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TheFineArtofPuttingThingsOff拖延的艺术MichaelDemarest迈克尔·德马雷斯特1Neverputofftilltomorrow,exhortedLordChesterfieldin1749,whatyoucandotoday.Thattheelegantearlnevergotaroundtomarryinghisson'smotherandhadabadhabitofkeepingworthieslikeDr.Johnsoncoolingtheirheelsforhoursinananteroomatteststothefactthateventhemostwell-intentionedmenhavebeenpostponersever.QuintusFabiusMaximus,oneofthegreatRomangenerals,wasdubbedCunctator”(Delayer)forputtingoffbattleuntilthelastpossiblevinumbreak.MosespleadedaspeechdefecttorationalizehisreluctancetodeliverJehovah'sedictstoPharaoh.Hamlet,ofcourse,raisedprocrastinationtoanartform.“今天能做的事情决不要推到明天。”切斯特菲尔德伯爵在1794年劝告儿子说。但是这位高雅德伯爵一直没有抽出时间来与孩子母亲举行婚礼，还有让约翰逊博士等名士在接待室久等的坏习惯。这足以证明，用心最善之人亦可是拖沓之士。罗马的一位大将军昆塔斯·费边·马克西姆斯为了有尽可能多的机会喝酒消闲，常常推迟战斗，被人起了“拖延者”的绰号；摩西不愿向法老传达耶和华的法令，便借口说自己语言有缺陷；当然哈姆雷特更是把拖延上升为一种艺术形式。2Theworldisprobablyaboutevenlydividedbetweendelayersanddo-it-nowers.TherearethosewhopreparetheirincometaxesinFebruary,prepaymortgagesandservepreciselyplanneddinnersatanungodly6:30p.m.Theotherhalfdinehappilyonleftoversat9or10,misplacebillsandfileforanextensionoftheincometaxdeadline.Theyseldompaycredit-cardbillsuntiltheapocalypticvoiceofDinersthreatensdoomfromDenver.Theypostpone,asFaustianencounters,visitstobarbershop,dentistordoctor.世上的人基本上可以平均地分成两类：拖延者和马上行动者。有些人二月份九准备好交个人所得税，预先偿还抵押借款，按计划准时在常人难以忍受的六点半开饭；另一些人则乐于在九点或十点时吃些剩饭剩菜、错放账单和文件以期延长缴税的期限。他们非要等到信用卡总部警告他们后果自负才肯去付信用卡上的帐。就像浮士德遇见魔鬼一样，他们推迟去理发店、去看牙医或看医生。3Yetforallthetroubleprocrastinationmayincur,delaycanofteninspireandreviveacreativesoul.JeanKerr,authorofmanysuccessfulnovelsandplays,saysthatshereadseverysoup-canandjamjarlabelinherkitchenbeforesettlingdowntohertypewriter.Manyawriterfocusesonalmostanythingbuthistask—forexample,ontheCoastandGeodeticSurveyofMaine'sFrenchmanBayandBarHarbor,stimulatinghisimaginationwithnameslikeGooginsLedge,BluntsPond,HioHillandBurntPorcupine,LongPorcupine,SheepPorcupineandBaldPorcupineislands.尽管拖延会带来诸多不便，但拖延经常可以激发和唤醒具有创新意识的灵魂。写下许多成功小说和剧本的作家琼·克尔说，她要把厨房里每个汤罐头和酱瓶子上的标签看上一遍后，才能安心地坐在打字机前。许多作家都关注着他们任务之外的各种杂事，譬如，关注在缅因州法国人海湾和巴尔海港进行的海岸和土地测量，其中的地名，如古今斯暗礁、布伦特池塘、黑奥山、伯恩特豪猪、朗豪猪、希波豪猪以及鲍尔德豪猪岛，都激起了他们的想象。4FromCunctator'sdayuntilthiscentury,theartofpostponementhadbeenvirtuallyamonopolyofthemilitary(Hurryupandwait),diplomacyandthelaw.Informertimes,aBritishproconsulfacedwithanativeuprisingcouldcomfortablyruminateaboutthesituationwithSingaporeSlinginhand.Blessedly,hehadnonatteringTelextoorderinmachinegunsandfreshtroops.AU.S.generalaslateasWorldWarIIcouldagreewithhisenemycounterparttotakeasportingdayoff,lootthevillagers'chickensandwineandgobacktobattleadaylater.Lawyersareamongtheworld'smostaddictedpostponers.AccordingtoFrankNathan,anonpost-poningBeverlyHillsinsurancesalesman,Thenumberofattorneyswhodiewithoutawillisamazing.