Is preparing for the future more important than enjoying the present?
先分析下只享受现在(enjoy the present)而忽略了将来(neglect preparation for the future)：
1. 只注重眼前利益，贪图一时之快，给后来者或下一代造成了破坏，如乱砍乱伐，竭泽而渔，排放污水，雾霾天气等。
Though trees cut down are turned to paper pulp or raw material for some valuable furniture, lack of harmful gas absorbers may make it possible for citizen to be blanketed in thick haze.
这种思路其实是把enjoy替换成了过度使用，过度开发，类似的思路出现在关于科技利弊的题目里：
(2005.12) Do benefits of scientific and technological developments come at the cost of undesirable changes to people’s lives?
(2006.6) Does a strong commitment to technological progress cause a society to neglect other values, such as education and the protection of the environment?
(2007.6) Have modern advancements truly improved the quality of people’s lives?
2. 目前确实非常美好，但是生于忧患，死于安乐(Survive in Disasters, Perish in Comfort)。如IBM当年在大型机市场上独占鳌头，enjoy the present却没有prepare for the future，后来消费者的喜爱逐渐产生了变化，更青睐于小型机，在一段时间内丧失了市场竞争力(take precautions before it is too late)。再如有个著名的实验“温水煮青蛙”，寓意在一个安逸的环境中，容易不思进取，最终走向衰败。(不过有谣言粉碎机证明该实验是假的)(If a frog is dropped into boiling water, it will jump out immediately, but if the frog is put into cold water that is heated gradually, it will not perceive the temperature change and be finally boiled alive. This story is often told to illustrate that it is crucial for people to be aware of the tendency lest they suffer some undesirable consequence.)。 另外，金融危机应该也可以作为一个很好的例子。类似的思路体现在：(2008.10) Are decisions made quickly just as good as decisions made slowly and carefully? careful decision会让人考虑更周到更长远
那如果是只为将来打算而忽略眼前呢：
1.计划赶不上变化(Plan always lags behind changes)(In a world where the rate of change accelerates frighteningly, the only constant is the change itself: 在一个变化快的令人发指的社会里，唯一不变的就是变化本身。这句话是OG第十个test里的一道语法题)，过多的考虑最后变成无用功，因为事实未必像我们想象的那样，很多创新发明都不是按照既定的方针来实现的。这样一思考，那么我们准备过的创新的例子也许就能使用，或者可以写到创新的对立面如planning的坏处：(2009.1) Does planning interfere with creativity? 青霉素的发现就是个无心插柳的事件：Alexander Fleming left a dirty Petri dish in the lab sink. When he got back, he found bacteria had grown all over the plate, except in an area where mold had formed. 就这么个小事带来penicillin，当然也让弗莱明雇了个佣人。说明了准备也没用，一旦发现有了变化，就要关注present了，而不是本来的preparation。相似的例子还有发明便利贴，本来是发明胶水的，结果粘性不够强大但确实又可以粘一下下。这个思路要注意一点：应该是一个本来有着的规划下的happy accident，而不是一个纯粹的天上砸金条的意外，毕竟题目让我们写的还是preparation。另一个很经典的例子是详细讲过的“诺曼底登陆“，部署得再周详，6月5日狂风大作，还是得具体问题具体分析。
2. 有花堪折直须折(Gather ye rosebuds while ye may)，活在当下，及时行乐(enjoy a fling)，一万个美丽的未来比不上一个温暖的现在，因为谁也不能保证自己明天是否依然活着。类似思路的题目有：(2006.12) Is happiness something over which people have no control, or can people choose to be happy? (2007.11) Does having a large number of options to choose from make people happy?
3. 把preparation for the future理解成“好高骛远“(you mustn’t aim too high)。如”纸上谈兵“就是个很经典的例子，而一鸟在手永远胜于二鸟在林(A bird in hand is worth two in bush)
最后我们把preparation for the future和 enjoying the present 两者结合起来
1. 享受了今天自然会串联成美好的明天，无需刻意准备。如乔布斯的connecting the dots。但是我们在准备类似例子的时候，一般都是写主人公如何苦大仇深，苦逼呵呵，最后才屌丝逆袭，所以这里需要做一下转换，把enjoy解释成全心投入，与之相对的是“想太多“。(2007.3) Do we really benefit from every event or experience in some way? 比如这题，任何一件点滴的小事都汇聚成了未来的成就。
2. 未来是一份蓝图，有了目标才会觉得present是enjoyable的。这种思路下，例子应该比比皆是，我们准备过的任何伟人成就几乎都能套用了。类似的题目如下：(2006.12) Is it better for people to be realistic or optimistic? (2005.10) Is success in life earned or do people succeed because they are lucky?