited for, the sweeter it tastes.

人生rénshēng如rú酿酒niàngjiǔ，急火jíhuǒ煮zhǔ不出bù chū醇香chúnxiāng，唯有wéiyǒu时间shíjiān能néng成全chéngquán风味fēngwèi。

Life is like brewing wine: no fierce flame can force out the mellow aroma — only time can bring the flavor to perfection.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

迫不及待pò bù jí dàiunable to wait a moment longer

压抑yāyìto repress; to stifle

诱惑yòuhuòto tempt; temptation

转瞬即逝zhuǎn shùn jí shìfleeting; vanishing in the blink of an eye

酿酒niàngjiǔto brew wine

醇香chúnxiāngmellow and fragrant (of wine)

Grammar note 语法点

越是…，越是…

An emphatic version of 越…越… : 'the more (it is) A, the more (it is) B', often used for general truths. 例：越是容易得到的快乐，越是转瞬即逝。

越是紧张，越是容易出错。— The more nervous you are, the more likely you are to make mistakes.

A…，B 则…

Formal 则 marks a contrast between two subjects: 'A does X, while B does Y'. 例：有的孩子马上吃了糖，有的则熬过了等待。

南方多雨，北方则干燥。— The south gets plenty of rain, while the north is dry.

Check yourself 小测验

1. In the marshmallow experiment, what were the children promised if they waited fifteen minutes?

2. What did decades of follow-up reveal about the children who managed to wait?

3. According to the text, what is delayed gratification really about?

延迟满足Yánchí mǎnzúDelayed Gratification

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

More HSK 6 reading practice