让优秀成为一种习惯

 　　Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits. “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny,” the maxim¹ goes.

　　从根本上来讲，我们的个性是塑成习惯的成分之一。有一句箴言讲到：“播下一个想法，收获一个行动；播下一个行动，收获一个习惯；播下一个习惯，收获一个性格；播下一个性格，收获一份命运。”

　　Habits are powerful factors in our lives. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character and produce our effectiveness or ineffectiveness.

　　习惯是我们生活中有力的因素。因为习惯的持续性，人们常常不能意识到它们。于是，每一天，我们的习惯总在彰显着我们的性格，我们是否有效率也源自习惯。

　　As Horace Mann, the great educator, once said, “Habits are like a cable. We weave a strand² of it everyday and soon it cannot be broken.” I personally do not agree with the last part of his expression. I know habits can be learned and unlearned. But I also know it isn't a quick fix. It involves a process and a tremendous commitment.

　　正如伟大的教育学家霍瑞斯·曼曾经说的那样：“习惯犹如一根缆绳。我们每日为其编织一股，不久它便不容易断裂。” 我个人不认同他最后一段的表达。我知晓有些习惯是后天习得的，而有些则是不学就有的。可我也明白习惯无法速成，它是一段涉及郑重承诺的过程。

　　Those of us who watched the lunar voyage of Apollo 11 were transfixed as we saw the first men walk on the moon and return to earth. But to get there, those astronauts literally³ had to break out of the tremendous gravity pull of the earth. More energy was spent in the first few minutes of lift, in the first few miles of travel, than was used over the next several days to travel half a million miles.

　　我们之中见证过阿波罗11号登月的人，当看到人类在月球上跨出第一步并返回地球时，瞠目结舌。但为了抵达月球，毫不夸张地说，这些宇航员得挣脱地球对其极大的地心引力。在升起的头几分钟、太空旅程的头几英里中，宇航员耗费的能量要远大于之后几天五十万英里旅程中的能量。

　　Habits, too, have tremendous gravity pull more than most people realize or would admit. Breaking deeply imbedded habitual⁴ tendencies such as procrastination⁵, impatience⁶, criticalness, or selfishness that violate basic principles of human effectiveness involves more than a little willpower and a few minor⁷ changes in our lives. “Lift off” takes a tremendous effort, but once we break out of the gravity pull, our freedom takes on a whole new dimension.

　　习惯也具有极强的牵引力，比大多数人意识到或承认的还来得多。对于一些根深蒂固的习惯，像是拖延症、不耐烦、挑剔或自私，它们违反了人类效率的基本原则。而要戒掉这些陋习，仅靠那一丁点的意志力和生活中极小的改变，是无济于事的。“起飞时分”要付出巨大努力，而一旦我们挣脱地心引力，我们享有的自由便会展现出一个全新的维度。

　　Like any natural force, gravity pull can work with us or against us. The gravity pull of some of our habits may currently be keeping us from going where we want to go. But it is also gravity pull that keeps our world together, that keeps the planets in their orbits and our universe in order. It is a powerful force, and if we use it effectively, we can use the gravity pull of habit to create the cohesiveness⁸ and order necessary to establish effectiveness in our lives.

　　与其他自然力一样，地心引力对我们而言，是助力，亦可是对抗力。我们一些习惯所具有的引力也许正在妨碍我们抵达目的地。然而同时也是地心引力将世界凝聚，使各大行星在轨道上运转，让我们的宇宙井然有序。引力是很强大的，我们倘若能有效运用它，便可用习惯的引力来创建凝聚力和秩序，使我们的生活有效率。

1 maxim   

n.格言，箴言

参考例句：

• Please lay the maxim to your heart.请把此格言记在心里。
• "Waste not,want not" is her favourite maxim.“不浪费则不匮乏”是她喜爱的格言。

2 strand   

vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地）

参考例句：

• She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。
• The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。

3 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。

4 habitual   

adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的

参考例句：

• He is a habitual criminal.他是一个惯犯。
• They are habitual visitors to our house.他们是我家的常客。

5 procrastination   

n.拖延，耽搁

参考例句：

• Procrastination is the father of failure. 因循是失败的根源。
• Procrastination is the thief of time. 拖延就是浪费时间。

6 impatience   

n.不耐烦，急躁

参考例句：

• He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。
• He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

7 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

8 cohesiveness   

n. 粘合，凝聚性

参考例句：

• The Bogor Goals concern APEC's credibility, cohesiveness and future development. 茂物目标事关亚太经合组织的信誉、凝聚力和未来发展。
• One of the most important properties of a work team is cohesiveness. 工作小组的最重要特征之一是凝聚力。