B1U1-4

2025-11-272025-11-27

Unit 1 Good to great¶

Reading 1¶

生词

matter-of-factly

释义

ad. in a way that shows no emotion when you are talking about sth. exciting, frightening, etc. 就事论事地；不带感情地；实事求是地

e.g. To my surprise, he spoke about his divorce matter-of-factly.
buddy

释义

n. [C] (infml.) a friend 朋友；伙伴

e.g. Bob and I have been great buddies for years.
ethologist

释义

/iˈθɒlədʒɪst/

n. [C] 动物行为学家
fated

释义

a. certain to happen or to do sth. because a mysterious force is controlling events 命运决定的；命中注定的

e.g. She says she was fated to become a writer.
exotic

释义

a. sth. that is exotic seems unusual and interesting because it is related to a foreign country 异国风情的；外国情调的

e.g. She likes traveling to all kinds of exotic locations.
string 一词多义

释义

n. 1) [C] (~ of) a group of similar things 一系列 2) [C, U]（由几股合成的）线，细绳，带子

vt. (strung, strung) put things together onto a thread, chain, etc. 用（线、链等）穿起来

e.g. We've had a string of complaints about the program.

e.g. Her key hung on a string around her neck.

e.g. She had strung the shells on a silver chain.
whole-heartedly

释义

ad. in a way that involves all your feelings, interest, etc. 全心全意地；全力以赴地

e.g. I agree whole-heartedly with the mayor on this issue.
single-mindedly

释义

ad. if one person does sth. single-mindedly, they have one clear aim and work very hard to achieve it 一心一意地；专心致志地

e.g. His ability to concentrate single-mindedly on the most important thing leads to his success.
chaotic

释义

a. a chaotic situation is one in which everything is happening in a confused way 混乱的；毫无秩序的

e.g. The traffic in the city is chaotic in the rush hour.
overdue

释义

a. 1) if sb. / sth. is overdue, they should have arrived before now 迟到的；延误的

a. 2) not done, paid, returned, etc. by the time expected 过期未完成的；过期未付的；过期未还的

e.g. If you're overdue for a vacation, you can prepare for an adventure instead of cancelling it.

e.g. These books are overdue and you should pay a fine.
pediatrician

释义

/ˌpiːdiəˈtrɪʃn/

n. [C] (BrE paediatrician) a doctor who deals with children and their illnesses 儿科医生

e.g. He dreams of becoming a doctor, specifically a pediatrician.
best-seller

释义

n. [C] a popular product, esp. a book, that many people buy 畅销产品；畅销书

e.g. His new book went straight to No. 1 on the best-seller list.

词组

be sb's for the asking

释义

(infml.) if sth. is yours for the asking, you can have it if you want it 某人只要提出要求（就可以得到）
hit it big

释义

have great success 大获成功

e.g. I wasn't expecting it to work, but I hit it big when I tried the new approach.
to tell (you) the truth

释义

(spoken) used when giving your personal opinion or admitting sth. 老实说；实话对你讲

e.g. To tell the truth, I don't really like her.
leave behind

释义

not take sb. / sth. with you when you leave a place 忘记带走；留下

e.g. He departed for the United States, leaving the children behind with his mother.
sit back

释义

relax and make no effort to get involved in sth. or influence what happens 不采取行动；袖手旁观

e.g. Don't just sit back and wait for new business to come to you.
for one reason or another

释义

used for saying that there is more than one reason for sth. 由于这样或那样的原因

e.g. His travel articles are always, for one reason or another, fascinating.
grab for/at

释义

(infml.) take an opportunity, accept an invitation, etc. immediately 抓住（机会）；立即接受（邀请等）

e.g. This is our chance to grab at this new market.
come to terms with

释义

accept an unpleasant or sad situation and no longer feel upset or angry about it 与某事妥协，对某事让步；接受（令人不快或悲伤的现实）

e.g. It's hard for the couple to come to terms with the fact that they will never have children.

Ambition

1 In college, my friend Beth was very ambitious, not only for herself but for her friends. She was interested in foreign relations, in travel, in going to law school. "I plan to be the Secretary of State someday," she would say matter-of-factly. I was a biology major, which was a problem: Beth's friend from childhood was also studying biology, and Beth had already decided she would win the Nobel Prize. This was resolved by my interest in writing fiction. I would win that Nobel, while her other friend would win for science.

