译文||Annababe
In 1998, Google set out to achieve a large task: it aimed to become the top search engine in the world. They weren’t the first search engine around, though. Far from it.
1998年，谷歌设定了一个目标：立志成为全球最大的搜索引擎。尽管他们不是最早的搜索引擎，尽管还有很长的一段路要走。
In the years before Google had stepped on the scene, a number of other search engines had already been launched. Despite their numerous competitors, Google became the leader in the industry. Users would talk about how easy it was to use Google. The front page design was so clean and simple, and it gave people exactly what they wanted.
在谷歌开始涉及搜索引擎这个领域之前，就有很多公司开始在做搜索引擎了。尽管有很多的竞争对手，但谷歌还是占据了业内领导者的地位。用户谈论在使用谷歌进行搜索的时候非常方便，页面的设计非常整洁简单，人们可以很容易并且准确的得到他们想要的。
Less Instead of More/少代替多
At first glance, the design looks incredibly basic. It’s almost like a blank page with a search bar in the center. But underneath that simple design was a lot of planning, systems, and just saying “no.”
乍一看，页面设计出奇的简单。就像是一个空白的页面，在中心放了几个搜索栏。但其实在简单的设计背后，是更多的规划，系统化和拒绝。
Google had to say no to numerous suggestions made by other people, including employees, users and customers. Engineers would frequently bring in ideas on how the front page could be improved. User surveys showed how people wanted to have more results per page.
谷歌不得不对很多建议说“不”，这些建议有的来自员工，有的来自用户还有的来自客户。技术工程师需要经常提出改善首页功能的想法。用户调查显示人们希望在每页得到更多的搜索结果。
But Google knew putting more options would bring up a number ofnegative consequences, such as longer load times and reduced user satisfaction. So Google decided to place tight restrictions on what could and couldn’t be added.
但谷歌知道提供更多的选择将会带来一些负面的影响，如需要更长的加载时间和降低用户的满意度。因此，谷歌决定对可能和不能添加的东西进行严格的限制。
Whenever an engineer suggested a new feature, it would examined rigorously, be tested on the advanced search page and evaluated on ease of use. Google’s aim was to weed out any unnecessary complexity. Over a period of time, Google’s system gave them the knowledge and experience to make the best decisions for the company in the long run.
每当一个工程师提出一个新的功能，都会接受严格的检验，先进行搜素页面测试，并评估易用性。谷歌的目标是消除任何不必要的复杂性。在过去的一段时间内，谷歌的系统为公司的长远发展提供了知识和经验，从而做出最佳决策。
In a sea of competitors, Google stood out for giving its users less instead of more.
在残酷的竞争中，谷歌通过给用户更简单的体验而脱颖而出。
The Dilution Effect/稀释效应
We often believe that more is better. More functions, more features, more conveniences.
我们总是认为越多越好。更多的功能，更多的便利。
But we end up overcomplicating things. Instead of making something easier or more convenient, our need to add more ends up distracting us from the initial goal.
但是我们最终把事情复杂化了，而不是让事情更加简单和便利。需要的越多反而分散了我们最初的目标。
For instance, let’s say that you want to be a singer. You take vocal lessons, study music theory, and practice singing daily at home. Outside of music, you go to the gym and enjoy cooking healthy food. Although the latter activities aren’t directly singing-related, they help you work towards your singing goal because they keep your vocal cords in good shape.
例如，你想要成为一个歌手，于是你参加声乐课，学习音乐知识，并且每天在家练习唱歌。除了音乐，你还去健身房，享受烹饪健康的事物。虽然这些活动没有直接与音乐有关，但是它们帮助你更好的达成你成为歌手的目标，以为这些事帮助你的声带保持一个良好的状态。
But let’s say that you also like building tables and chairs. You read carpentry books and attend workshops, besides spending free time on building furniture. On top of carpentry and singing, you want to learn Spanish. So you take Spanish lessons once a week and practice at home. All these activities push you in different directions, making your singing progress much slower.
