閱讀猶如在知識的海洋裡遊泳，要想順利地到達理想的彼岸，必須掌握正確的方法。一個積極的讀者要與書進行互動，把讀到的知識變成自己的，大膽地給書做標記吧！
Have you ever heard of active listening?
你聽說過積極傾聽嗎？
In short, it means that rather than passively sitting back and simply letting someone else talk while waiting for your chance to speak, you engage in the conversation without words.
簡言之，這意味著你不是被動地坐在後面，或單純在等待你發言的機會時聽別人說話，而是你在無言的交談中。
It requires full concentration, understanding, and recollection of the conversation.
它需要全神貫注、理解和回憶對話。
It helps to minimize confusion and forgetfulness.
這有助於減少對對話的困惑和內容的健忘。
I employ these same practices when I read.
當我閱讀時，我也採用同樣的方法。
I am an active reader.
我是一個積極的讀者。
I interact with the book.
我和書互動。
I underline and highlight.
閱讀中我會用下劃線和突出標記。
I fold page corners or have tabs sticking out of the side.
我會摺疊書籍頁面的一角或者貼上標籤從側面伸出來。
I argue with the text, challenging the author, editorializing or asking questions in the margins, sometimes writing so much it encircles the page.
我與文本爭論，挑戰作者，在頁面空白處編輯或提問，有時寫得太多包圍了整頁的文本。
This isn't unusual.
這並不罕見。
Stanley Kubrick's notes inside The Shining is just one example of famous writers marking up the texts of other authors.
斯坦利·庫布裡克在《閃靈》中的筆記只是著名作家標記其他作家著作的一個例子。
All of this is called marginalia and it's one of the many reasons I prefer actual, physical books.
所有這些都被稱為「邊緣書」，這是我更喜歡實體書的眾多原因之一。
I do have a Kindle and I do use it, but conversing with the text is much more difficult, from highlighting pages to making notes, especially since my fat fingers usually make the pages jump.
我確實有一個Kindle，我也用它，但是與文本對話要困難很多，從突出顯示頁面到做筆記，尤其是因為我肥胖的手指通常會使頁面跳躍。
Pen and paper is so much easier.
用紙和筆卻容易得多。
I employ this strategy for every single nonfiction book I encounter, but not usually for novels and short stories.
對於遇到的每本非小說類書籍，我都會採用這種策略，但對於小說和短篇小說通常不採用這種策略。
Still, every so often something in one of those books will strike me and I'll mark it, but that's far more rare.
儘管如此，這些書中的某些東西也時常會打動我，我會記下來，但這種情況不多。
All of this may seem like unnecessary extra work, but it is what allows me to retain what I read, to ensure that the knowledge gets transferred out of the book and into my world.
所有這些似乎都是不必要的額外工作，但正是這些工作讓我能夠保留所讀的內容，確保知識從書中轉移到我的世界中。
Sometimes I'll have a notepad nearby for important parts or I may transfer a quote into my personal collection.
有時我會在旁邊放一個記事本來記錄重要的部分，或者我會把一個引用加入到我的個人收藏中。
This process also helps me to relate it to others, whether it be through specific excerpts or a general thread of the work.
這個過程也有助於我把這部分和其他部分聯繫起來，不管是通過具體的節選還是作品的一個總體線索。
Book recommendations have far more weight when they don't end with, "I don't know, I can't describe it, but it was, like, you know, pretty good, I guess."
當推薦書的建議不是以「我不知道，我無法描述它，但它就像，你知道的，相當不錯」結尾時，推薦的價值就很大。
This is a relatively new endeavor for me and, truth be told, I wish I would have adopted it years ago.
這對我來說是一個相對較新的嘗試，說實話，我希望幾年前我就採納了它。
Aside from textbooks, I was loathe to mark up my books.
除了課本，我討厭在書上做記號。
I wanted to keep them pristine.
我想讓它們保持原樣。
For a time, I tried not to even break the spine or otherwise betray that it had ever been opened.
有一段時間，我試著不損壞書脊，或者不願露出它曾經被打開過的跡象。
As someone that has long been a collector, I wanted to keep my books as close to mint condition as possible.
就像一個資深的收藏家，我想讓我的書儘可能地接近出廠的狀況。
But to what end?
但到底是為了什麼？
What was my ultimate goal?
我的最終目的是什麼？
Was I more concerned with reading the books or the appearance of them?
我更在意的是閱讀書籍還是書籍的外觀？
If I just wanted them for their looks, I could buy a painting of a bookshelf and hang that up.
如果我只是想看看它們的樣子，我可以買一幅適合書架的畫並把它掛起來。
Still, the first time you take a pen to a beautiful page of a new book it can feel like cutting up a Monet with a boxcutter, so if you don't think you can bring yourself to mark up your books, I suggest you take a cue from my good friend who spent more than a decade collecting Jordans.
不過，當你第一次拿筆標記著去讀一本漂亮的新書時，你會感覺像是用一把開槽刀把莫奈劃成碎片，所以如果你覺得自己不能為自己的書做標記，我建議你向我的好朋友學習，他花了十多年的時間收集喬丹鞋。
He saw them as an investment, so he always purchased them with their value and return on investment in mind, keeping them unblemished.
他把它們看作是一種投資，所以他總是把它們的價值和投資回報放在心上，購買它們並保持完好無損。
But he's also human and every so often a pair would be released that he desperately wanted to wear, not just stack for a rainy day.
但他也是人，經常會有一雙新鞋推出的時候，他非常想穿，而不僅僅是為了珍藏。
Yet he didn't want to risk his investment.
但他不想冒險投資。
So what did he do?
那他該怎麼辦？
He'd buy two pairs — one to wear, one to preserve.
他會買兩雙，一雙用來穿，一雙用來珍藏。
If you're determined to keep your books immaculate, I'd suggest you do the same — buy a second copy that you can mark up as you wish.
如果你決心保持你的書完好無損，我建議你也這樣做——再買一本，你可以按你的意願去標記。
If that's too expensive for you, buy your fresh copy new and then buy a used book, either from a fantastic indie bookstore or online at Thriftbooks, that you can deface with abandon.
如果這對你來說太貴了，那就買一本新的，然後買一本二手書，可以從一家很棒的獨立書店，也能在Thriftbooks的網上買，這樣你就可以隨意塗改了。
So, go forth and mark up your books.
所以，大膽給你的書做標記吧。
After all, being well-read and able to speak about the great books you've encountered is far more important than having your bookshelf look like an untouched Barnes & Noble.
畢竟，擁有良好的閱讀能力並能夠談論你所遇到的那些很棒的書籍，遠比讓你的書架看起來像一個未動過的巴諾書店（美國最大的實體書店）重要得多。