Call it life experience or the school of hard knocks, by 50 we all have the hindsight to know which decisions were good ones and which decisions were, well, a result of youthful na?veté.
到了50歲，我們會后知后覺的意識到，過往的決定哪些是正確的，而哪些又不是。這可以稱作人生經驗或者生活磨練，又或許這就是年少無知的結果。

But whether you're a firm believer in "everything happens for a reason" or you wish the brains at Google would develop a time machine, you've probably learned a thing or two from your failures.
也許你是個堅信“事出必有因”的因果論者，也許你懊惱谷歌智囊為什么不發明個時光機器幫你重回青春……但不管怎樣，你可能已經從失敗中吸取到一些教訓了。

We asked our Facebook fans what they wish they'd known at 25 that they know now. Here's what they said every 20-something ought to know about life.
我們在臉書上對《赫芬頓郵報》的粉絲進行了調查，詢問哪些事是他們現在已經知道的，而希望25歲時就明白的。以下所列的是他們認為20多歲的人應該知道的事。

1. Speak up more.
有想法就盡情說出來

As the saying goes, it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. You are your one and only true advocate, so never be afraid to stand up for yourself and speak your mind, because regret's a b****.
常言道：“會叫的孩子有糖吃”。你是自己唯一并且真正的擁護者，所以不要害怕表達自己的想法，捍衛自己的權益，因為世上沒有后悔藥。

2. Know when to walk away.
適時走開

Many readers voiced that walking away, while it may be a difficult decision, is sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself. And the quicker you can come to this realization, the more you can save yourself from making up for lost time.
許多讀者稱，離開可能是一個艱難的決定，但有時這是你最好的選擇。越早的認清現實，就有越多的時間來彌補過失。

3. Save more money.
多存錢

Retirement is no joke, as you'll learn by 50. As you stare at the bleak reality of your 401K, you might find yourself counting every nickel and dime you wasted on frivolous expenses. So pack your lunch, find street parking (or take the bus) and remember that a penny saved is a penny earned, as cheesy as it sounds.
到了50歲，你就會發現退休這件事真的不是玩笑。在了解了退休計劃的慘痛事實后，你可能會意識到過去無意中浪費掉的每一分錢都是種奢侈。所以從現在開始自帶午餐吧，將車停泊在街邊停車位，或者改乘公交車。這雖然聽起來很俗氣，但記住：省錢就是賺錢。

4. Re-think a college major.
慎重考慮大學專業

A few readers mentioned how they wish they'd re-considered their choice of college major, or even thought twice before dropping out.
有幾位讀者提到，他們真希望能夠重新選擇大學專業，而且退學前一定要三思。

5. Travel more.
多旅游

You're only young once. So before you get tied down by responsibilities of a mortgage, a spouse and kids, it's a good idea to explore the world and all it has to offer (as long as it doesn't break the bank!). Consider working abroad. Visit the city you dream about all day. Just go somewhere that will make you look up and around rather than down at your smartphone.
青春只有一次。所以在你被按揭貸款、婚姻和孩子束縛之前，多去看看世界，不管花費多大代價那都是值得的。可以考慮去海外工作。去你夢寐以求的城市旅游。去個能讓你抬頭看風景而不是低頭看手機的城市。

6. Incur less debt.
少借債

Don't buy things you don't need and think long and hard before getting a credit card. No matter what they tell you, it's not free money, and no matter how high the limit, you shouldn't go blow it all on designer duds and a fancy vacation. Debt sucks in any form. Instead, focus on building a solid credit history and credit score so you can finally nab a killer interest rate when you go sign a mortgage.
不要買你不需要的東西，在申請信用卡前要三思而后行。無論推銷人員怎么宣傳，這些都不是“免費的午餐”。無論卡的最高限額到多少，你都不應該把錢花在購買高級服裝和奢侈假期上。不管從哪個角度看，欠債都不是好事兒。相反的，你應該把精力專注在建立良好信用記錄和信用積分上，這樣當你需要貸款時，你就能獲得最低利率了。

7. Wear more sunscreen.
多涂防曬霜

Basking in the rays may pay off in the short run with a glistening tan, but in the long run it leads to age spots, wrinkling and sagging of the skin. So grab the SPF year-round, reach for self-tanner or just embrace your skin tone for what it is.
沐浴在陽光下可能會讓你在短期內擁有閃耀的古銅色肌膚，但長期如此的話，會導致老年斑、皺紋和皮膚下垂。所以要全年涂防曬霜，用其他方法去獲得古銅肌膚，或者欣然接受你本身的膚色。

8. Think carefully before marriage.
結婚前要深思熟慮

Several readers voiced they would have waited to get married. One reader said she would have waited until at least 30. While there's no hard and fast rule everyone can apply, it's sound advice at any age — to think carefully before you wed.
一些讀者表示他們希望當初能晚點結婚。有個讀者說她希望當初能等到至少30歲再結婚。雖然并沒有每個人都適用的硬性標準，但這給各個年齡段的人都提了個醒——深思熟慮之后再步入婚姻。

9. Slow down.
放慢腳步

Too many of us waste precious moments because we're too busy connected to our digital devices or on social media or worrying about the next career move. Life is short. Savor it. We think a reader put it perfectly: “I would not have been so driven to be successful and work 80 hours a week to make partner all those years. I would have lingered. I would have defined myself by more than what I did for a living.”
我們總是忙于各種電子設備和社交媒體，忙著擔憂未來的事業變動……浪費掉太多寶貴的時間。生命短暫，要盡情享受。我們覺得有一位讀者說得很好：“如果能夠重來，我一定不會為了追求成功，那么多年努力地開拓客戶、每周工作80個小時。我想要慢慢品味時光，我要用更多的方式定義生活，而不只是工作。”

10. Get a better education.
接受更好的教育

As the saying goes, nobody can take your accomplishments away from you. Education is one of those accomplishments. Many readers wished they would have either gone to or stuck to college. Whether it's to land you the career of your dreams, or to meet people from different walks of life or to learn to see things a little differently, education is always a good choice, whatever form it takes.
俗話說，沒有人能夠奪走你的成就。你所受的教育就是這些成就之一。許多讀者希望他們接受過大學教育，或者當時能堅持讀完大學。不論目的是在于實現職業夢想，還是結識來自各行各業的人，或者為了從另一個視角看待事物，教育總是一個好選擇，什么樣形式的教育都可以。

11. Consider health issues.
關心健康問題

By 25 you might have noticed your metabolism slowing down. Looking after yourself at this time is about creating habits (and breaking bad ones) that will lead to a long life in which you're healthy enough to do everything you want to do. So quit smoking or cut back on the alcohol. As many of you said, little changes can lead to big benefits in the long run.
到了25歲，你可能已經注意到新陳代謝開始變慢。在這個年紀照顧好自己主要在于養成良好的習慣（還包括戒除一些壞習慣），這些好習慣有助于延年益壽，使你有足夠健康的身體去做你想做的事。所以要戒煙或少喝酒。正如大家說的，從長遠來看，小改變可以帶來大益處。

Vocabulary
mortgage：貸款，住房貸款等
age spots：老年斑
hard and fast rule：精確的標準；固定規則
savor：品嘗，欣賞
metabolism：新陳代謝

英文來源：赫芬頓郵報
譯者：FNU林珊珊（中國日報網愛新聞iNews譯者）
審校&編輯：杜娟