that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."

沒有什麼你不知道是有用的，或認為是美麗的」

These are words I live by for two reasons:

我為此言而活，有兩個原因

I love being surrounded by beauty,

我喜歡被美好的事物圍繞

and my physical surroundings directly affect my person.

還有，物質生活會直接影響到我個人

I can meditate and do yoga till the cows come home,

我可以邊沉思邊做瑜珈直到母牛回來

but if I'm surrounded by a mess or just excess stuff in general,

但如果我的生活被一堆雜物給填滿的話

I am unable to focus, to work or to relax.

我會變得無法專心，無法工作，更無法放鬆

A serene space is a requirement for my sanity's sake,

為了確保思路清晰，我必須待在一個寧靜的環境

both professionally and personally.

不但高尚又有個人風格

Clear countertops, an empty sink, clothes put away,

乾淨的用餐環境，乾淨的水槽，整齊放置的衣物

an empty desk to write on.

在淨空的書桌上寫字

That thought alone both focuses and calms me,

讓我心無旁騖並且專注思考

but the world I live in doesn't readily meet my needs for simplicity.

但現實中的簡單生活與我的定義大相逕庭

There are more products available to us than ever before.

相較於以前，我們現在有更多東西可以使用

The 1950s-era supermarket contained 3,000 different items,

1950年代的超商販賣3000種不同的產品

but by the 1990s, there were 30,000 items.

到了1990年代，擴展到三萬多種產品

Let's take a look at a swanky Fifth Avenue apartment in 1943.

我們先來瞧瞧1943年的牆頭草，第五大道公寓

Notice the lack of clutter,

著重乾淨整齊

the negative space, the simplicity of it all.

空間規劃，簡簡單單

This is no longer the ideal,

這不再是想像中的房子

or, even if it is to some people, it's nearly impossible to achieve.

雖然很多人依然不相信這可以做到

We, as a society, are accumulating more than ever before,

隨著時間推移，社會上堆積的東西越來越多

much of which can be traced back 25 years ago,

我們回朔至25年前

to when imports to America increased exponentially,

美國大量進口產品時期

allowing huge amounts of cheap toys, clothes, and electronics to come our way.

廉價的玩具，成衣，電子產品全部進口到美國

As a result of this accumulation,

造成家家戶戶累積的東西越來越多

1 in 11 American households spends over a thousand dollars a year

每11戶家庭就有1戶，一年就花費超過一千元租金

to rent self-storage space.

在儲藏空間上

One quarter of households that have two car garages

每11戶家庭就有2-3戶有兩個車庫

have so much stuff in there, they can't park a car.

東西太多奪走停車空間

And although US consumers make up 3% of the world's children,

美國小孩占全世界的百分之三

we buy 40% of the world's toys.

卻擁有全世界百分之四十的玩具

So, while I find this New York apartment to be the ideal for serenity,

所以，當我發現這棟舒適的紐約公寓時

it wasn't necessarily attractive to me always.

好像也沒有那麼吸引人了

I remember coveting my collections as a little girl.

我記得小時候我很貪圖收藏品

There was the Berenstain Bear book collection,

像是收藏貝貝小熊一族系列書

the pencil collection - I don't understand -

或收集鉛筆 -我也不懂

the Teddy Bear collection, and most importantly, my dolls.

或是收集泰迪熊，還有最重要的洋娃娃

I wanted more of all of it. I was a child of the 80s and 90s.

我的慾望永無止境，我是80到90年代小孩

More equaled better, which equaled a happier, more fulfilling life, right?

家境還不錯，跟快樂滿足畫上等號對吧?

All I have to say is, thank God for curiosity,

我想說的是，謝謝上帝滿足我的好奇心

because at 19, wanting to see the world, I traveled abroad to India,

19歲那年，我想看看世界，因此我去印度旅行

where I spent a good deal of time

我玩得很愉快

with a bunch of joyous children that lived nearby me.

活潑可愛的孩子圍繞著我

They were happy and fulfilled,

他們知足常樂

but they had none of the collections I had as a little girl.

