成功道路上的8块绊脚石

 　　I recently received an e-mail from the motivational speaker and real estate investor¹ Paul LeJoy. He's been wildly successful in real estate sales and has mentored³ and worked with dozens of entrepreneurs.

　　最近我收到一封来自励志演说家兼房地产投资者雷乔-保罗的电子邮件。他在房地产销售方面相当成功。他指导过许多企业家，也和他们共事过。

　　In his e-mail, LeJoy identified eight pitfalls⁵ that lie athwart every pathway to success. His thoughts were so deep and insightful that I edited them and condensed them:

　　在他的邮件里，雷乔指出了会出现在通往成功道路上的8个绊脚石。他的想法非常深刻且有洞察力，于是我将它们加以浓缩编辑成文：

　　1. Timidity

　　胆怯

　　Every path to success begins with a great idea. There's only one problem: Great ideas are a dime⁶ a dozen. What really matters when it comes to becoming a success is not having the idea but having the courage to transform that idea into reality. This usually means a risk of losing the security of a regular job and risking a steady paycheck. Only the brave ever overcome this first of the pitfalls.

　　每条成功之路都源于一个伟大的想法。唯一的问题是：伟大的想法遍地都是。对于成功而言，真正重要的并不是拥有这个想法，而是有勇气把这个想法变成现实。通常这意味着风险：失去稳定的工作，还有失去固定的工资。只有勇敢者才能越过这第一个绊脚石。

　　2. Laziness

　　懒惰

　　Even with a great idea and the courage to pursue it, your efforts will be for naught⁷ unless you're willing to take massive action. Write down your goals and (more important) the action steps you'll take to pursue those goals. Post your vision and plan in your bedroom, bathroom, office. Share it with others, so they'll hold you accountable for delivering on your plan. Make yourself accountable and become the master of your destiny.

　　即使有了伟大的想法，也有勇气去追求，但除非你愿意采取大量的行动，否则你的努力还是徒劳无功。写下你的目标，更重要的是写下你为实现目标所采取的行动步骤。把你的愿景和计划做成海报贴在你的卧室、卫生间和办公室里。与他人分享，这样他们将督促你实现你的计划。对自己负责，让自己成为命运的主人。

　　3. Complacency

　　自满

　　Without passion, even the most compelling vision will wither⁸ on the vine. Without passion, your energy and enthusiasm will flag when you encounter inevitable⁹ obstacles. Make your passion into an almost physical characteristic of your personality, an inexorable force that keeps you engaged every moment of every workday, bringing you one step closer to the measure of success that you desire.

　　没有激情，即使是最激动人心的愿景也将无果而终。没有激情，当你遇到不可避免的阻碍时，你的能量和热情也将烟消云散。让你的激情成为你个性中的一部分，让你的激情成为一股不可抵挡的力量，带着它去迎接每一天每一刻，让你向着渴望的成功更近一步。

　　4. Distraction¹⁰

　　分心

　　The modern world clamors  for your attention in ever-louder ways, a deluge¹¹ that can distract you from your course. It takes self-discipline to persevere¹² amidst the noise and haste, to assert your willpower over casual desires and instincts. Channel your emotions, behavior, and desires toward obtaining the reward of success. Remember: Living a life of self-discipline is less painful in the long run than regretting "what might have been."在现代社会里，各种喧闹扰乱着你的心绪，像洪水般冲荡着自己的进程。在嘈杂和匆忙中，你要坚持就需要自律，用你的意志力战胜随意的欲望和本能。调节你的情绪、行为和欲望以求获得成功的奖赏。记住：从长远来看，自律的生活，会比起生活在“也许会有另一番人生”的悔恨中要少一些苦痛。

　　5. Doubt

　　怀疑

　　Once you've made a decision, doubt is a worm that eats away at your ability to succeed. Life and work can be hard and even cruel. Remember, the race is not for the swift but rather those who persevere. Rather than allowing doubt to seep¹³ in and poison your process, you owe it to yourself to remain confident in your vision and your plan. Adapt as needed along the way, but always know that success will ultimately be yours.

　　一旦你做了决定，怀疑就像一种蠕虫病毒，它会侵蚀你实现成功的能力。生活和工作可能会艰辛，甚至是残酷。记住，这场比赛比的不是快，比的是谁更能坚持。不要让怀疑渗入和毒害你，你要对你的愿景和计划保持信心，这是由你决定的。在前进的路上根据需要进行调整，坚信成功最终是属于你的。

　　6. Disconnection

　　孤立

　　The old sayings "no man is an island" and "there's strength in numbers" may sound corny, but that doesn't make them any less true. Even with self-discipline, in the long run, you'll need contact with kindred spirits and mentors¹⁴. Meeting regularly can be a great boost to your morale¹⁵ and provide new perspectives on your approach. The Internet makes it extraordinarily¹⁶ easy to find a coach, mentor², or mastermind group that can provide the emotional support, experience, and wisdom to help turn your vision into reality.

