课文翻译 课后翻译在最后
a complex, living, changing human being. They can only describe the situation at a particular time and place.
人们大多受到语言学家S?I?早川所谓的“双值定向”的影响。我们都说要看到一个问题的两个方面好像每个问题只有两面似的。我们以为每个人不是成功就是失败。而事实上成功和失败都可能有极多不同的程度。正如早川所指出的在“我失败了三次”和“我是个失败者”之间有着天壤之别。其实失败和成功这两个词不能用来合理地描述一个复杂的、活生生的、不断变化的人。它们只能描述某一特定时间某一特定地点的情况。 Obviously no one can be brilliant at everything. In fact, success in one area often precludes
success in another. A famous politician once told me that his career had practically destroyed his marriage. "I have no time for my family," he explained. "I travel a lot. And even when I'm home, I hardly see my wife and kids. I've got power, money, prestige — but as a husband and father, I'm a flop."
很显然没有哪个人能够样样事情都出类拔萃。事实上某一方面的成功常常会妨碍另一方面的成功。一位著名的政治家曾告诉我说他的事业几乎毁掉了他的婚姻。“我没有时间顾及家人”他解释说“我经常外出旅行。即使在家也难得与妻子儿女见面。我有权、有钱、有威望---但作为丈夫和父亲我却是个失败者。”
Certain kinds of success can indeed be destructive. The danger of too early success is particularly acute. I recall from my childhood a girl whose skill on ice skates marked her as "Olympic
material." While the rest of us were playing, bicycling, reading and just loafing, this girl skated — every day after school and all weekend. Her picture often appeared in the papers, and the rest of us envied her glamorous life. Years later, however, she spoke bitterly of those early triumphs. "I
never prepared myself for anything but the ice," she said. "I peaked at 17 — and it's been downhill ever since."
某些种类的成功有时候确实有毁灭性。过早成功的危害尤为严重。我记得在我小时候有个女孩其高超的滑冰技术表明她是“奥运人材”。当我们其余的人在玩耍、骑车、读书或悠闲地消磨时光时这个女孩却在滑冰---每天放学后以及整个周末都在滑。她的照片经常出现在报纸上我们都很羡慕她这种充满刺激的生活。然而若干年后她谈起早年那些非凡的成功时却不无酸楚。“除了滑冰我从来没准备做别的事情。”她说“我17岁时达到了顶峰----自那以后就一直在走下坡路。
Success that comes too easily is also damaging. The child who wins a prize for a carelessly - written essay, the adult who distinguishes himself at a first job by lucky accident faces probable disappointment when real challenges arise.
来之太易的成功也具有破坏性。因一篇匆匆写成的文章而获奖的孩子凭运气侥幸在第一份工作中即出人头地的成年人 当真正的挑战出现时都可能面临失望。
Success is also bad when it's achieved at the cost of the total quality of an experience. Successful students sometimes become so obsessed with grades that they never enjoy their school years. They never branch out into tempting new areas, because they don't want to risk their grade - point average.
以牺牲某种经历的整体质量为代价而获得的成功也是有害的。 成功的学生有时心里只想着分数而永远享受不到学校生活的乐趣。 他们从不扩大兴趣范围涉足诱人的新领域因为他们不想拿自己的平均积分点去冒险。
Why are so many people so afraid of failure? Simply because no one tells us how to fail so that failure becomes a growing experience. We forget that failure is part of the human condition and that "every person has the right to fail."