1 读大学时，我的朋友贝丝雄心勃勃。她不仅自己如此，而且还为她的朋友们树立了雄心壮志。她对国际关系、旅游和读法学院都感兴趣。她常常一本正经地说：“有朝一日，我会当国务卿的，我有这个打算。”我的专业是生物学，这下成问题了：贝丝的发小也是学生物学的，而且贝丝早就决定由她获得诺贝尔奖。好在我对写小说感兴趣，于是矛盾解决了：我得诺贝尔文学奖，而她的那个朋友则得诺贝尔科学奖。

2 It was a joke; we were all smart-ass college freshmen, pretending the world was ours for the asking. But it was not entirely a joke. We were smart college freshmen, and why should we limit our ambitions?

2 这只是说着玩的；我们当时都是些自命不凡的大一新生，自以为整个世界如我们的囊中之物。但这又不完全是玩笑。我们都是聪明的大一新生，有什么理由不壮志凌云呢？

3 I've always liked ambitious people, not because I am desperate to be buddies with a future Secretary of State but because I find ambitious people entertaining — interesting to talk to, fun to watch. And, of course, I like such people because I am ambitious myself, and I would rather not feel apologetic about it.

3 我一向喜欢雄心勃勃的人，并不是因为我迫不及待地想结交未来的国务卿，而是因为我发现他们能给人快乐：跟他们谈话很有趣，看着他们都会很开心。当然，喜欢他们的另一个原因是，我自己也是这样的人，而且我不会为此感到愧疚。

4 What I mean by ambition is dreaming big dreams, putting no limits on your expectations and your hopes. I don't really like very specific, attainable ambitions. I like big ambitions that suggest the world could open up at any time, with work and luck and determination. The next book could hit it big. The next research project could lead to something fantastic. The next bright idea could change history.

4 我所说的雄心壮志是指树立远大的理想，任期盼和希望驰骋。我其实并不喜欢非常明确、能够实现的抱负。我喜欢远大的志向，能让人感到只要勤奋、运气好、有决心，世界在任何时候都可能向我们敞开。下一本书可能会一举成功，下一个研究项目可能会取得了不起的成果，下一个奇思妙想可能会改变历史。

5 Of course, eventually you have to stop being a freshman in college. You limit your ambitions and become more realistic, wiser about your potential, your abilities, and the number of things your life can hold. Sometimes you get close to something you wanted to do, only to find it looks better from far away. Back when I was a freshman, to tell the truth, I wanted to be an ethologist, go into the jungle to study monkeys and learn things no one had ever dreamed of, but it turned out that wasn't enough of a basis for a life. And I was not fated to live a wild, adventurous life, to travel alone to all the most exotic parts of the world, to leave behind a string of broken hearts.

5 当然，你不会永远是大一新生。你会限制自己追求的目标，对自己的潜力和能力，对自己的生活能容纳多少东西有更为现实和明智的认识。有时候，当你接近自己的追求时，结果却发现不如远远看着它。说实话，当我在读大一时，我希望成为一名动物行为学家，到热带丛林中去研究猿猴，去了解人们做梦都没想过的事情。但是我发现仅此不足以支撑我的生活。因为我注定无法过那种充满冒险的野外生活，无法去异域他乡独自闯荡，不忍让亲人们为我痛苦伤心。

6 One of the worst things ambition can do is tell you you're a failure. The world is full of measuring tapes, books, and articles to tell you where you should be at your age, after so many years of doing what you do. However, the world is full of disappointed people. Some of them probably never had much ambition to start with; they sat back and waited for something good and felt cheated because it never happened. Some of them had very set, specific ambitions and, for one reason or another, never got what they wanted. Others got what they wanted but found it wasn't exactly what they'd expected it to be.

6 雄心可能造成的最糟糕的一件事是它会告诉你：你是个失败者。世界充斥着标尺、书籍和文章，告诉你经过多年的努力，在目前这个年龄你应该达到怎样的目标。然而，这世界充满了失意的人。他们当中有些人可能从来就没有过志向，坐等好运的降临，而又因为没有如愿而觉得上当受骗。另一些人曾有过非常明确又具体的奋斗目标，但又由于这样或那样的原因没能实现。还有一些人得到了想要的，却发现它和自己所期望的并不完全一样。

7 As you grow up, your ambitions may come into conflict. Part of growing up, of course, is realizing that there is only so much room in one life. You can do one thing whole-heartedly and single-mindedly and give up some other things. Or you can be greedy and grab for something new without wanting to give up what you already have. This leads to a chaotic and crowded life in which you are always late, always overdue, always behind, but rarely bored. Even so, you have to come to terms with limitations; you cannot crowd your life with occupations and then expect to do each one as well as you might if it were all you had to do.