　　“没有人是与世隔绝的孤岛”和“人多力量大” 这两句俗语可能听起来毫无新意，但这丝毫不能影响到它的正确性。从长远来看，即使有了自律，你还需要和亲近的精神领袖和导师进行交流。常常和他们见面可以大大提升你的斗志，并为你的处理方法提供新的视角。互联网使得我们非常容易就找到教练、导师或智囊团，为我们提供情感支持、经验和智慧，帮助我们把梦想变成现实。

　　7. Dishonesty

　　不诚实

　　As you begin to be successful, you'll be tempted¹⁷ to lie, exaggerate, and deceive in order to move your agenda forward. However, taking the easy way of dishonesty has a tendency to sneak¹⁸ back up on you. In the end, it causes far more problems than taking the risk of telling the truth. True success comes when you are a person of your word, when you have a pure conscience, and when you have not cheated others on your way to the top.

　　当你开始向成功努力时，为了不落下进度，你就会撒谎、夸大或是欺骗。然而，这种不诚实往往也会让自己尝到恶果。到最后，比起冒险说出实情，它会引起更多的问题。在通往成功的路上，当你言行一致，当你有一颗纯洁的心灵，当你不去欺骗他人，真正的成功就来了。

　　8. Ingratitude¹⁹

　　忘恩负义

　　The final pitfall⁴ is by far the most dangerous, because it's so easy to miss. When your vision becomes a reality, you are still a failure if you cannot remember your humble²¹ beginnings or recognize the contributions of those who helped you along the way. Remember: There is no such thing as a self-made billionaire. If you can't experience gratitude²⁰, you might as well have stayed exactly where you started.

　　最后一道陷阱是最危险的，因为我们很容易错过它。当你的远景成为现实以后，如果你忘了刚开始时的谦卑态度，或是不予肯定一路来帮助你的人所做出的贡献，你仍然是一个失败者。记住：天下没有人靠自己就能成为亿万富翁的。如果你没有一颗感恩的心，也许你还是待在你最初起步的地方好了。

 

1 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

2 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。

3 mentored   

v.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They had a fantastic dean who really mentored a lot of people. 那儿的教务长非常出色，的确为许多人提供了指导。 来自互联网
• The famous professor mentored him during his years in graduate school. 那位著名的教授在他读研究生期间指导他。 来自互联网

4 pitfall   

n.隐患，易犯的错误；陷阱，圈套

参考例句：

• The wolf was caught in a pitfall.那只狼是利用陷阱捉到的。
• The biggest potential pitfall may not be technical but budgetary.最大的潜在陷阱可能不是技术问题，而是预算。

5 pitfalls   

（捕猎野兽用的）陷阱( pitfall的名词复数 )； 意想不到的困难，易犯的错误

参考例句：

• the potential pitfalls of buying a house 购买房屋可能遇到的圈套
• Several pitfalls remain in the way of an agreement. 在达成协议的进程中还有几个隐藏的困难。

6 dime   

n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角

参考例句：

• A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。
• The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。

7 naught   

n.无，零 [=nought]

参考例句：

• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。
• I hope that all your efforts won't go for naught.我希望你的努力不会毫无结果。

8 wither   

vt.使凋谢，使衰退，(用眼神气势等)使畏缩；vi.枯萎，衰退，消亡

参考例句：

• She grows as a flower does-she will wither without sun.她象鲜花一样成长--没有太阳就会凋谢。
• In autumn the leaves wither and fall off the trees.秋天，树叶枯萎并从树上落下来。

9 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

10 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

11 deluge   

n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥

参考例句：

• This little stream can become a deluge when it rains heavily.雨大的时候，这条小溪能变作洪流。
• I got caught in the deluge on the way home.我在回家的路上遇到倾盆大雨。

12 persevere   

v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• They are determined to persevere in the fight.他们决心坚持战斗。
• It is strength of character enabled him to persevere.他那坚强的性格使他能够坚持不懈。

13 seep   

v.渗出，渗漏；n.渗漏，小泉，水（油）坑

参考例句：

• My anger began to seep away.我的怒火开始消下去了。
• If meteoric water does not evaporate or run overland,it may seep directly into the ground.如果雨水不从陆地蒸发和流走的话，就可能直接渗入地下。

14 mentors   

n.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的名词复数 )v.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Beacham and McNamara, my two mentors, had both warned me. 我的两位忠实朋友，比彻姆和麦克纳马拉都曾经警告过我。 来自辞典例句
• These are the kinds of contacts that could evolve into mentors. 这些人是可能会成为你导师。 来自互联网

15 morale   

n.道德准则，士气，斗志

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is sinking lower every day.敌军的士气日益低落。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

16 extraordinarily   

adv.格外地；极端地

参考例句：

• She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
• The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。

17 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

18 sneak   

vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行

参考例句：

• He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
• I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

19 ingratitude   

n.忘恩负义

参考例句：

• Tim's parents were rather hurt by his ingratitude.蒂姆的父母对他的忘恩负义很痛心。
• His friends were shocked by his ingratitude to his parents.他对父母不孝，令他的朋友们大为吃惊。

20 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

21 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。