60 Too early and too late

Punctuality is a necessary habit in all public affairs in civilized society.

准时是文明社会中进行一切社交活动时必须养成的习惯。

Without it, nothing could ever be brought to a conclusion; everything would be in a state of chaos.

不准时将一事无成，事事都会陷入混乱不堪的境地。

Only in a sparsely-populated rural community is it possible to disregard it.

只有在人口稀少的农村,才可以忽视准时的习惯。

In ordinary living, there can be some tolerance of unpunctuality.

在日常生活中人们可以容忍一定程度的不准时。

The intellectual, who is working on some abstruse problem, has everything coordinated and organized for the matter in hand.

一个专心钻研某个复杂问题的知识分子,为了搞好手头的研究，要把一切都协调一致、组织周密。

He is therefore forgiven if late for a dinner party.

因此,他要是赴宴迟到了会得到谅解。