7 随着你年龄的增长，你的一些抱负也许会发生冲突。当然，成长意味着要明白人一生仅有这么多时间和精力。你可以全心全意地、专心致志地做一件事，放弃其他的一些事情。或者你也可以贪心十足，既不愿放弃已经拥有的，又想去捞取别的新东西。这就会导致生活混乱、忙碌，你总是迟到、延误、落后，但很少会感到无聊。即便如此，你也不得不接受自身的局限性：你不可能给自己一下子安排很多工作，然后又期望做好所有的事情，使每样工作的质量都像你只做一件工作那样好。

8 Of course, I try to be mature about ambition. I don't assign my friends Nobel Prizes or top government posts. I don't pretend that there is room in my life for any and every kind of ambition I can imagine. Instead, all I want are three things: I want to write as well as I can, I want to have a family, and I want to be a good pediatrician. And then, of course, a voice inside whispers: to write a best-seller, to have 10 children, to do amazing medical research ... Even though I'm not a college freshman anymore, I'm glad to find that little voice still there, whispering sweet nothings in my ear.

8 当然，在雄心壮志这方面，我努力使自己心智成熟。我不会安排朋友们去获取诺贝尔奖或政府高级官员的职位。我不会自以为在我的一生中，只要是我能想象到的任何梦想，我都有可能去追求。相反，我追求的只有三件事：尽可能地写好小说，拥有一个家庭，成为一名优秀的儿科医生。当然，此时内心有个声音在悄悄地说：写一本畅销书，生十个孩子，从事了不起的医学研究······尽管我已不再是大一新生，可我欣喜地发现，那个微小的声音并没有消失，仍然如恋人絮语般在我耳畔呢喃。

Reading 2¶

生词

strive

释义

vi. (strove, striven) (~ to do sth.; ~ for / after sth.) make a great effort to achieve sth. 努力；奋斗

e.g. We encourage all members to strive for the highest standards.
best-selling

释义

a. (only before noun) extremely popular 畅销的

e.g. It's almost every author's dream to become a best-selling author.
philosopher

释义

n. [C] sb. who studies and develops ideas about the nature and meaning of existence, truth, good and evil, etc. 哲学家

e.g. Socrates and Plato are two famous Greek philosophers whose ideas are still influential today.
mindset

释义

n. [C] sb.'s general attitude, and the way in which they think about things and make decisions 思维模式

e.g. It's quite difficult to change the mindset of the public and the press.
lesson

释义

v. become smaller in size, importance, or value, or make sth. do this （使）降低；（使）减少

e.g. The new project will lessen the effects of car pollution.
heroic

释义

a. extremely brave or determined, and admired by many people 英雄的；英勇的

e.g. These doctors performed heroic work in difficult conditions.
consistent

释义

a. always behaving in the same way or having the same attitudes, standards, etc. （行为、态度、标准等）一贯的，一致的

e.g. He has been the team's most consistent player.
overextend

释义

vt. try to do or use too much of sth., causing problems, illness, or damage 把···做得过分；把···使用过头

e.g. Be careful not to overextend yourself. You've been very ill.
obsess

释义

vt. (be obsessed with / by) if sb. / sth. obsesses you, you think or worry about them all the time and you cannot think about anything else 一 used to show disapproval 使痴迷；使迷恋；使心神不宁（含贬义）

e.g. Some people are obsessed with the details and fail to see the big picture.
workout

释义

n. [C] a period of physical exercise, esp. as training for a sport 体育锻炼；训练

e.g. She does a 20-minute workout every morning.
paradox

释义

n. [C] 1) a situation that seems strange because it involves two ideas or qualities that are very different 自相矛盾（的情况）

n. [C] 2) a statement that seems impossible because it contains two opposing ideas that are both true 悖论；似非而是的说法

e.g. It is a paradox that in such a rich country there can be so much poverty.

e.g. The paradox is that fishermen would catch more fish if they fished less.
perform 一词多义

