The Cost of a Shortcut
捷径的代价
There is a path across the grass behind our building that was made by people walking on it. It saves about forty seconds, and at first everyone thought it was a clever solution.
我们楼后的草地上有一条小路，是被人踩出来的。它能省下大约四十秒，起初大家都觉得这是个聪明的办法。
After one rainy season the grass had turned into a wide strip of bare mud. Then the school spent money putting down a proper stone path, which cost far more than the grass did.
一个雨季之后，那片草变成了一大条光秃秃的泥地。后来学校花钱铺了一条正经的石板路，花的钱比那片草多得多。
I keep thinking about that muddy strip whenever I am tempted to take a shortcut in my own work. Copying homework saves an evening, but it also makes the exam feel like a stranger.
每当我在自己的事情上想走捷径时，我总会想起那条泥泞的带子。抄作业省下一个晚上，但它也让考试变成一个陌生人。
A shortcut is not wrong by itself; the question is always who pays the cost, and when. If the cost falls on a later version of you, it is usually worth walking the longer way.
捷径本身没有错；问题永远是：代价由谁付、什么时候付。如果代价落在未来的你身上，那多半还是走远一点更值。