1
The term “involution” is increasingly heard nowadays as an explanation of how life has become harder day by day.
“内卷化”这个词最近火了，人们用内卷化，来形容一天天变难的生活。
It is originally borrowed from agricultural economics, meaning additional labor is put into agricultural production for higher output, which yet doesn’t grow proportionally.
这个概念最初来自于农业经济学，原意指农民为了提高收成，而付出了更多劳力，但收成增幅却与新投入不成比例。
In the current context, it means competition becomes fiercer when population outgrows resources.
而在当下语境里，它意味着在社会资源有限的情况下，社会竞争变得更加激烈。
What used to be easy to get now demands increasingly more effort.
过去躺赢的事，现在需要不得不对自己下狠手才能完成。
2
While resources become limited, what can’t be limited is our way of thinking.
资源被局限的时候，我们的思维不能局限。
When it becomes much harder to achieve a goal, a smart move is to rethink the goal.
如果目标越来越难，就应该重新思考这个目标。
At this moment, it’s more important to think wisely than work hard.
这种时候，不要用战术上的勤奋去掩盖战略上的懒惰。
A good road is the road less traveled by.
因为正确的路往往少有人走。
Maybe it’s time to pursue something that’s not everyone’s passion.
这时，你在思维上不要从众，大家都在做的事，你未必要跟随。
Choosing what not to do is more significant than deciding what to do.
选择不做什么，往往比选择做什么更重要。
3
What if you haven’t figured out what you want to do?
那如果你没想明白做什么，怎么办？
Remember that true wisdom comes from practice.
请记住，实践出真知。
Keep doing what you have to do or what you can do at the moment; in the meantime, keep thinking.
你可以把必须做的和可以做的事，先干起来再说，同时边做边思考。
4
The level of competition we have in China is often compared to millions of troops crossing a single wooden bridge.
我们常把中国社会的竞争比作千军万马过独木桥。
The majority of us try hard to get ahead of the troops.
每个人都想冲在千军万马的最前面时，
But there are also the wiser ones who look for a different bridge.
只有一小部分人会去寻找另一座桥。
A good road is the road less travelled by.
正确的路往往走的人也少。
5
There are of course chances that you would fail to get onto any bridge.
还有种可能是，我们根本就上不了桥。
Then all you have to do is to manage your desires.
那就应该降低自己的欲望。
Resources become inadequate fundamentally because human desires grow.
资源有限的本质原因是欲望不穷。
Material pursuits don’t enrich a soul; a rich soul, on the other hand, needs no comfort from material wealth.
物质上的追求并不能解决精神上的空虚，不过，精神上的富足，也不需要物质来安慰。
When everyone else is after material success, you can always turn towards spiritual wealth.
所以，当所有人都在追求物质富足时，你转身走向了精神世界。
That is also a road less travelled by.
本质上就是选择了一条少有人走的路。
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