TED演讲:在危机中前行(9)

 The proof? When Pena was sworn in, the pact¹ held, 证据呢？当培尼亚宣誓就职时，协议也签订了

and Mexico moved forward for the first time in years. Bueno. 而墨西哥也在这么多年来第一次朝前发展。非常好

So now we've seen how these three countries overcame three of their great challenges. 现在我们看过了这三个国家是如何克服他们面临的三个巨大挑战的

And that's very nice for them, right? 很为他们感到高兴，是吗？

But what good does it do the rest of us? 那么这对我们来说又有什么好处呢？

Well, in the course of studying these and a bunch of other success stories, 在研究这些故事以及其它成功的故事的过程中

like the way Rwanda pulled itself back together after civil war or Brazil has reduced inequality, 比如说卢旺达如何在内战后重新团结起来或者巴西是怎样减少不平等的

or South Korea has kept its economy growing faster and for longer 又或者韩国如何保持经济长期高速地增长

than any other country on Earth, I've noticed a few common threads. 还有其它一些国家的故事，我注意到了一些共同点

Now, before describing them, I need to add a caveat². 在我讲述它们之前，我想先说明一下。

I realize, of course, that all countries are unique. 我注意到，当然，每个国家都是独一无二的。

So you can't simply take what worked in one, 所以你不能简单地把对某个国家有用的东西，

port it to another and expect it to work there too. 放到另一个国家然后期待它也能产生效果。

Nor do specific solutions work forever. 没有哪个特定的方案是一直有效的

You've got to adapt them as circumstances change. 你得根据环境去调配它们。

That said, by stripping these stories to their essence, 也就是说，只要剥开故事的表象看到本质

you absolutely can distill³ a few common tools for problem-solving 你就能从中提取一些解决问题的通用工具

that will work in other countries and in boardrooms and in all sorts of other contexts, too. 并且可以使用在其它的国家，使用在会议当中以及其它的方方面面

Number one, embrace the extreme. 首先，接受极端

In all the stories we've just looked at, salvation⁴ came at a moment of existential peril⁵. 在所有我们刚刚看到的故事中，拯救都发生在危机中的某一时刻。

And that was no coincidence. 这绝非巧合。

1 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

2 caveat   

n.警告； 防止误解的说明

参考例句：

• I would offer a caveat for those who want to join me in the dual calling.为防止发生误解，我想对那些想要步我后尘的人提出警告。
• As I have written before,that's quite a caveat.正如我以前所写，那确实是个警告。

3 distill   

vt.蒸馏，用蒸馏法提取，吸取，提炼

参考例句：

• This standard set determine the method of petroleum products distill.本标准规定了测定石油产品蒸馏的方法。
• Distill the crucial points of the book.从书中提炼出关键的几点。

4 salvation   

n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困

参考例句：

• Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。
• Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。

5 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。