释义

vi. (~ well / badly, etc.) work or do sth. well, badly, etc. 表现得好 / 差等

v. do sth. to entertain people, for example by acting a play or playing a piece of music 表演；演出

e.g. The company has been performing poorly over the past year.

e.g. I'd like to hear the music performed live.
chase 一词多义

释义

v. 1) use a lot of time and effort trying to get sth. such as work or money 努力赢得；设法获得

v. 2) quickly follow sb. / sth. in order to catch them 追逐；追赶；追捕

e.g. Top graduates from the university are chased by major companies.

e.g. The dogs saw him running and chased him.
grounded

释义

a. 1) sb. who is grounded understands their own character and knows what is really important 对自己有清醒认识的

a. 2) reasonable and in control of your emotions, even when this is difficult 理性的；有理智的；克制的

e.g. Mary says that she knows what she really wants because her family always keeps her grounded.

e.g. Charles can always keep himself grounded, even when he runs into difficulty.
productive

释义

a. producing or achieving a lot 多产的；丰饶的；富有成效的

e.g. We had a very productive meeting 一 I felt we sorted out a lot of problems.
ethos

释义

n. [sing.] the set of ideas and moral attitudes that are typical of a particular group （某团体的）精神特质，道德意识

e.g. It is a community in which people lived according to an ethos of sharing and caring.

词组

hold back

释义

prevent sb. / sth. from making progress 阻碍某人 / 某事发展

e.g. Do you think that mixed-ability teaching holds the brighter children back?
roll/trip off the tongue

释义

(infml.) if a name or phrase rolls or trips off your tongue, it is easy or pleasant to say （某个名字或短语）顺口

e.g. Their names roll off the tongue very easily.
be/get/feel burned out

释义

be in a state of physical or mental exhaustion caused by overwork or stress 感到精疲力竭

e.g. He was burned out by the time he was 21 and retired from the sport.
the here and now

释义

the present time 现时

e.g. To be able to live fully in the here and now, one must first learn how to honor the past.
come up short

释义

fail to win or achieve sth. 未能赢取；未能获得

e.g. We're so close to getting the job done, but we keep coming up short.
add up

释义

increase by small amounts until there is a large total 积累；积少成多

e.g. When you're feeding a family of six the bills soon add up.
string together

释义

combine things in order to make sth. that is complete, good, useful, etc. 把···拼在一起

e.g. They string together image after image until the documentary is completed.
prior to

释义

(fml.) before 在···以前

e.g. All the arrangements should be completed prior to your departure.
at peace

释义

if you are at peace, you do not feel angry, unhappy, etc. 心平气和的

e.g. For the first time in months, she felt calm and at peace with the world.
quite/just the opposite

释义

used to say that sth. is completely different from what has just been said 正好 / 完全相反

e.g. I didn't feel sleepy at all 一 just the opposite, in fact.
run/be/go counter to

释义

be the opposite of 违背某事；与某事背道而驰

e.g. The governor's newest policy seems to be running counter to everything he promised during his election campaign.

It's OK to be good enough and not great

1 What if striving to be great is what's holding you back?

1 如果追求卓越成了你成功路上的拦路虎，那该怎么办？

2 "Good is the enemy of great" is one of the most popular self-improvement expressions. It's the first sentence of an international best-selling business book, the title of another self-help book, and the belief held by many successful athletes. It sounds appealing and rolls off the tongue nicely, but there's a good chance it's totally wrong.

2 “优秀是卓越的敌人”是最受欢迎的自我提升的表达方式之一。这是一本全球商业畅销书的第一句话，是另一本自我励志书的书名，也是许多成功的运动员秉持的信念。这话听起来很吸引人，而且朗朗上口，但它很可能是完全错误的。

3 We're told that striving to be great and never being satisfied are necessary to meet the ever-increasing pressures and pace of today's world. It's the only route to success. But what is it all for? What does success even mean? Rates of anxiety and depression are higher than ever. Some experts believe that loneliness and social isolation have become widespread. Two-thirds of all employees report feeling burned out at work. Surely this isn't the kind of success that everyone is after.

