向前一步:第81期 职业生涯中的长远梦想及短期目标(13)

 　　In that first deal, I said too much. 在第一次谈判中，我说得太多了。

　　This was not a shock to anyone who knows me. Once I identified this weakness, I sought help to correct it. 了解我的人都会见怪不怪。当我意识到这个缺点，我就希望能有人帮助我纠正它。

　　I turned to Maureen Taylor, a communications coach, who gave me an assignment¹. 我找到沟通技巧培训师莫琳·泰勒，她给我布置了一项功课。

　　She told me that for one week I couldn't give my opinion unless asked. 她告诉我，在未来一周时间内，我都不能表达自己的看法，除非别人征求我的意见。

　　It was one of the longest weeks of my life. 这7天对我来说，是此生最漫长的一个星期。

　　If I had bitten my tongue each time I started to express my opinion, I would have had no tongue left. 如果我每次在表达意见时都咬一下舌头，大概早就把舌头咬掉了。

　　Trying to overcorrect is a great way to find middle ground. 试着矫枉过正，这对于找到平衡点很有帮助。

　　In order for me to speak the right amount in a meeting, I have to feel as if I am saying very little. 为了在会议中讲话适度，我必须意识到自己说得太多，

　　People who are shy will have to feel like they are saying way too much. 而那些腼腆的人则应意识到自己说得太少。

　　I know a woman who naturally talks softly² and forces herself to "shout" in business meetings just to speak at an average volume³. 我认识的一个女性在平常说话时语气过于轻柔，所以她迫使自己在开会时“喊出声来”，以便增大音量。

　　Overriding⁴ our natural tendencies is very difficult. 克服自己某种天生的自然倾向是非常困难的，

　　In all the years I've been trying, I can only think of a few times when someone said to me, "Sheryl, I wish you had spoken up more in that meeting." 这么多年来我一直在努力。“谢丽尔，我真希望那次会上你能多说两句”——这种话几乎没有人对我说过。

　　Omid did it once and I hugged him. 就奥米德说过一次，当时我给了他一个大大的拥抱。

　　Eric turned out to be absolutely right about Google, and I will always be grateful⁵ to him and to Larry Page and Sergey Brin for taking a chance on me. 埃里克·施密特对谷歌公司的判断是相当正确的，对于他、还有萨默斯和谢尔盖这些给我机会的人，我一直心怀感激。

1 assignment   

n.任务，作业；分配，指定

参考例句：

• His assignment was to follow the spy.分配给他的工作是跟踪这个间谍。
• He has got a new assignment.他得到一项新任命。

2 softly   

adv.柔和地，静静地，温柔地

参考例句：

• He speaks too softly for her to hear.他讲话声音太轻，她听不见。
• She breathed her advice softly.她低声劝告。

3 volume   

n.卷，册，体积，量，大量，音量

参考例句：

• This volume records the history of the country's revolution.这卷书记载了这个国家的革命历史。
• The volume of this container is 1000 cubic metres.这个集装箱的容量是1000立方米。

4 overriding   

a.最主要的

参考例句：

• Development is of overriding importance. 发展是硬道理
• My overriding concern is to raise the standards of state education. 我最关心的是提高国民教育水平。

5 grateful   

adj.感谢的，感激的，受欢迎的，表示谢意的

参考例句：

• If you will help us, we shall be very grateful.如果你愿意帮助我们，我们会很感激你。
• He closed his letter with expression of grateful thanks.他在那封信的结尾表达了自己的感激之情。