从“拖延者”年代到本世纪，拖延的艺术实际上被军事基地“赶快、待命”）、外交和法律所垄断。在过去，英国殖民地总督，面对当地人的起义，可以端着酒，安逸地思考民族叛乱的形式。庆幸的是，他没有电传机在一旁喋喋不休地传递着命令，一会儿是增加机关枪啊，一会儿又是增派军队啊什么的。直到二战时，美国将军还可以跟敌方将军达成协议，休一天运动假，去掠夺村民的鸡和酒，次日再战。律师是世界上最积习难改的延误者。据贝弗利山的从不拖沓的保险推销员弗兰克·内森说，“没有留下遗嘱就去世的律师数不胜数。”5Evenwherethereisnowill,thereisaway.Thereisadifference,ofcourse,betweenchronicprocrastinationandpurposefulpostponement,particularlyinthehigherechelonsofbusiness.Corporatedynamicsencouragethecautionthatbreedsdelay,saysRichardManderbach,BankofAmericagroupvicepresident.Henotesthatspeedyactioncanbeembarrassingorextremelycostly.Thedataexplosionfortifiesthoseseekingexcusesforinaction—anotherreporttoberead,anotherauthoritytobeconsulted.Thereisalways,saysManderbach,adelicateedgebetweenhavingenoughinformationandtoomuch.无志者，事也成。当然，习惯性拖延和刻意延缓是有差别的，特别是在商业机构高层中。美国银行集团副总裁查理德·曼德巴赫说，企业动力学鼓励谨慎行事，由此滋生了拖延。他提到，仓促行事往往导致尴尬的局面，或付出沉重的代价。信息爆炸鼓励了那些为自己的懒惰找借口的人——还有一篇报告要读，还有以个权威人士要咨询。曼德巴赫说：“数据的充分与泛滥之间总有条微妙的界线。”6Hispointiswelltaken.Bureaucratization,whichflourishedamidthegrowingburdensofgovernmentandthegreatercomplexityofsociety,wasdesignedtosmotherpolicymakersinblanketsoflegalism,compromiseandreappraisal—andtherebypreventhastydecisionsfrombeingmade.ThecentralizationofgovernmentthatledtoWatergatehasspreadtoeconomicinstitutionsandbeyond,makingprocrastinationaworldwidewayoflife.Manylanguagesarestuddedwithphrasesthatrefertoputtingthingsoff—fromtheSpanishmañanatotheArabicbukrafilmishmish(literallytomorrowinapricots,morelooselyleaveitforthesoftspringweatherwhentheapricotsareblooming).他的观点被广为接受。随着政府负担日益加重和社会形势日趋复杂，官僚化盛行开来，其目的就是使政策制定者墨守陈规、寻求妥协和重新评估的过程中窒息——这样就不会做出草率的决定了。导致水门事件的政府集权化已经蔓延至经济机构等等广阔的领域，使得拖延成为世界性的一种生活方式。各种语言中有关推迟的短语星罗棋布——从西班牙语manana（在将来某个不确定的时间长了到阿拉伯的bukrafilmishmash（字面意思“明天的杏树”，其含义使“等到花儿也开了。”）7Academealsotakeshighhonorsinprocrastination.BernardSklar,aUniversityofSouthernCaliforniasociologistwhochurnsoutthreetofivepagesofwritingaday,admitsthatmanyofmyfriendsgothroughagonieswhentheyfaceablankpage.Thereareallsortsofrationalizations:thepressureofteaching,responsibilitiesathome,checkingoutthelatestbook,lookingupanotherfootnote.学术界也很推崇推衍。南加利福尼亚大学社会家伯纳德·斯克拉每天辛辛苦苦才写出三至五页的东西来，他坦称“我很多朋友面对白纸都感到非常痛苦。我们有各种各样的理由：教学压力、家庭责任、查看新书、查实脚注。”8Psychologistsmaintainthatthemostassiduousprocrastinatorsarewomen,thoughmanypsychologistsare(at$50-plusanhour)pret