A survey shows over 80% of college students are plagued by procrastination¹, requiring epic² all-nighters to finish papers and prepare for tests.

一项调查显示，超过八成的大学生被拖延症所困扰，这才有了大伙通宵达旦写论文或备考的壮观景象。

Roughly 20% of adults report being chronic³ procrastinators. But Adam Grant writes in the NYT that most people think procrastination as a vice⁵ for productivity. But it's actually a virtue⁶ for creativity.

近两成的成人承认自己是慢性拖延症患者。但是亚当·格兰特在纽约时报上写道，大部分人认为拖延症是效率的大敌，但实际上它是创造力的表现。

According to Grant our first ideas are usually our most conventional but when you procrastinate⁷, you're more likely to let your mind wander giving you a better chance of spotting unexpected patterns.

根据格兰特所说的，我们的第一个想法通常是我们最习惯的那个想法。但当你有所拖延的时候，其实这更有可能会让你的思维活跃起来，这也会给你提供一个发现意外模式的机会。

Experts say procrastination encourages divergent thinking.

专家称，拖延激发了发散性思维。

Even some monumental achievements are helped by procrastination. Grant says that according to those who knew him, Steve Jobs procrastinated⁸ constantly, Bill Clinton has been described as a "chronic procrastinator⁴" who waits until the last minute to revise his speeches.

甚至一些名人的成就都是靠拖延的帮助才得以实现的。格兰特说，从那些了解乔布斯的人我们可以获知，乔布斯就是一个总是拖延的家伙。此外，比尔·克林顿是一个被形容为有"慢性拖延症"的人，直到最后一刻他才会修改他的演讲。

Aaron Sorkin, the screenwriter, is known to put off writing until the last minute. He once said, "You call it procrastination, I call it thinking."

此外，编剧艾伦·索金曾说过，"你认为是拖延，我认为是思考。"众所周知，他的剧本总是要拖到最后一刻才会动笔。