用英文學習斷捨離 3 步驟找回清爽的生活空間
give away your old stuff 丟掉你的舊東西
Easy Ways to Sell, Donate, or Recycle Your Stuff | WIRED
create a storage system 打造你的收納方式
start to organize 開始收納
give away your old stuff 丟掉你的舊東西
斷捨離第一步，肯定就是把身邊不需要的東西狠心捨棄！這邊的 give away 也可以 get rid of 替代，兩者都有「丟掉」的意思。而句中要特別注意的是，stuff 屬不可數名詞，不能加上 s，用以表達「不想明確指出的那些事物」，跟 things 不太一樣。
至於該怎麼用英文說各種「捨棄」的方法呢？
trash-bag method 垃圾袋理論
這個方法在歐美收納圈小有名氣，也有人將之稱作 “The Goodwill Diet”。也就是在你要開始丟棄東西前，先準備一個垃圾袋，丟的同時計時多久能把這個垃圾袋裝滿。沒錯，目的就是請你將手上的垃圾袋填滿！除了有成就感，有更能釐清自己到底有多少不需要的東西。
unfollow/unsubscribe 退追蹤/退訂閱
想想你每次衝動購物的原因，是否就是因為被各大部落客燒到！所以退追可以有效遏止你的購物慾。un- 這個字首表示否定的意思，unsubscribe 除了可用於節目頻道的退訂閱，在網路購物想退貨時亦可使用。
minimalism 極簡主義
這是一個專有名詞，許多人斷捨離到最後都會奉行極簡主義。這並非指拮据過生活，而是只為生活留下「需要的」。-ism 結尾表示「……主義」， -ist 結尾則表示「……主義者」。
I felt relieved after cleaning out my closet using the trash-bag method.
透過垃圾袋理論整理完衣櫃後，我感到非常舒壓。
create a storage system 打造你的收納方式
每個人都有自己專屬的整理方式，但如果你下定決心要斷捨離，那整理方式一定要有原則，絕不是亂塞眼不見為淨就好。因此這句話你也可以說 “find a systematic way to storage”，都是指有系統的收納方式。
這裡有三招入門整理術，你一定要學起來：
fold up 折疊
許多人為了省時，會選擇用吊掛的方式整理衣物，但其實這樣不僅佔空間，而且也容易忘記自己到底擁有哪些衣服，折疊才更一目瞭然又省空間。而吊掛其實就稱作 hang up”，跟「掛上電話」是一樣的片語喔！
tidy-up 整頓/大掃除
Synonyms
* neat * orderly * presentable * spick and span
neat
adjective
UK /niːt/ US /niːt/
presentable
adjective
UK /prɪˈzen.tə.bəl/ US /prɪˈzen.t̬ə.bəl/
looking suitable or good enough, especially in the way you are dressed
中文常說的大掃除，其實英文就叫 tidy-up，由動詞片語 tidy up 衍生而來。延伸用法還有 “tidy away” 和 “tidy out”，兩者都是整理的意思，但前者是整理「物品」，後者則指整理「桌子」。
stop hoarding 停止囤積物品
hoard
verb [ T ]
UK /hɔːd/ US /hɔːrd/
to collect large amounts of something and keep it in a safe, often secret, place
貯藏，囤積
During the siege people began hoarding food and supplies.
圍困期間，人們開始囤積食品和日用品。
There would be enough food on a daily basis if people were not hoarding it.
如果人們不大量囤積食物，按日常用量應當會有足夠的食品供應。
你是不是也有許多東西丟了覺得可惜但卻始終派不上用場呢？囤積沒用的物品這個行為在英文中稱為 hoard。另外如果你在折扣季手滑，不小心買太多東西，這種行為英文則稱之為 stockpile，這個字是由 stock 和 pile 兩個字組成，stock 指庫存，而 pile 指堆積，合在一起便是囤貨之意。
Your house is such a mess. You need to stop hoarding so much junk and give this place a good tidy-up.
