爱思英语编者按：一种新型“慢递”(future mail)已经来到我们的身边，与高效的特快专递不同的是，这种邮件因为它的慢而珍贵。邮件保存的越久，其费用越高。此“慢递邮”究竟为何物？人们对它又是何种态度？它对人们又产生何种作用？

Have you ever dreamed about sending a letter to yourself or your friends in the future? While express mail represents efficiency and speed and is prevalent in China, there is another type of mail emerging as a new business: "future mail."
你是否想过想过给未来的自己或者朋友寄一封信？以高速与高效著称的特快专递在中国盛行的同时，另一种邮件服务——“慢递”，作为一种新型产业出现在人们视野中。

"The letter should be delivered next `Mother`s Day` and not a day earlier!" Lin Xiaofan, a senior high school student in Hefei, instructs one of the companies offering the service.
来自合肥的一名高中生林晓芬（音译）这样对一个“慢递”公司说：“这封信要准时在下个母亲节当天寄到。”

Lin Xiaofan wrote the letter to her mother in advance to express her love to her mother for next Mother’s Day.
这封信是林晓芬提前写给妈妈的，为了在下一个母亲节的时候送上她对母亲的爱。

"Offering this service makes people slow down and let them understand the meaning of `time` in another way," said Zheng Zhimin, manager at a "future mail" company in Hefei. Zheng thinks "future mail" letters are "reminders of and catalysts for affection, friendship and love."
“‘慢递’能使人们放慢脚步，换一种方式思考‘时间’。”来自合肥一家“慢递”公司的郑志敏（音译）说到。郑认为，“慢递”是亲情，友情，爱情的提醒书和催化剂。

Feng Xiao, a youth who feels pressure despite of some achievement in her career, decided to write a letter to herself on her 25th birthday and have it delivered five years later on her 30th birthday through a "future mail".
冯晓（音译），一位事业有成却又倍感压力的年轻人，决定在她25岁的生日上通过“慢递”为30岁的自己寄上一封信件。

"I expressed my thoughts about my current life and my expectations for the future to encourage myself to face up to the challenges of my life with courage," Feng said.
“我寄出自己当前的生活感悟和对将来的期望，希望激励自己勇敢迎接生活的挑战。”冯说道。

While "future mail" is gaining popularity, some are concerned about what happens if the postal address of the recipient changes or if the company goes broke before letters are delivered.
虽然“慢递”越来越受到人们的追捧，但是人们对它仍有些担忧。如果收信人的邮件地址变动，或者公司在信件寄出之前就倒闭会怎么样?

Zheng said customers are required to complete an acceptance form and make an assessment so they can be compensated if their letters or goods are lost or damaged.
郑说到，“顾客需要填一份签收表，对信件价值进行评估，如果他们的信件或者邮寄的物品丢失或损坏，他们就会得到补偿。”

"I won`t be too disappointed even if I cannot receive my letters, because for me what is more important are the feelings when I write the letter," said Zhu Min, who works for a foreign company in Shanghai.
“即使我真的没有收到我的信，我也不会太失望。因为对我来说，更重要的是我写信时的感受。”在上海一家外企工作的朱敏（音译）说道。

Most of the business`s customers are college students and young white-collar workers. Psychologists said young Chinese might have a new vent for their pent-up feelings through the service.
“慢递”行业的大多数顾客都是大学生或者年轻白领。心理学专家认为对于中国的年青人来说，这种“慢递”服务将成为一种发泄压抑情感的新渠道。

"Most people put their hopes and wishes in the letter so they can experience the connection between the past and the present while they receive the letter. It can help people reunderstand the meaning of `time`," said Wang Kaiyu, a sociologist in Anhui Province.
“大多数人把他们的希望和祝福写在信中，这样他们在将来收到信的时候，会体会到过去和现在的联系。这会使他们重新理解‘时间’的含义。”安徽省的一位社会学者王开宇（音译）说道。

相关词汇 更多信息请访问：http://www.engbus.cn/
 
future mail 慢递
 
Mother’s Day 母亲节
 
catalysts 催化剂；刺激因素
 
postal 邮政的；邮局的