TED演讲:书呆子教你如何在线学习(3)

 I believe that what we map changes the life we lead. 我相信我们为自己绘制的地图能改变我们的人生。

And I don't mean that in some, like, secret-y Oprah's Angels network, like, you-can-think-your-way-out-of-cancer sense.  我说的并不是类似神秘的“奥普拉天使网络”计划，或者“人定胜天”之类的心灵鸡汤。

But I do believe that while maps don't show you where you will go in your life, they show you where you might go. 但我确信一点，尽管地图不能预测你的人生将走向何处，但它至少能显示出一些可能性。

You very rarely go to a place that isn't on your personal map. 因为你不太可能去一个你个人地图上都没有的地方。

So I was a really terrible student when I was a kid. 我小时候是一个非常糟糕的学生。

My GPA was consistently¹ in the low 2s. 我的平均绩点一直只有2分出头。

And I think the reason that I was such a terrible student is that 而我认为原因在于，

I felt like education was just a series of hurdles² that had been erected³ before me, 当时我觉得学校教育就像挡在我面前的一个个障碍物，

and I had to jump over in order to achieve adulthood⁴. 我需要一个接一个地跨越它们才能成年。

And I didn't really want to jump over these hurdles, because they seemed completely arbitrary, 而我真是不愿意去跨越这些障碍，因为在我看来教育常常是武断的，

so I often wouldn't, and then people would threaten me, you know, 所以我经常放弃，然后就会有各种人出来威胁我，

they'd threaten me with this "going on permanent record," or "You'll never get a good job." 他们对我甩狠话，“你的成绩会一直记在你的档案里，”或者是“你永远找不到一份好工作。”

I didn't want a good job! As far as I could tell at eleven or twelve years old, like, 我压根就不想找一份好工作好吗！我在十一、二岁的时候就明白，

people with good jobs woke up very early in the morning, 那些有好工作的人起得比鸟还早，

and the men who had good jobs, one of the first things they did was tie a strangulation item of clothing around their necks. 而他们每天早上做的第一件事就是把一根布条紧紧缠在自己脖子上。

They literally⁵ put nooses⁶ on themselves, and then they went off to their jobs, whatever they were. 简直就是给自己套绞索，然后他们出发去上班，鬼知道那工作是什么。

That's not a recipe for a happy life. 这不是幸福生活该有的样子。

These people -- in my, symbol-obsessed, twelve year-old imagination 这些人--在我这个痴迷符号的、十二岁小孩的想象中，

these people who are strangling themselves as one of the first things they do each morning, they can't possibly be happy. 这些每天早上做的第一件事就是给自己套上绞索的人，他们怎么可能开心呢。

Why would I want to jump over all of these hurdles and have that be the end? That's a terrible end! 我怎么会愿意跨过重重障碍，最后落得跟他们一样的下场呢？这下场太悲哀了！

1 consistently   

ad.一贯地，一直

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。
• The minister has consistently opposed any relaxation in the law. 部长一向反对法律上的任何放宽。

2 hurdles   

n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛

参考例句：

• In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句

3 ERECTED   

adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立

参考例句：

• A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
• A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

4 adulthood   

n.成年，成人期

参考例句：

• Some infantile actions survive into adulthood.某些婴儿期的行为一直保持到成年期。
• Few people nowadays are able to maintain friendships into adulthood.如今很少有人能将友谊维持到成年。

5 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

6 nooses   

n.绞索，套索( noose的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Now I must prepare the nooses and the rope to lash him alongside, he thought. 现在我得准备好套索和绳子，把它绑在船边，他想。 来自英汉文学 - 老人与海
• The nooses are no prank. We were lynched, we were murdered. 这些绳套不是恶作剧。我们被处以了私刑，我们被谋杀了。 来自互联网