羊皮卷的故事（14）

Hafid's joy immediately subsided¹ as he asked,

忧虑重新又代替了喜悦，海菲不禁问道：

"Will you not teach me the principles and laws that will transform me into a great salesman?"

“您不教我那些原则规律，让我变成伟大的推销员吗？”

"I will not no more than I have made your early youth soft

“不是，你小的时候，

and easy through pampering².

我从来没宠过你，

I have been criticized often

大家都说我不该对你这么严，

for condemning³ my adopted son to the life of a camel boy

不该让养子去干喂牲口的粗活，

but I believed that if the right fire was burning inside

可是我一直相信只要心中的那团火烧得恰到好处，

it would eventually emerge ...

迟早它会冒出火花，

and when it did you would be far more a man for your years of difficult toil⁴.

那时你就会成为一个真正的男人，以前吃的苦都没有白费。

Tonight, your request has made me happy

今天晚上，我很高兴你能提出这样的要求，

for the fire of ambition glows in your eyes

你的眼睛像点燃的火焰，

and your face shines with burning desire.

你的脸上充满渴望，

This is good and my judgment⁵ is vindicated⁶

看来我没有看错人。

but you must still prove

不过你还要加倍努力，

that there is more behind your words than air."

证明你想要的不是空中楼阁。”

Hafid was silent and the old man continued,

海菲沉默不语，听着主人继续说道，

"First, you must prove to me,

首先，你要向我证明，

and more important to yourself,

当然更重要的是向自己证实，

that you can endure the life of a salesman

你能忍受推销的辛苦。

for it is not an easy lot you have chosen.

你抽的这个签，远非轻而易举。

Truly, many times have you heard me say that the red wards⁷ are great if one succeeds

你常听我说，只要成功，报偿相当可观，

but the rewards are great only because so few succeed.

我这么说，也是因为成功的人太少了，所以回报才大。

Many succumb⁸ to despair

许多人半途而废，

and fail without realizing that they already possess

他们在绝望失意中，

all the tools needed to acquire great wealth.

并没有意识到自己已经拥有达到成功的一切条件。

Many others face each obstacle in their path with fear

有些人面对困难，畏缩不前，

and doubt and consider them as enemies when, in truth,

如临大敌，

these obstructions⁹ are friends and helpers.

殊不知，这些拌脚石正是他们的朋友，他们的助手。

Obstacles are necessary for success

困难是成功的前提，

because in selling, as in all careers of importance,

因为推销和其它行业一样，

victory comes only after many struggles and countless¹⁰ defeats.

胜利是在多次失败之后才姗姗而来。

Yet each struggle, each defeat,

每一次的失败和奋斗，

sharpens your skills and strengths,

都能使你的技艺更精湛，思想更成熟，

your courage and your endurance,

磨练你的本领和耐力，

your ability and your confidence and thus

增加你的勇气和信心。

each obstacle is a comrade in-arms

这样，困难就成了你的伙伴，

forcing you to become better ...

发人自省，迫人向上。

or quit.

或者让人自弃。

1 subsided   

v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上

参考例句：

• After the heavy rains part of the road subsided. 大雨过后，部分公路塌陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• By evening the storm had subsided and all was quiet again. 傍晚， 暴风雨已经过去，四周开始沉寂下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 pampering   

v.纵容，宠，娇养( pamper的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• But you need to make an appointment because these people are usually very busy pampering pets. 但是你需要先预约，因为这些人通常都在忙于照顾宠物们。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• He had been pampering, and coaxing, and indulging that individual all his life. 他一生都在姑息、迁就、纵容那家伙。 来自辞典例句

3 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

5 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

6 vindicated   

v.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的过去式和过去分词 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护

参考例句：

• I have every confidence that this decision will be fully vindicated. 我完全相信这一决定的正确性将得到充分证明。
• Subsequent events vindicated the policy. 后来的事实证明那政策是对的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 wards   

区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态

参考例句：

• This hospital has 20 medical [surgical] wards. 这所医院有 20 个内科[外科]病房。
• It was a big constituency divided into three wards. 这是一个大选区，下设三个分区。

8 succumb   

v.屈服，屈从；死

参考例句：

• They will never succumb to the enemies.他们决不向敌人屈服。
• Will business leaders succumb to these ideas?商业领袖们会被这些观点折服吗？

9 obstructions   

n.障碍物( obstruction的名词复数 )；阻碍物；阻碍；阻挠

参考例句：

• The absence of obstructions is of course an idealization. 没有障碍物的情况当然是一种理想化的情况。 来自辞典例句
• These obstructions could take some weeks to clear from these canals. 这些障碍物可能要花几周时间才能从运河中清除掉。 来自辞典例句

10 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。