常春藤生活英语：The Early-Bird Trend 晨起的趋势

It is likely that you have heard the saying, "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." This saying seems to be true, and there are many people who are eager to try out this lifestyle1 for themselves. Here in Taiwan, it is not uncommon to see people gathering to exercise or hanging out early in the morning. Not all of these people are elderly2, though. Across Asia, more and more young people are waking up early in order to get a head start3 on the day.

To be considered an "early riser," you have to be up by 6 or 7 AM. To be a "dawn riser," you have to get up before 5 AM. What has caused people to crawl out of bed so early? One reason is that more and more people are working overtime4. This means only their morning hours are free for activities like exercising, studying, and reading. Many people also think getting up early helps create discipline5 in their lives. Self-discipline is essential to leading a successful life.

Businesses have also picked up on the early-bird trend6. Breakfast shops are opening earlier and offering higher quality meals. More businesses are holding morning exercise classes for their workers. Even places like dentists' offices are welcoming early patients.

您很有可能听过这句谚语：『早睡早起能使人健康、富有、明智。』这句谚语看来所言非假，而且有许多人现在也急切着要亲自尝试这种生活方式。在台湾常常会看到人们一大早就聚在一起运动和闲聊。然而这些人并非全然是年长者。在亚洲各地，愈来愈多的年轻人开始早起，要赢在一天的起跑点。

要成为『早起者』，您必须在早上六、七点起床。而要成为『晨型人』，您在五点前就得起来了。是什么造成大家这么早就得爬出被窝呢?原因之一是愈来愈多人要加班工作。这意味着他们只有在清晨的时间才有空做其它活动，像是运动、学习和阅读。许多人也认为早起能够在他们的生活中形成一种纪律。而自律正是成功人生之必需。

商家也开始注意到这个晨起的趋势。早餐店营业时间提早，并且提供更高质量的餐饮。愈来愈多的企业公司也为员工开辟晨间的运动课程。甚至像牙医诊所也开始欢迎患者早起看病。

Building Your Vocabulary

1. wealthy　a. 富裕的，富有的

Paul got wealthy because he bought stocks.

保罗因买股票而致富。

2. crawl　vi. 爬，爬行

The baby crawled after the rolling ball.

小婴儿跟在滚动的球后面爬。

3. essential　a. 绝对重要的;必不可少的

Wearing sunblock is essential during summer.

夏天擦防晒乳是必不可少的。

Phrases for Learning

1. be eager to + 原形动词　　热切∕渴望于……

Dylan has been eager to go to Disneyland.

迪伦一直渴望去迪斯尼乐园。

2. lead a + 形容词 + life　　过……的生活

Sarah led a busy life after she had twins.

莎拉生了双胞胎后便过着忙碌的日子。

3. pick up on...　　注意∕发现到……

No one picked up on Fred's bad habits.

没人注意到弗莱德的坏习惯。

Extra Words

1. lifestyle　n. 生活方式

2. elderly　a. 年老的

3. head start　n. 领先优势;有利开端

4. overtime　adv. 加时地(工作)

5. discipline　n. 纪律

6. trend　n. 趋势

Tips In Use

It is likely that you have heard the saying...

(您很有可能听过这句谚语……)

saying 在本句中作名词用，表『谚语;俗语』，常用于以下句型：As an old saying goes, "谚语."(俗话说的好：『……。』)。以下便为各位读者介绍关于早起的谚语。

1. The early bird catches the worm.

早起的鸟儿有虫吃。

2. He that will thrive must rise at five.

若要飞黄腾达，必须五点起床。

3. The future belongs to the man who rises early.

未来属于早起之人。