英語美文-論守時
A punctual person is in the habit of doing a thing at the proper time and is never late in keeping an appointment. The unpunctual man，on the other hand，never does what he has to do at the proper time. He is always in a hurry and in the end loses both time and his good name. There is a proverb that says, "Time flies never to be recalled". This is very true. A lost thing may be found again，but lost time can never be regained. Time is more valuable than material things.
In fact，time is life itself.The unpunctual man is forever wasting and mismanaging his most valuable assets as well as the assets of others'. The unpunctual person is always complaining that he finds no time to answer letters or return calls or keep appointments promptly. But the man who really has a great deal to do is very careful with his time and seldom complains because he lacks it. He knows that he cannot get through his huge amount of work unless he faithfully attends to every piece of work when it has to be attended to ...
Failure to be punctual in keeping one's appointments is a sign of disrespect towards others. If a person is invited to dinner and arrives later than the appointed time，he keeps all the other guests waiting for him. Usually this will be regarded as a great disrespect to the host and all other guests present. Unpunctuality，moreover，is very harmful when it comes to doing one's duty，whether public or private. Imagine how it would be if those who are put in charge of important tasks failed to be at their proper place at the appointed time. A man who is known to be habitually unpunctual is never trusted by his friends or fellowmen. And the unpunctual man is a source of annoyance both to others and to himself.
論守時
一個守時的人養成了按時做事的習慣，這樣的人言必信，行必果。另一方面，不守時的人卻從不按時完成他應該做的事情。他總是匆匆忙忙的，到頭來卻既浪費了時間、又敗壞了自己的名譽。有句諺語說道："光陰一去不復返。" 此話千真萬確。一件東西丟了可能找回來，而弄丟了時間可就永遠找不回來了。時間較之財富更加珍貴。
實際上，時間本身就是生命! 因此，那些不守時的人是在不停地浪費自己的寶貴財富，同時也是在浪費他人的珍貴財產。那些不守時的人總是在抱怨，說自己沒有時間去寫回信、沒有時間回電話、或者沒有時間按時赴約。然而那些真正有大量事情要處理的人則會非常仔細地安排時間，很少抱怨說時間不夠用。他們知道，除非自己按時處理好應處理的每一件事情，否則他們是不可能做完這一大堆事情的……赴約不守時是對他人極大的不尊重。
如果一個人應邀去參加晚宴，卻沒有按時出席，就會讓其他的客人等他一個人。這是對主人和其他客人極大的不尊重。履行義務的時候--無論是公事還是私事--不守時是非常有害的。設想一下，如果把一件重大使命委託給一個不守時的人，結果他沒有在恰當的時間和地點完成這項任務，那麼結果會怎麼樣呢? 如果一個人以不守時而"聞名"，他怎麼可能得到朋友和同事的信任! 不守時的人既惹別人生氣，又弄得自己不快活。