3 有人告诉我们，为了应对当今世界日益增长的压力和不断加快的节奏，我们必须要追求卓越、永不满足。这是通往成功的唯一途径。但这到底是为了什么？成功到底意味着什么？焦虑和抑郁的发生率比以往任何时候都高。一些专家认为孤独和社会孤立已经普遍存在。三分之二的员工表示在工作中感到精疲力竭。当然，这肯定不是大家追求的那种成功。

4 An Eastern philosopher once suggested that true success means feeling content with the unfolding of your life. It is "finding happiness in your work and life, in the here and now." The kind of success that he champions isn't about striving to be great all the time. It's about being at least OK with where you are, about accepting being good enough. What's interesting is that not always trying so hard to be great isn't just the path to being happier; it's also the path to getting better.

4 一位东方哲学家曾提出，真正的成功意味着对人生历程感到心满意足。它意味着“在当下的工作和生活中找到快乐”。他所倡导的成功并不是一直努力追求卓越，而是至少要对自己的现状感到满意，接受自己足够好。有趣的是，不总是那么努力去追求卓越不仅是获得更多快乐的途径，而且是取得不断进步的途径。

5 This mindset improves confidence and releases pressure because you don't always feel like you're coming up short. It also lessens the risk of injury — emotional and physical — since there isn't a perceived need to make heroic efforts every day. The result is more consistent performance that adds up over time. Research shows that sustainable progress, in everything from diet to fitness to creativity, isn't about being consistently great; it's about being good enough over and over again.

5 因为你并不总觉得自己不够优秀，所以这种心态会提高自信并释放压力。由于你不觉得需要每天都付出艰苦卓绝的努力，所以这么做还能降低情绪和身体受伤的风险。随着时间的推移，你的表现会更加稳定。研究表明，从饮食到健身乃至创造力的各个方面的可持续进步并不是源于持续不断地保持卓越，而是源于一次又一次地表现得足够好。

6 A wonderful case study is Eliud Kipchoge, who has just broken the marathon world record. He's literally the best in the world at what he does. Yet Kipchoge says that the key to his success is not overextending himself in training. He's not obsessed with being great all the time. Instead, he tries his best to be always good enough. He recently told the press that he rarely, if ever, pushes himself past 80 percent — 90 percent at most — of his maximum effort during workouts. This allows Kipchoge to string together weeks and weeks of consistent training. "I want to run with a relaxed mind," he says.

6 刚刚打破马拉松世界纪录的埃利乌德 • 基普乔盖是一个极好的例子。他确实可以称得上是全世界最好的马拉松选手。然而，基普乔盖说他成功的关键并不是源于超负荷训练。他并不总是一心想着追求卓越。相反，他一直尽力做到足够好。最近他告诉媒体，在训练中，他几乎从不勉强自己使用超过体能极限的百分之八十，使用体能的百分之九十是他训练的上限。这使得基普乔盖能够连续数周持续训练。“我想带着放松的心情跑步。”他说。

7 Unlike so many other runners who have tried and failed to break the marathon world record, Kipchoge has never been obsessed with the mark. Prior to his record-setting race, when asked about his mindset, he said, "To be precise, I am just going to try to run my personal best. If it comes as a world record, I would appreciate it. But I would treat it as a personal best." Kipchoge puts running in its place, which, for him, is in the here and now, not in striving to meet ever-increasing expectations. "When I run," he says, "I feel good. My mind feels good. I sleep in a free way, and I enjoy life."

7 与许多努力却又未能打破马拉松世界纪录的其他运动员不同，基普乔盖从未迷恋过这个成绩。在他创纪录的比赛之前，当被问及他的心态时，他说：“确切地说，我只是想尽力跑出个人最好成绩。如果这一成绩是世界纪录，我将不胜荣幸。但我会视它为个人最好成绩。”基普乔盖把跑步放在它自身应有的位置。对他而言，跑步就在当下，而不是为了满足不断增长的期望。“当我跑步的时候，”他说，“我感觉很好，我头脑清醒。我想睡就睡，我很享受生活。”

8 It's a Paradox. A "good-enough" mindset might very well be the key to being great and happy. The less you want to be happy, the happier you'll be. The less you need to perform well, the better you'll perform. Just think about your own life. During the times you were happiest and performed best, were you striving? Were you chasing after something? Or were you more like Kipchoge — grounded, at peace, and feeling good enough about what was in front of you? This doesn't mean you should never desire productive change or improvement. Quite the opposite, actually. Though it may run counter to so much of the current ethos, adopting the core principle of "good enough" is likely the best route to being happier and getting better.