但假如你还喜欢自己动手做桌子和椅子，除了在做家具上花费时间，你还阅读了一些木工手艺的书籍并参加了一些研讨会。另外除了木工手艺和唱歌，你还想要学西班牙语，所以你每周还参加了一次西班牙语的课程并且在家练习。所有的这些活动会促使你往不同的方向努力，从而是你的唱歌进度慢很多。
This is what I callthe Dilution Effect. It happens when we set out to achieve a specific outcome, but the addition of unnecessary elements dilutes the desired effect. Our focus is taken away from our top priorities. Since we have afinite amount of energy, we need to consider where we put our energy. When more activities call for our attention, we divide our energy and make less progress in one area.
这就是我说的稀释效应。它发生在当我们设立一个明确的目标的时候，但由于一些不必要的因素加入而降低了预期效果。我们的注意力会从优先处理的事项中被分散。人的精力是有限的，所以我们需要思考应该把精力放在哪里。当有很多事情出现吸引我们的注意力的时候，我们就会分散精力到各个地方从而导致每个事情的进度都变慢。
How to Simplify and Get More/如何简化并获得更多呢
We tend to stack more activities into our lives because we think that more choices will make us happier. It feels safe. But it’s actually better for our long-term goals to focus on making things simple instead.
我们倾向于把更多的活动投入到我们的生活中，因为我们认为更多的选择会让我们更快乐，更有安全感。但实际上专注于使事情简单，对我们目标的长期发展才是更好的。
It’s not easy to reach simplicity. It takes effort to step back and think of what we don’t need. But when we put in the time to reflect on what is essential to reaching our goals, we can become more productive, more relaxed, and know that we’re spending time on the things that are the most important.
让事情简单化不是一件容易的事。这需要我们付出努力一步一步想明白究竟什么是我们不需要的。但当我们把时间花在思考什么是对我们达成目标最重要的，我们就会变得更加有效率，更加放松，而且知道我们正把时间花在真正重要的事情上。
This concept applies to many parts of our lives, such as when we:
这个概念被应用到生活的很多方面，例如当我们：
Explain a concept.Simplifying our words and saying only what is needed gets our message across more clearly.
解释一个概念。简化我们的语言，只需要说一些让我们的信息能被更清晰传达的话。
Create a product:Limiting features to only the essential means that people will find a product easier to understand, which increases satisfaction.
创造一个产品。限制功能只留下必要的部分，这意味着人们可以更容易的理解这个产品，从而增加满意度。
Decide what activities to do:Focusing only on activities that push you in the right direction will increase the likelihood you can get what you want.
决定做什么事。只关注在正确方向推动你的活动，会增加你想要得到的效果可能性。
While we have things we want to achieve that might conflict with each other, such as singing and carpentry, it’s possible to do both – just not at the same time. In Google’s case, they began by focusing solely on becoming the top search engine in the world. It wasn’t until six years later that they launched Gmail, their email system.
虽然有些东西我们也想实现，但这些事情可能会互相冲突。例如唱歌和木工，其实是有可能完成这两件事的，只要不在同一个时间做就行。在谷歌的案例中，他们开始专注于成为世界上最顶级的搜索引擎。直到六年后，他们才推出了Gmail的邮件系统。
If you want to succeed, then focus on one area first. Once you’ve found success in that, then you can move on to something else. Simplifying means doing less to achieve the most.
所以如果你想要成功，那么就先关注一个领域。一旦你在这个领域成功了，那么你就可以继续下一个领域了。简化意味着把事情分解，通过一件一件完成达到量的的积累。
Here Are Two Questions You Should Ask Yourself
这里有两个问题你需要问问自己：
When deciding what to do, ask yourself these two questions:
每当你决定要做什么的时候，问自己这两个问题：
What is your goal right now?
你现在的目标是什么？
What do you need to do to achieve this goal?
你需要做什么来完成这个目标？
Yes, it’s that simple. It might not seem so at first, but when you take away non-essentials and distractions, you’ll find that you move faster towards your destination than ever before.
是的，这非常简单。也许一开始不是这样的，但当你摆脱那些不必要的和干扰你的事情，你会发现，你比以往任何时候都更快地走向你的目的地。
原文链接：戳这里
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