如果你真的想要有一個更舒適的生活環境，你該停止囤積物品並且認真來個大掃除。
start to organize 開始收納
丟完東西、好好清理後，最後一步就是把留下來的東西有條理地歸位了。organize 一詞指有條理地安排、規劃，同義詞還有 arrange，但兩者是不可替換的喔！形容詞 organized 則可以形容一個人井井有條，比如你可以說：“ He is very organized.”。
關於收納方法的英文單字，以下這些也很實用：
orderly 有條理地
搭配片語為 keep sth. orderly，表示把東西整齊收好。若作為名詞使用時，則有「(醫院) 勤務工」之意。
one-in-one-out rule 一進一出原則
這個方法也是歐美人士在進行斷捨離時奉行的原則。顧名思義，當你增添一樣新東西時，就得同時丟棄另一件物品。這句話也常見於酒吧中—One in, one out policy (一進一出規範)。
declutter 斷捨離
說了這麼多，究竟斷捨離的英文要怎麼說呢？clutter 有「凌亂」或「使凌亂」之意，加上字首 de-之後，declutter 就是解決這個凌亂，可以說是最接近斷捨離概念的一個單字。
Figuring out how to keep your things orderly is the first step toward decluttering.
想辦法把東西整理好是斷捨離的第一步。
WITH THE WAY the world has been over the last year or so, you may have had a bit more time than normal to take stock of what you've got at home—and many of us are likely to be feeling a strong urge to do some serious decluttering as businesses and communities open up again.
Whatever items you're looking to shift, you've got multiple ways to remove these possessions from your life without simply tossing them into the garbage. Here's how to tackle that big declutter responsibly and safely—and if you'd like to make some money from your unwanted stuff, you've got lots of options there too.
Sell Your Stuff
Screenshot of eBay
eBay is one place to sell your unwanted possessions, but it's not the only option. DAVID NIELD VIA EBAY
Just about anything can be sold through the various secondhand goods sites and apps that have sprung up in recent years. Don't assume that you're not going to get money for something just because it's broken or in bad condition—you'll get less money than you would if something was new, of course, but people are always on the look out for a bargain, and you might have one.
This is especially true of gadgets: There are plenty of people out there who will willingly pay to take a faulty electronics device off your hands and then attempt to fix it or use the parts for something else entirely. Just because your monitor, smartphone, or laptop is broken doesn't mean you have to throw it away. It's likely you'll find a willing buyer if the price is right.
That brings us to one of the main rules of selling items online: Be honest in the way you list and describe it. Make sure any damages or faults have been clearly described and photographed, and take as many pictures as you can in general—it helps potential buyers see what they're getting and reduces the potential for problems further down the line.
In terms of staying safe and avoiding scams, the approach is the same no matter what app or site you use: Stick to the guidelines of the platform you're on (keeping all communication on the platform itself, for example), always meet prospective buyers in public or with someone else to accompany you, and don't hand over anything until payment has been received and confirmed.
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If you've never used eBay before, know this: It remains one of the best places to sell unwanted items, especially damaged or broken ones—you can set a low price and then let market forces set the going rate as people bid against each other for it. Craigslist is another well-established buying and selling platform: It's a bit more basic than eBay, but unlike eBay it doesn't charge fees, and it's usually more straightforward for popular items or when you'd rather meet face to face with buyers instead of shipping goods.
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Of the newer marketplaces out there, Swappa is one of the most polished and professional when it comes to shifting anything electronic—in the case of phones, you just need to click a few buttons to indicate what model you're wanting to sell. OfferUp makes the process of selling anything from your phone very straightforward—just take a photo and fill out a template—while Poshmark is a good bet for items of clothing.
If you're happy to shift something locally, then Facebook Marketplace and Nextdoor are two of the most popular options. You won't reach as many people as you would on eBay, but you'll probably have an easier and quicker selling experience most of the time—these kinds of platforms are ideal if you're more concerned about convenience than profit, and they're both straightforward to get started with.