他們不像我小時候有很多收藏品

A broken bicycle tire could entertain them.

一個殘破的自行車輪胎就可以滿足他們

And, when I say "entertain", I'm talking unquenchable joy

當我說「滿足」時，意思是我看到他們

emanating from their beings for hours at a time.

發自內心的喜悅不斷傾瀉而出

What's more, my stuff was limited on that semester.

我還記得那學期，我帶去印度的行囊不多

Due to weight restrictions on Indian flights,

因為印度航空有重量限制

I was only allotted 40 pounds in my backpack

我的背包重量只有40磅

for the entire four months away, and that doesn't add up too much.

裝滿四個月要用的東西，無法再帶多餘的物品

Yet, I felt unencumbered. Life got simpler.

沒錯，我感到很輕鬆自如，生活變得更簡單

It was freeing, and my days became filled with experiences, and not stuff.

我很自由，我的生活被經驗給塞滿而不是物質

So, a seed was planted, but it wasn't enough for me to change my habits.

像是灑種子，但要改變習慣這樣做還不夠

I judged American consumerism,

我對美國的消費主義做評論

but I bought tons of trinkets on that semester abroad.

不過那學期我買了很多小飾品

Many were for friends and family,

給家人和朋友

but many were for me.

但大部分的東西是買給我自己

I shipped a huge box of tourist gear back to my parent's house.

我運了一大箱觀光客的配件回父母家

But this was a unique circumstance, right? Possessions equal memories, right?

這種事蠻特別的對吧? 配件等同於回憶對吧?

That box was proof that my life had forever changed.

那大箱子證明我的人生徹底改變了

It was proof that I was an adventurer, a world traveler.

證明我是一個冒險家，流浪世界的旅者

How I came to believe otherwise has been an eye-opening experience.

我這才相信還有很多不同的方法可以拓展眼界，累積經驗

I became a minimalist when my passions and my goals

我的物質欲望不再那麼強烈，對於目標的熱衷追求

became more important than my possessions.

比物質慾望重要很多

Seven years ago, I started writing in earnest. It took me by surprise.

七年前，我帶著滿腔熱血投入寫作，對於人生中的好時光，我感到訝異

For the better part of my life, I had dreamed about and pursued acting,

我曾擁有過的夢想，現在已經付諸實行

and here I was, rolling out of bed,

我現在正在證明自己，不再是空想

planting myself at my desk, beyond motivated, beyond fulfilled.

投入寫作使我有滿滿的成就感

It was a passion I never knew I had.

我從來沒想過我會那麼熱情

And I was willing to go to any lengths to continue doing it

我願意走得更遠，繼續探究一切

for as long as I was around.

只要我還在

I was living in New York at the time, sharing an apartment with two roommates,

我那時和兩個室友住在紐約的公寓

living paycheck to paycheck, but I never felt lacking.

不斷地付租金，但我不覺得我有有失去什麼

After all, India had taught me the value of the experience.

因為印度之旅強調了經驗的價值

But the more I wrote, the more I needed space,

我寫更多，需要的空間也更多

to daydream, to brainstorm, to create.

我需要冥想，腦力激盪，創造

So, here's the thing about necessity being the mother of invention.

話說，需要是發明之母

My bedroom walls weren't going to magically expand.

寢室的牆壁不會突然增大

I had to create space within the confines I was given,

我必須在牆壁上挪出一些空間

and it was a small bedroom, packed with furniture, tons of books,

這間寢室很小，涵蓋家具和堆積如山的書

and pages upon pages of files from my graduate school years,

還有一堆研究所時期的文件

proof that I had earned my master's in Fine Arts.

證明我是美術碩士

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

So, to create space, I started to declutter.

所以，為了擁有更多空間，我開始整理房間

I checked my desk,

我清理我的書桌

I figured, "In this day an age, when we store everything on our laptops,

我發現「現代人都習慣把東西堆在桌上

a desk is unnecessary."

