买东西之前要问三个问题

买东西之前要问三个问题

In my office sits an archaic (by most standards) desktop computer. It's more than a decade old and is often slow and fussy. My son is a computer engineering student, so that old machine frustrates him. He always urges me to get something newer and faster, shinier and less cranky, but I resist.

在我的办公室里有一台陈旧的(按大多数标准)台式电脑。它已经有十多年的历史了，通常很慢，而且很繁琐。我儿子是计算机工程专业的学生，所以那台旧机器让他很沮丧。他总是敦促我买一些更新、更快、更有光泽、不那么古怪的东西，但我拒绝了。

If your toaster oven or works, don't be so quick to replace it. (Photo: Waraporn Kraitavin/Shutterstock)

That was until yesterday, when my computer made a series of ominous clicking noises — and then died. While my son mused over a possible replacement, I came up with a simpler plan. He's getting a new laptop, so I'm going to take his old one. No computer shopping for me and no unused technology sitting under his bed. It's a win-win.

直到昨天，我的电脑发出了一连串不祥的咔哒声，然后就死机了。当我儿子在考虑一个可能的替代者时，我想出了一个更简单的计划。他要买一台新笔记本电脑，所以我打算用他的旧电脑。我不用重新买电脑，他的床下也不会闲置任何东西。这是一个双赢。

And it's a reminder to think about your impact on the environment before you buy something and to consider if you truly need it.

它提醒你在买东西之前考虑一下你对环境的影响，并考虑一下你是否真的需要它。

"We seem to be focused on how quickly we can get things, how cheap they are or how fashionable and trendy," said Martin Bourque, executive director of the Ecology Center in Berkeley, California, told The New York Times. "We buy too much stuff because there is an endorphin rush from acquiring new things."

加州伯克利生态中心执行主任马丁·布尔克在接受《纽约时报》采访时表示:“我们关注的似乎是我们能多快买到东西，它们有多便宜，有多时尚。”“我们买了太多东西，因为有一种获得新东西的内啡肽冲动。”

But what if we all stopped and asked ourselves a couple of questions before each purchase? The results could be impressive.

但如果我们在每次购买前都停下来问自己几个问题呢?结果可能令人印象深刻。

Do you need it?

你需要吗?

Before you buy, give yourself 24 hours to decide if you really need or want something. (Photo: My Life Graphic/Shutterstock)

If something necessary is broken — like a can opener, hair dryer or computer — then you no doubt need to replace it. But if something is just aging or doesn't fit your decor anymore, can you live with it?

如果某样必需的东西坏了——比如开罐器、电吹风或电脑——那么毫无疑问你需要更换它。但如果有些东西只是老化了，或者不再适合你的装饰，你能接受吗?

Some people attempt to take part in a no-buy year where they try to go 12 months without buying certain items like clothing, knickknacks or electronics. Some do this to save money or to pay off debt, but others do it so they won't accumulate more stuff.

有些人试图参加不买东西的一年，他们试图12个月不买衣服、小摆设或电子产品。一些人这样做是为了省钱或偿还债务，但另一些人这样做是为了不积累更多的东西。

Is it made to last?

它能持久吗?

Some costly items can be worth it if they are made of high quality and come with a lifetime guarantee. (Photo: Keith McDuffee [CC by 2.0]/Flickr)

Shop around and do your research to find products that last a lifetime. Many items come with guarantees while others just have rave reviews from legions of fans.

货比三家，做你的研究，找到可以使用一辈子的产品。许多产品都有保证，而其他产品则得到了大批粉丝的好评。

If you're tired of replacing things, head to Buy Me Once, a website that's dedicated to finding items that last forever. There's everything from clothing and cookware to toys and luggage.

如果你厌倦了更换东西，那就去“买一次”吧，这是一个专门寻找长生不老物品的网站。从衣服、炊具到玩具和行李，什么都有。

Can I recycle the old item? What about the new one?

我可以回收旧物品吗?新的怎么样?

In 2015, Americans generated nearly 262 million tons of trash. Of that, about 34% was recycled or composted, but more than 137 million tons of that trash — a whopping 52.5% — was sent to landfills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

2015年，美国人产生了近2.62亿吨垃圾。根据美国环境保护署(EPA)的数据，其中大约34%的垃圾被回收或制成堆肥，但有超过1.37亿吨的垃圾(52.5%)被送到了垃圾填埋场。

If you decide to buy something new and it's replacing something old, what happens to the old item?

如果你决定买新东西，而它要替换旧的东西，那么旧的东西会怎么样呢?

If it still works, you can donate it to a thrift store, give it to a friend or a family member, sell it online or offer it through a sharing website like Freecycle.

如果它还能用，你可以把它捐给旧货店，送给朋友或家人，在网上出售，或通过Freecycle等分享网站提供。

If it doesn't work (or no one wants it), don't be so quick to toss it into the trash. You'd be surprised at the items you can recycle. From bras to eyeglasses, there's a place for many things other than the landfill.

如果它不能用了(或者没有人想要它)，不要那么快就把它扔进垃圾箱。你会惊讶于你可以回收的物品。从胸罩到眼镜，除了垃圾填埋场，还有很多其他的地方。

"Sustainably managing materials requires thinking beyond waste and instead focusing on the life cycle of a product, from the time it is produced, used, reused and ultimately recycled or discarded," says the EPA.

美国环保署表示:“要想以可持续的方式管理材料，就必须超越废物的范畴，关注产品的生命周期，从产品生产、使用、再使用，直至最终回收或丢弃。”

So when you eye that aging toaster oven or computer, think hard before you replace it, considering where it will end up and whether it has a next life beyond your home.

所以，当你看到那台老化的烤箱或电脑时，在更换之前要好好想想，考虑一下它最终会在哪里结束，以及它在你的家之外是否还能继续使用。