向前一步:第87期 如何找到你的人生导师(1)

 　　Chapter 5 Are You My Mentor¹? 第5章 如何找到你的人生导师

　　When I was a child, one of my favorite books was Are You My Mother?, 小时候我最喜欢的一本书是《你是我的妈妈吗？》，

　　the story of a baby bird that emerges from its shell to discover an empty nest. 讲的是一只雏鸟破壳而出，却发现自己独守空巢，

　　The hatchling heads off in search of its missing mother, asking a kitten, a hen, a dog, and a cow the burning question: "Are you my mother?" 于是它出发去寻找妈妈的故事。一路上，小鸟急切地向小猫、小鸡、小狗，还有一头奶牛问同一个问题：“你是我的妈妈吗？”

　　Each animal responds, "No." 它们都回答说“不是”。

　　The hatchling grows more desperate, eventually shouting, "Are you my mother?" at a car, a boat, a plane, and even a steam shovel², which can only respond with a loud "Snort!" 小鸟越来越绝望，最后竟朝着汽车、轮船、飞机，甚至是挖掘机大叫：“你是我的妈妈吗？”挖掘机的回应只是响亮的喷气声。

　　Stuck in the shovel's jaws³, the hatchling appears doomed⁴ until, miraculously⁵, the shovel lifts the bird back to its nest. 被卡在挖掘机铲斗里的小鸟似乎在劫难逃，但铲斗居然奇迹般地将它送回了鸟巢。

　　The mother returns and the hatchling announces, "You are a bird, and you are my mother." 终于，鸟妈妈回来了，小鸟说：“啊，你才是我的妈妈！”

　　This children's book poignantly⁶ mirrors the professional question "Are you my mentor?" 这本书切中了一个职业问题：“你是我的人生导师吗？”

　　If someone has to ask the question, the answer is probably no. 如果有人一定要问，得到的答案很可能是“不是”。

　　When someone finds the right mentor, it is obvious. The question becomes a statement. 当一个人想找到合适的导师时，一切看上去都理所当然，而且问题本身也变成了一种声明。

　　Chasing or forcing that connection rarely works, and yet I see women attempt this all the time. 可是，追求或勉强建立这样的关系却几乎没什么效果，但是在现实生活中，很多女性经常这样做。

1 mentor   

n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导

参考例句：

• He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。
• He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。

2 shovel   

n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出

参考例句：

• He was working with a pick and shovel.他在用镐和铲干活。
• He seized a shovel and set to.他拿起一把铲就干上了。

3 jaws   

n.口部；嘴

参考例句：

• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
• The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

4 doomed   

命定的

参考例句：

• The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
• A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

5 miraculously   

ad.奇迹般地

参考例句：

• He had been miraculously saved from almost certain death. 他奇迹般地从死亡线上获救。
• A schoolboy miraculously survived a 25 000-volt electric shock. 一名男学生在遭受2.5 万伏的电击后奇迹般地活了下来。

6 poignantly   

参考例句：

• His story is told poignantly in the film, A Beautiful Mind, now showing here. 以他的故事拍成的电影《美丽境界》，正在本地上映。