Give Away Your Stuff
Screenshot of Freecycle website
Tap into the Freecycle network to give away your stuff. DAVID NIELD VIA FREECYCLE
If you're feeling charitable, really pushed for time, or both, then consider giving away your stuff. You won't have as much cash at the end, but it's certainly quick—people will take almost (but not quite) anything if it's free, and there are likely to be resources you can use in your local area for making donations.
You can list your unwanted possessions for free on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Nextdoor, which we've already mentioned. All three of these platforms are split up into local regions, and it shouldn't take you too long to find someone in the neighborhood who's willing to take items off you.
As there's no money exchanging hands, you don't have to be quite so careful in terms of the accuracy of your listing and the quality of the photos—the person who takes your item isn't going to be demanding a refund, after all—but it's still courteous to accurately describe what you've got and the condition that it's in.
The Freecycle Network is also worth a look if you have something to give away for free. Again, the platform is split up into local regions, and you can either browse the listings for items that people are looking for to see if you've got a match, or post a listing describing what you're trying to give away and see if you get any takers.
Local charities are another option open to you, but be sure to check up on what they are and aren't accepting before you drive a van load of goods down to a shop. The website for your preferred charity should be able to tell you where your local shop or drop-off point is, and any guidelines that you need to know about when it comes to donating items.
Donation Town is a very helpful service that uses your zip code to produce a list of nearby charitable organizations that will actually come and pick up whatever it is that you're giving away. The sort of results that you're going to get will depend on whereabouts you live, but generally speaking you can clear all kinds of stuff out this way: Clothes, furniture, electronics and more.
It may sound obvious, but it can be easy to forget your own social media networks: Your family and friends may well be interested in whatever it is you're giving away, so it might be worth showcasing some of your free stuff on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see if anyone you know wants it before you start dealing with complete strangers.
Recycle Your Stuff
Screenshot of Apple.com
Apple and other manufacturers will recycle your electronics. DAVID NIELD VIA APPLE
The recycling options open to you vary widely depending on what exactly you're trying to get rid of. Giving items away for free is perhaps the best form of recycling, but if you're not getting any takers for your gear and you really don't have the time or the inclination to list them on freebie websites, there are other options—don't just throw your bits and pieces away.
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Electronics are perhaps the most straightforward type of item to deal with when it comes to recycling: Many of the biggest players in the industry (including Apple and Samsung) will gladly take your old gadgets back and dispose of them responsibly (or sell them as refurbished). You might even get some cash back towards a new purchase.
Major high street outlets will gladly take and recycle your phones, laptops, peripherals, and other electronics too: Best Buy and Staples are two of your options here. If whatever you're recycling is modern enough and in good enough condition, you might be given store credit to spend on something new.
The phone carriers all have recycling programs you can take advantage of, and like the stores, you might get some trade-in credit as well. Check out the dedicated portals for Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile to check up on the details of the scheme that you're interested in and to discover how much you might get back. There are a few more options to check out on the Environmental Protection Agency website.
Outside of electronics, you need to find out whether or not what you're getting rid of is actually recyclable to begin with—it may be that giving it away is a better option for certain types of goods. In the case of furniture, for example, you might be able to hand mostly metal items to your local scrapyard, while secondhand stores could well be interested in wooden furniture you don't want to send to landfill.
When it comes to clothes, recycling is an option for those garments that are just too well used to sell on again. As with phones, in some cases the store that sold you the item will take it back again for recycling: H&M is one company that does this, so you simply have to drop your bag of clothes off at a local store. There's also a service called TerraCycle that will take your unwanted fabrics and clothing for recycling through the mail.
You can find plenty of recycling information from your local town or city website: What you can recycle and where you can recycle it. That information should include locations of any recycling centers in your area, and they'll be able to give you more precise advice about what you can do with everything that you're getting rid of.
