The Time Cost Behind Convenience

wèile为了jiéshěng节省shíjiān时间，wǒ我zài在wǎngshàng网上mǎi买le了yī一zhāng张xūyào需要zìjǐ自己ānzhuāng安装de的shūzhuō书桌。

To save time, I bought a desk online that required assembly.

yè页miàn面jièshào介绍shuō说ānzhuāng安装hěn很jiǎndān简单，wǒ我biàn便méiyou没有zǐxì仔细kàn看shuōmíng说明。

The product page said assembly was easy, so I did not read the instructions carefully.

shōudào收到yǐhòu以后，wǒ我cái才fāxiàn发现língjiàn零件hěn很duō多，hái还quēshǎo缺少yī一zhǒng种gōngjù工具。

After it arrived, I discovered that there were many parts and that I lacked one of the tools.

zhǎo找gōngjù工具、liánxì联系kè客fú服hé和chóngxīn重新ānzhuāng安装，huā花diào掉le了zhěnggè整个xiàwǔ下午。

Finding the tool, contacting customer service and assembling it again took the entire afternoon.

zhè这bìng并bù不shuōmíng说明wǎngshàng网上gòuwù购物bù不fāngbiàn方便，érshì而是tíxǐng提醒wǒ我，biànlì便利wǎngwǎng往往zhǐ只chūxiàn出现zài在mǒu某gè个huánjié环节。

This does not mean online shopping is inconvenient; it reminds me that convenience often applies to only one stage of a process.

xià下dān单kěyǐ可以hěn很kuài快，dàn但shǐyòng使用qián前de的zhǔnbèi准备kěnéng可能hěn很màn慢。

Placing an order may be quick, while preparing the item for use may be slow.

rúguǒ如果zhǐ只bǐjiào比较jiàgé价格hé和pèisòng配送sùdù速度，jiù就róngyì容易hūlüè忽略hòumian后面de的shíjiān时间chéngběn成本。

Comparing only prices and delivery speed makes it easy to overlook the time needed afterwards.

shíjiān时间chéngběn成本yě也yīnrénéryì因人而异，xǐhuan喜欢dòngshǒu动手de的rén人kěnéng可能bǎ把ānzhuāng安装dàngchéng当成lèqù乐趣。

Time costs also vary from person to person: someone who enjoys practical tasks may find assembly fun.

duì对gōngjù工具bù不shúxi熟悉de的rén人，zé则kěnéng可能xūyào需要fùchū付出gèng更duō多jīnglì精力。

Someone unfamiliar with the tools may need to invest more effort.

xiànzài现在，gòumǎi购买zhè这lèi类shāngpǐn商品qián前，wǒ我huì会quèrèn确认ānzhuāng安装、wéihù维护hé和tuì退huò货de的jùtǐ具体yāoqiú要求。

Now, before buying this kind of product, I check the requirements for assembly, maintenance and returns.

bìyào必要shí时，wǒ我yuànyi愿意wèi为héshì合适de的fúwù服务duō多fù付yī一diǎn点qián钱。

When necessary, I am willing to pay a little more for a suitable service.

zhēnzhèng真正de的biànlì便利，yīnggāi应该cóng从gòumǎi购买yīzhí一直jìsuàn计算dào到shùnlì顺利yòng用shàng上，ér而bù不néng能tíng停zài在fùkuǎn付款wánchéng完成de的nà那yī一kè刻。

Real convenience should be assessed from purchase through successful use, rather than only up to the moment payment is complete.