桌子可以丟了」

I scanned all my graduate school files, and now that I had digital copies,

我快速瀏覽研究所時期的文件夾，既然我有電子檔

I recycled all that paper,

這些紙應當作廢

and I even downsized my book collection, which kind of felt sacrilegious,

我也把大部分的系列書本回收，感覺會遭天譴

but, after doing so, I had an empty shelf on my book case.

但回收之後，我的書架煥然一新

That became my writing space,

那是我靈感發想的地方

and my room got bigger.

我的房間變大了

So, I had decluttered to the essentials, to what I knew to be useful,

我整理出必要和有用的東西

but I loved beauty, and I was in New York, and style mattered to me,

同時我喜歡美的事物，在紐約，擁有個人風格很重要

or, I should say, New York cultivated my sense of style

或者說，紐約是我的靈感發想地

because we would all agree, I had no idea

我們都同意，再來紐約之前

how to put an outfit together when I first arrived.

我們不會搭配衣服

So, once the city schooled me in the fine art of dressing,

這個城市啟發我們穿衣的靈感

the decluttering extended to my closet, which was a good thing,

這個靈感也延伸至我的衣櫥，這是一件好事

because it was about the size of an iPhone.

因為衣櫥只有iphone大小

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

I got rid of anything that didn't make me feel like a million bucks.

清掉一些東西後，無形的負擔也隨之消失

I was ruthless about it, and the result was awesome.

我是毫不留情地清掉它們，結果我很滿意

Gone were the days of hemming and hawing in front of a mirror,

輕鬆自如地在鏡子前哼唱

wondering if I looked OK.

瞧瞧我自己的樣子是否得體

When I did make purchases, I found quality pieces that lasted,

當我在買東西時，我會注意品質是否良好

paused to make sure I really loved them,

以及我的喜愛程度

then purchased sparingly.

仔細思考過再買

I like to call this "the power of pause" and "the art of conscious consumption".

我稱這種作法為「思考的力量」和「自覺消費的藝術」

I used my teeny apartment, my teeny bedroom,

我把這些技巧應用在小巧的公寓，小巧的寢室

my teeny closet and my teeny budget to develop these skills.

小巧的衣櫥和微薄的預算

And I continue to use them today,

這些技巧我用到現在

even though my life couldn't look more different if it tried.

雖然用過這些技巧後，生活沒有大幅改變

I moved to Indianapolis.

我搬到印第安納波利斯

I moved in with a man that I ended up marrying.

我和一個男人同居，之後我們結婚了

We've just sold his 1,000-square-foot house

我們賣掉了1000平方英尺的房子

and have moved into a 2,700-square-foot house.

並搬到2,700平方英尺的房子

And big reveal: I'm about to have a baby.

重點是: 我們要生小孩

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Seriously; I'm 35 weeks along.

認真啦，現在小孩已經35周囉

We might want to flag any doctors in the audience, just in case.

你可能會想要找出現場觀眾中，有沒有醫生，以防萬一

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

So -

所以

While I moved to Indianapolis with very few possessions,

我帶著我的東西搬到印第安納波利斯

I moved into his fully furnished house.

搬到一個裝潢過的房子

And guess what the first thing I did was when I arrived?

猜猜我搬到那邊，做的第一件事是什麼?

I decluttered.

簡化房子

I love my husband, and I knew he loved me

我愛我老公，我知道他也愛我

when we went through every item in his house,

我們檢視完家裡的每一項物品後

and decided whether to donate it, to check it, or to keep it.

立馬決定這些物品的去留

In my defense, he had become the bachelor

還好有我，因為他儼然成為朋友眼中的單身漢

that all of his friends had given their cast-off items to

他朋友一結婚

when they got married.

就把所有不要的東西給他

But he's also a collector.

他也很愛收藏物品

So, when he put his foot down about items he wouldn't part with,

他腳邊全是東西

I got to learn what his passions are, and what makes him tick.

