TED演讲:书呆子教你如何在线学习(5)

 But I learned what opportunity cost is. 但（通过这件事）我学会了什么是“机会成本”。

And along the way, the map of my life got better. 就这样，我人生的地图慢慢完整起来。

It got bigger; it contained more places. 版图不断扩大，地方也不断增多。

There were more things that might happen, more futures¹ I might have. 可能性越来越多，我的未来选择也越来越多。

It wasn't a formal, organized learning process, and I'm happy to admit that. 当然这不是正规的，有条理的学习过程，我对此毫不避讳。

It was spotty, it was inconsistent, there was a lot I didn't know. 这个过程断断续续，有时还前后矛盾，很多事情我也没彻底弄明白。

I might know, you know, Cantor's idea that some infinite sets are larger than other infinite sets, 比如说，我可能知道康托尔的理论，无限集合也有大小之分，

but I didn't really understand the calculus² behind that idea. 但支持这个理论的微积分我就完全不懂。

I might know the idea of opportunity cost, but I didn't know the law of diminishing returns. 我也许明白“机会成本”这个概念，但是我不懂收益递减法则。

But the great thing about imagining learning as cartography, 但将学习想象成绘制地图，

instead of imagining it as arbitrary hurdles³ that you have to jump over, 而不是想象成一系列障碍，需要你一个个去跨越，好处就在于，

is that you see a bit of coastline, and that makes you want to see more. 你能看见一点点海岸线，这让你想更进一步，发现更多的东西。

And so now I do know at least some of the calculus that underlies⁴ all of that stuff. 所以我现在至少了解了微积分中最最基础的知识。

So, I had one learning community in high school, then I went to another for college, 因此我在高中加入了一个学习社团，然后在大学加入了另一个，

and then I went to another, when I started working at a magazine called "Booklist," 工作后又加入另一个，当时我刚刚开始在一家名为《书单》的杂志社工作，

where I was an assistant, surrounded by astonishingly well-read people. 职务是助理，身边是一群热爱读书的朋友。

And then I wrote a book. And like all authors dream of doing, I promptly⁵ quit my job. 之后我写了一本书。就像所有作家梦想的一样，我迅速辞职了。

And for the first time since high school, I found myself without a learning community, and it was miserable⁶. I hated it. 这是我自高中以来，第一次脱离了学习社团，这很痛苦。我很不爽。

I read many, many books during this two-year period. 在这两年期间，我读了很多书。

I read books about Stalin, and books about how the Uzbek people came to identify as Muslims, 有关于斯大林的，关于乌兹别克斯坦人民是怎么被视为穆斯林的，

and I read books about how to make atomic bombs, but it just felt like I was creating my own hurdles, 甚至还有关于怎么制造原子弹的，但我的感觉并不好，像是给自己制造了障碍，

and then jumping over them myself, instead of feeling the excitement of being part of a community of learners, 然后还要自己跨过去，我完全感受不到身处学习社团里时的那种兴奋，

a community of people who are engaged together in the cartographic enterprise of trying to better understand and map the world around us. 当时的我们就像一群地图发烧友，聚集在地图制作公司，试图更好地理解和描绘我们所处的世界。

1 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。

2 calculus   

n.微积分；结石

参考例句：

• This is a problem where calculus won't help at all.对于这一题，微积分一点也用不上。
• After studying differential calculus you will be able to solve these mathematical problems.学了微积分之后，你们就能够解这些数学题了。

3 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

4 underlies   

v.位于或存在于（某物）之下( underlie的第三人称单数 )；构成…的基础（或起因），引起

参考例句：

• I think a lack of confidence underlies his manner. 我认为他表现出的态度是因为他缺乏信心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Try to figure out what feeling underlies your anger. 努力找出你的愤怒之下潜藏的情感。 来自辞典例句

5 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

6 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。