名人励志英语演讲 第9期:梦想与责任(9)

 　　These people succeeded because they understood that you can't let your failures define¹ you -- you have to let your failures teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently the next time. So if you get into trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker², it means³ you need to try harder to act right. If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.

　　这些人士获得成功，是因为他们懂得：你不能让失败来限制你——而必须让失败来教导你。你必须让失败向你展示下次如何以不同的方式去做这件事情。所以，如果你遇到麻烦，那并不意味着你就是麻烦的制造者，而意味着你需要更加努力去把它做对。如果你有一门课分数低，那并不表示你笨，而只表示你需要花更多的时间学习。

　　No one's born being good at all things. You become good at things through hard work. You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song. You've got to practice. The same principle applies to your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right. You might have to read something a few times before you understand it. You definitely⁴ have to do a few drafts⁵ of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.

　　没有一个人天生擅长各种事情。你通过勤奋而变得擅长各种事情。第一次从事新的体育项目时，你不可能是一位主力队员。第一次唱一首歌时，你不可能唱准每一个音。你必须练习。同样的道理适用于你的学业。你可能要把一道数学题做几次才能做对。你可能要把一些材料阅读几遍才能理解。在交出一篇优秀作文之前，你肯定需要打几遍草稿。

　　Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength because it shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and that then allows you to learn something new. So find an adult that you trust -- a parent, a grandparent or teacher, a coach or a counselor—and ask them to help you stay on track⁶ to meet your goals.

　　不要害怕提问。不要在需要帮助时害怕请求别人帮助。我天天那样做。请求帮助不是软弱的表现，它是力量的标志，因为它表明你有勇气承认自己对某些事情不懂，这样做回使你学到新的东西。因此，请确定一位你信任成年人——父母、祖父母或老师、教练或辅导员——请他们帮助你遵循既定计划实现你的目标。

 

　　巴拉克·奥巴马经典语录

　　Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny⁷ for you, because here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

　　你们目前的状况并不决定着你们的未来。没有人为你书写命运，因为这是在美国，你的命运由你自己书写，你的未来由你自己掌握。

　　These people succeeded because they understood that you can't let your failures define you—you have to let your failures teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently the next time.

　　这些人士获得成功，是因为他们懂得：你不能让失败来限制你——而必须让失败来教导你。你必须让失败向你展示下次如何以不同的方式去做这件事情。

　　Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength because it shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and that then allows you to learn something new.

　　请求帮助不是软弱的表现，它是力量的标志，因为它表明你有勇气承认自己对某些事情不懂，这样做回使你学到新的东西。

1 define   

vt.解释，下定义，阐述，限定，规定

参考例句：

• Please define the words.请解释这些字的意义。
• It's hard to define exactly what has changed.很难解释清楚到底发生了什么变化。

2 troublemaker   

n.惹是生非者，闹事者，捣乱者

参考例句：

• I would hate you to think me a troublemaker.我不愿你认为我是个搬弄是非的人。
• Li Yang has always been a troublemaker.李阳总是制造麻烦。

3 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

4 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

5 drafts   

n.精绵；汇票( draft的名词复数 )；草稿；选派；（尤指房间、烟囱、炉子等供暖系统中的）（小股）气流v.起草( draft的第三人称单数 )；制定；征募；拟稿

参考例句：

• Brimelow, as did we, judged existing Soviet drafts unacceptable. 布赖姆洛和我们一样，认为苏联现在的这个草案是不能接受的。 来自辞典例句
• Modern controlled drafting systems use drafts of the order of 30. 新式的牵伸控制系统使用大约30倍牵伸。 来自辞典例句

6 track   

n.轨道；足迹；痕迹；磁轨；途径；vt.循路而行；追踪；通过；用纤拉；vi.追踪

参考例句：

• The new race track is nearly six miles in extent.这条新跑道将近六英里长。
• The police are on his track.警察在跟踪他。

7 destiny   

n.命运，定数，天命

参考例句：

• Nobody knows his own destiny.没有人知道自己的命运。
• It was her destiny to become famous.她命里注定出名。