书城外语没有抵达不了的港湾
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第41章 成功是过程,而不是终点 (16)

假如你最终没能登上成功的峰顶,取得胜利的桂冠,那又何妨,重要的是你一直都在努力。世界上只有极少数人懂得这个道理——成功是过程,不是终点。假如所有人都明白这个道理,大家都意识到有人会成功,也有人会失败,最为重要的是两者都尽了他们最大的努力,那么我们的世界将会是多么美好啊!毕竟,重要的不是输或赢,而是我们在比赛中努力了。我希望在生活中,我就是这样做的。

重要的不是你最终到了哪里,而是一路上你都做过什么。不管你做了什么,只要努力了,就一定不会失败。

wise [waiz] adj. 明智的;有学问的;有智慧的;聪明的

Learned men are not necessarily wise.

博学者未必都是聪明的。

chase [teis] n. 追求;狩猎;比赛

They caught the puppy after a long chase.

他们追了很久才把小狗逮住。

potential [p'ten()l] n. 潜力;潜能

Your market still has great potential.

你们的市场仍有很大潜力。

championship ['t鎚pjnip] n. 冠军赛;冠军

He harbors a wish to be a world championship.

他内心怀有当一名世界冠军的愿望。

生活中有“人生法则”做基础是极其重要的,给我带来极大影响的一条“人生法则”就是:成功是过程,不是终点。

假如你最终没能登上成功的峰顶,取得胜利的桂冠,那又何妨,重要的是你一直都在努力。

毕竟,重要的不是输或赢,而是我们在比赛中努力了。

Even though they lost some games, they didn' t give up.

even though:即使;尽管;虽然;纵然

After all, it' s not who wins or loses, but how well you play the game, and I hope I have applied this in my own life.

after all:毕竟;终究;究竟;终于

好好想想现在的生活

Think It Over

佚名 / Anonymous

Today we have higher buildings and wider highways, but shorter temperaments and narrower points of view;

We spend more, but enjoy less;

We have bigger houses, but smaller families;

We have more compromises, but less time;

We have more knowledge, but less judgment;

We have more medicines, but less health;

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values;

We talk much, we love only a little, and we hate too much;

We reached the Moon and came back, but we find it troublesome to cross our own street and meet our neighbors;

We have conquered the outer space, but not our inner space;

We have higher income, but less morals;

These are times with more liberty, but less joy;

We have much more food, but less nutrition;

These are the days in which it takes two salaries for each home, but divorces increase;

These are times of finer houses, but more broken homes:

That' s why I propose, that as of today.

今天的我们,有了更高的建筑、更宽的公路,性情却更急躁,眼界也更狭窄;

我们花费的更多,享受却更少了;

我们的房子大了,家却更小了;

我们有了更多的妥协,时间却更少了;

我们的知识更多了,判断力却日渐下降;

我们的药品日益丰富,健康却不尽如人意;

我们的财富不断累积,但价值慢慢缩减;

我们说的更多,爱的却少了,仇恨也更多了;

我们能往返月球,却发现穿梭于街道与邻居接触是那么的难;

我们征服了外太空,却征服不了我们的心;

我们的收入多了,道德意识却少了;

这是一个自由的时代,但能享受的快乐少了;

我们有了更多的食物,营养却少了;

如今每个家庭都有双份薪水,离婚率也越来越高;

如今的住房越来越高档,破碎的家庭也越来越多。

这就是我要说的,让我们从今天开始的原因。

temperament ['temprmnt] n. 气质;性质;性情

She is possessed of a wonderfully calm temperament.

她的性情非常文静。

compromise ['kmprmaiz] n. 妥协;折中;折中案

To ensure the safety of drinking water, there can be no room for

compromise.

为了保证饮用水的安全,不能有任何妥协方案。

multiply ['mltiplai] v. 繁殖;乘;增加

All the money I spend enriches society and comes back to me

multiplied.

我花的每一分钱都增加社会的财富,它会加倍回到我身边。

conquer ['kk] v. 克服;征服;战胜

When will scientists conquer cancer?

科学家什么时候才能征服癌症呢?

我们能往返月球,却发现穿梭于街道与邻居接触是那么的难。

你不必为了某个特别的时刻留住你所珍藏的东西,因为你活着的每一天都是那么特别。

We reached the Moon and came back, but we find it troublesome to cross our own street and meet our neighbors.

come back:回来;突然想起;重新流行;恢复;复原;复苏

That' s why I propose, that as of today.

as of:在……时;自……起;在……时候;直到……;自从

等价交换原则

Too Dear for the Whistle

本杰明·富兰克林 / Benjamin Franklin

When I was a child of seven years old, my friends, on a holiday, filled my pocket with coppers. I went at once to a shop where they sold toys for children. Being charmed with the sound of a whistle that I had seen by the way, in the hands of another boy, I handed over all my money for one. I then came home, and went whistling all over the house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all the family. My brothers and sisters and cousins, when I told of the bargain I had made, said I had given four times as much as the whistle was worth. They put me in mind of what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money, and laughed at me so much for my folly that I cried with vexation. Thinking about the matter gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me pleasure.

This, however, was afterwards of use to me, for the impression continued on my mind, so that often, when I was tempted to buy something I did not need, I said to myself, " Don' t give too much for the whistle," and I saved my money. As I grew up, came into the world, and observed the actions of men, I thought I met with many, very many, who "gave too much for the whistle." When I saw some men too eager for court favour, wasting his time at court gatherings, giving up his rest, his liberty, his virtue, and perhaps his friends, for royal favour, I said to myself— "This man gives too much for the whistle." When I saw another fond of popularity, constantly taking part in political affairs, neglecting his own business, and ruining it by neglect, "He pays, indeed," said I, "too dear for his whistle."

If I knew a miser who gave up every kind of comfortable living, all the pleasure of doing good to others, all the esteem of his fellow citizens and the joys of friendship, for the sake of gathering and keeping wealth— "Poor man," said I, "yon pay too dear for your whistle." When I met a man of pleasure, who did not try to improve his mind or his fortune but merely devoted himself to having a good time, perhaps neglecting his health, "Mistaken man," said I, "you are providing pain for yourself, instead of pleasure; you are paying too dear for your whistle." If I saw someone fond of appearance who had fine clothes, fine houses, fine furniture, fine earrings, all above his fortune, and for which he had run into debt, "Alas,"said I, "he has paid dear, very dear, for his whistle." In short the miseries of mankind are largely due to their putting a false value on things—to giving "too much for their whistles" .