沉没成本 Sunk Cost — HSK 6 Reading

经济学上jīngjìxué shàng所说的suǒ shuō de“沉没成本chénmò chéngběn”，指zhǐ那些nàxiē已经yǐjīng付出fùchū、无论如何wúlùn rúhé都dōu无法wúfǎ收回shōuhuí的de金钱jīnqián、时间shíjiān或huò精力jīnglì。

In economics, the so-called 'sunk cost' refers to money, time, or effort that has already been expended and can in no way be recovered.

理性lǐxìng的de原则yuánzé很hěn简单jiǎndān：做决定zuò juédìng时shí应该yīnggāi只zhǐ权衡quánhéng未来wèilái的de成本chéngběn与yǔ收益shōuyì，而ér不该bù gāi被bèi过去guòqù无法wúfǎ挽回wǎnhuí的de投入tóurù所左右suǒ zuǒyòu。

The rational principle is simple: when making a decision, one should weigh only future costs and benefits, and should not be swayed by past investments that cannot be recovered.

然而rán'ér，人rén的de心理xīnlǐ却què往往wǎngwǎng背离bèilí这一zhè yī原则yuánzé，越是yuè shì投入tóurù巨大jùdà，越yuè舍不得shěbude半途bàntú放弃fàngqì，仿佛fǎngfú“弃之可惜qì zhī kěxī”才cái是shì唯一wéiyī的de选择xuǎnzé。

However, human psychology often departs from this principle — the greater the investment, the more reluctant people are to give it up halfway, as if 'it would be a pity to abandon it' were the only option.

譬如pìrú，有人yǒurén花huā高价gāojià买了mǎi le一张yī zhāng电影票diànyǐngpiào，即使jíshǐ发现fāxiàn影片yǐngpiàn枯燥乏味kūzào fáwèi，也yě宁愿nìngyuàn硬撑着yìng chēng zhe看完kàn wán，只因zhǐ yīn“钱已经花了qián yǐjīng huā le”。

For example, someone who has paid a high price for a movie ticket, even upon discovering the film is dull and tedious, would rather force themselves to sit through it, simply because 'the money is already spent.'

这种zhè zhǒng心态xīntài同样tóngyàng体现tǐxiàn在zài感情gǎnqíng与yǔ事业shìyè中zhōng：许多人xǔduō rén明知míngzhī关系guānxì或huò工作gōngzuò早已zǎoyǐ名存实亡míng cún shí wáng，却què因yīn投入tóurù多年duō nián心血xīnxuè而ér骑虎难下qí hǔ nán xià。

This same mentality shows up in relationships and careers: many people clearly know a relationship or job has long existed in name only, yet because they have invested years of effort, they find themselves unable to let go.

更gèng极端jíduān的de例子lìzi是shì企业qǐyè面对miànduì注定zhùdìng失败shībài的de项目xiàngmù：管理层guǎnlǐcéng不是bù shì及时jíshí止损zhǐsǔn，而是ér shì不断bùduàn追加zhuījiā预算yùsuàn，妄图wàngtú靠kào“再投入一点zài tóurù yìdiǎn”扭转niǔzhuǎn局面júmiàn。

An even more extreme example is when a company faces a project doomed to fail: rather than promptly cutting its losses, management keeps adding more budget, vainly hoping that 'investing just a bit more' will turn things around.

这样的zhèyàng de结局jiéjú往往wǎngwǎng得不偿失dé bù cháng shī，甚至shènzhì让ràng企业qǐyè因yīn执迷不悟zhí mí bù wù而ér错失cuòshī转型zhuǎnxíng的de良机liángjī。

Such outcomes are often not worth the cost, and can even cause a company, through sheer stubbornness, to miss the golden opportunity to transform.

归根结底guī gēn jié dǐ，这种zhè zhǒng执着zhízhuó并非bìngfēi源于yuányú理性lǐxìng的de权衡quánhéng，而是ér shì源于yuányú人类rénlèi天生tiānshēng的de损失厌恶sǔnshī yànwù：承认chéngrèn损失sǔnshī带来的dàilái de痛苦tòngkǔ，远比yuǎn bǐ继续jìxù拖延tuōyán的de代价dàijià更gèng让人ràng rén难以nányǐ面对miànduì。

In the final analysis, this persistence stems not from rational calculation but from humanity's innate loss aversion: the pain of admitting a loss feels far greater than the cost of continuing to delay.

真正zhēnzhèng的de智慧zhìhuì，不在于bù zàiyú紧抓jǐn zhuā过去guòqù不放bù fàng，而ér在于zàiyú清醒地qīngxǐng de认识到rènshi dào覆水难收fù shuǐ nán shōu，进而jìn'ér及时jíshí止损zhǐsǔn，将jiāng目光mùguāng投向tóuxiàng未来wèilái。

True wisdom lies not in clinging tightly to the past, but in clearly recognizing that spilled water cannot be retrieved, and then promptly cutting one's losses and turning one's gaze toward the future.

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Key words 生词

沉没成本chénmò chéngběnsunk cost

骑虎难下qí hǔ nán xiàstuck with no way to back out

得不偿失dé bù cháng shīnot worth the loss incurred

名存实亡míng cún shí wángexist in name only

损失厌恶sǔnshī yànwùloss aversion

覆水难收fù shuǐ nán shōuspilled water cannot be retrieved

Grammar note 语法点

越……越……

Expresses a proportional relationship: 'the more..., the more...'. E.g. 越努力，越幸运 (the harder you work, the luckier you get).

越是投入巨大，越舍不得半途放弃。

不是……而是……

Used to correct or contrast two possibilities: 'not X, but rather Y'. E.g. 他不是不想帮忙，而是没有时间 (He's not unwilling to help, but rather has no time).

管理层不是及时止损，而是不断追加预算。

Check yourself 小测验

1. According to the passage, what is the rational principle for decision-making regarding sunk costs?

2. In the movie ticket example, why does the person keep watching the boring film?

3. According to the passage, what does true wisdom consist of, as opposed to loss aversion?

After this reading

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沉没成本Chénmò chéngběnSunk Cost

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

More HSK 6 reading practice