怎样改掉自己乱花钱的坏习惯?

　　Over the years, even when I buy something I like, I often find myself vaguely disappointed. The car that seems so magical in the dealer’s lot is just a car a few weeks after you take it home.

　　这些年来，即使我买了自己喜欢的东西，也常生出说不清的失望。比如在车行里看上去如此迷人的好车，在开回家几周后也会变得普普通通。

　　In the end, few purchases give me true psychic joy. And those that do are usually embarrassingly prosaic. I bought a Mini Dozer ice scraper for 99 cents 19 years ago in a Michigan car wash. I still have it. It’s basic but it has a tough blade that is particularly good at chiseling a sheet of ice off your windshield.

　　结果到头来，购物几乎不能带给我真正心灵上的喜悦。而那些真正带给我喜悦的东西却通常平凡得让人尴尬。19 年前，我在密歇根州的一家洗车行里花99 美分买了一个“袖珍推土机”牌刮冰器。我现在还在用它。它的款式非常普通，但结实的铲刃在给挡风玻璃除冰时特别好用。

　　During that period, we’ve owned a series of more-expensive contraptions that combined an ice scraper with a snow brush or even a glove. They’re not as sturdy as the Mini Dozer. If you apply a lot of pressure, the blades often snap.

　　那时候，我们已经有一套更贵的除冰用具，有的刮冰器上带着雪刷，甚至还配有护把。但它们都不如“袖珍推土机”那么结实。如果用力过大，它们的铲刃通常都会折断。

　　What about the big-screen TV? I’m sure I will buy it at some point. Then I’ll sit down in my sofa, flip on the set and see if it was worth it.

　　那大屏幕电视机怎么办呢？我知道自己在将来的某个时刻肯定会买。然后，我会坐在沙发上，赶紧打开，看看它是否值这个价格。

　　编后语：

　　也许我们在商场看到一件华美的毛皮大衣，会禁不住诱惑花费上千甚至上万元把它买下来；也许我们看到电影主角使用洗碗机快捷方便地清洗餐具，会冲去电器城把洗碗机抱回家。在我们产生购物冲动时，该怎么合理地抑制它呢？不妨从文中找找答案。在距离某种情境较远时，我们只会憧憬美好的结果。而当你真有可能买下一些并不实用，且超出自己经济能力的商品时，可以多想想买下它后的现实问题。在冲动购物前，三思而后行，你就能免去许多不必要的挥霍。