我早已了解他對收藏的熱情以及他和這些物品緊緊相依的原因

When we got married, we asked for donations to our favorite charities

我們結婚後，就去問我們最愛的慈善機構，是否需要捐贈物

because we didn't need anything,

因為所有東西我們都不需要

but, when we got pregnant,

但是，我懷孕後

we welcomed the baby showers and the generosity of loved ones.

我們辦了迎嬰派對，收到很多摯愛的慷慨大禮

I don't want minimalism to shackle me

我可不想因為我的極簡主義而拒絕所有的禮物

just like I don't want to be shackled by stuff.

就像我不想被物品束縛一樣

So, in this season of accumulation, I have instituted the power of pause,

懷孕期一定會累積很多物品，我決定實行「思考的力量」

and the art of conscious consumption to design a baby registry,

和「自覺消費的藝術」，因此我設計一本寶寶名冊

I have called that list more than you'd like to know

你一定會很想知道這名冊的標題

- conscious consumption requires a lot of research -

「研究自覺消費的必要性」

and I have gone to town designing a nursery I love.

我親自去市區設計我的嬰兒室

But when the baby years are over,

生完寶寶後

I will declutter what is no longer necessary

我會開始清理不需要的東西

and pass on the baby gear to another round of expecting parents.

把寶寶的物品送給其他準爸媽

Now I'm very aware that I could be carrying a hoarder who -

我知道我肚裡的囤積物

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

hates show tunes,

不喜歡音樂

but you know what they say,

但你知道他們說

"When the student is ready, the teacher appears."

「當學生準備要上課了，老師就會出現」

So, while I look forward to discovering her sense of style right along with her,

我很期待去發掘她的生活風格

I also plan to use simple living to instill values in her life.

我希望可以灌輸她極簡生活的觀念

When I teach my little girl to put her toys away in the living room,

我教我女兒要把客廳裡的玩具收好

it won't be just because I can't stand the mess.

不只因為我無法忍受髒亂

It will also be because I want to teach her

還有，因為我想教她

that she shares this world with other people,

大家一同生活在世界上

and having a healthy respect for the space you take up in it

營造一個舒適的生活空間

is part and parcel to being a worker among workers

是每個人都必須重視的

during our time here on Earth.

只要我們活在世上的一天

I believe a home should be a haven,

我相信家是每個人的避風港

a place to return to, and rest, and find comfort

是一個有歸屬感，可以休息，或找到安慰的地方

so that we can better deal with the stressors

家可以紓解壓力

that are inherently going to be a part of our life,

是我們生活中不可或缺的一部份

instead of add to them.

所以我們不可以增加它的負擔

When asked how he created his masterpiece,

當Michelangelo 被問到如何打造舒適的環境

Michelangelo said, "It was simple.

他說「很簡單啊

You just chip away until you see David."

看到David就盡快設法讓東西變少」

What if our life is our masterpiece?

如果我們把生活定義成我們的傑作

And what if we chip away all that is unnecessary,

如果不必要的物品全都消失

until we see what matters most, our people and our passions?

只留下重要的，在乎的人或熱衷的東西

What would that life be like?

生活會變得如何?

So, I just want to ask two things of you before I wrap up.

所以在我結束演講前，想要求你們兩件事

The first is I ask that you go home tonight,

第一件事，今晚回家

and you find some quiet, serene space, and you close your eyes for 30 seconds,

找一個安靜的地方，閉上眼睛30秒

and you imagine what your masterpiece would look like,

想像一下你理想中的舒適環境

one that has nothing to do with keeping up with the Joneses

與如何學習Joneses的極簡技巧無關哦

or how you think you're supposed to live your life,

或是想想你應該如何生活

but how you truly, authentically want to.

你真正想要的生活

And then, the only other thing I ask

另一件事則是

is that you wake up tomorrow, and every tomorrow after that,

你明天起床，甚至是每一個明天

and you chip away all that is unnecessary,

開始清理不需要的東西

until you're living your masterpiece.

直到你覺得你已經創造生活的傑作

Thank you.

謝謝大家

(Applause)

(掌聲)