8 这是一个悖论。“差不多”的心态很有可能成为卓越和快乐的关键。你对快乐的欲求越少，你就会越快乐。你越不需要表现得好，你就表现得越好。试想你自己的生活，在你最快乐和表现最好的时候，你在努力吗？你在追求什么吗？还是你更像基普乔盖一样——脚踏实地，心平气和，满足于眼前事物？这并不意味着你不该向往有益的改变或进步，事实上恰恰相反。尽管这可能与当前的主要思潮背道而驰，但采用“差不多”的核心原则可能是让自己更加快乐、表现更加出色的最佳途径。

Unit 2 The pace of life¶

Reading 1¶

生词

dispute

释义

n. [C, U] a serious argument or disagreement 争议；争论；争端；纠纷

e.g. The firm is involved in a legal dispute with its competitor.
indisputable

释义

a. unable to be challenged or denied 无可争辩的；不可否认的

e.g. It is indisputable that the crime rate has been decreasing.
straightforward

释义

a. simple and easy to understand 简单的；易懂的

e.g. The question seemed straightforward enough.
manufacture

释义

vt. use machines to make goods or materials, usu. in large numbers or amounts （用机器大量）生产，制造

n. [U] the process of making goods or materials using machines, usu. in large numbers or amounts （大量商品的）生产，制造

e.g. It is a company that manufactures cars.

e.g. Cost will determine the methods of manufacture.
manufacturing

释义

n. [U] the process or business of producing goods in factories 制造；制造业

e.g. Thousands of jobs had been lost in manufacturing.
harvest 一词多义

释义

vt. gather in crops 收割

n. [C, U] the process or period of gathering in crops 收割；收获季节

e.g. Farmers in some developing areas still plant and harvest their crops by hand.

e.g. The drought has made farmers anxious about the harvest.
incoming

释义

a. (of a message) being received rather than sent （消息）接收到的

e.g. My email box is flooded with incoming messages when a school year begins.
ironic

释义

a. (of a situation) strange or amusing because it is very different from what you expect （情况）出乎意料的，令人啼笑皆非的

e.g. It's ironic that she became a teacher — she used to hate school.
scarcity

释义

n. [sing.] a situation in which there is not enough of sth. 不足；短缺

e.g. Either food scarcity or excessive hunting can threaten the population of animals.
epidemic

释义

n. [C] 1) a sudden increase in the number of times that sth. bad happens （坏事的突然）泛滥，蔓延

n. [C] 2) a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time （传染病的）流行，传播

e.g. Can anything be done about this unhappiness epidemic?

e.g. A flu epidemic is sweeping through the United States this winter.
badge

释义

n. [C] 1) sth. that shows a particular quality 象征

n. [C] 2) a small piece of metal, cloth, plastic with a picture or words on it, worn to show rank, membership of a group, support for a political idea, etc. 徽章；证章

e.g. Our cultural heritage is a badge of pride.

e.g. He pulled out a badge and said he was a police officer
indicator

释义

n. [C] sth. that can be regarded as a sign of sth. else 指示物

e.g. All the main economic indicators suggest that trade is improving.
locksmith

释义

n. [C] 锁匠

词组

squeeze in

释义

manage to find time for sb. / sth. although you are very busy 为···挤出时间

e.g. How can you manage to squeeze in so much work?
get through

释义

do an amount of work 完成（工作）；处理（事情）

e.g. We've got a lot of work to get through today.
weigh down

释义

make sb. feel worried and upset 使忧心忡忡

e.g. The CEO felt weighed down by his responsibilities.
take on

释义

undertake a task or responsibility, esp. a difficult one 接受（工作）；承担（责任）

e.g. Don't take on too much work — the extra cash isn't worth it.
throw in

释义

add sth. at no extra cost 额外赠送

e.g. Buy this book and we will throw in a CD.
in part

释义

to some degree, but not completely 在某种程度上；部分地

e.g. Their harmonious relationship resulted in part from their similar goals.

词义辨析

economics：n. [U] the study of the way in which money and goods are produced and used 经济学

economy：n. [C] the wealth that a country gets from business and industry 经济

Why you feel busy all the time

1 Few facts about modern life seem more indisputable than how busy everyone seems to be. You might assume the explanation is straightforward: We feel so much busier these days because we've got so much more to do. But you'd be wrong. The total time people are working, whether paid or otherwise, has not increased in Europe or North America in recent decades. People who worry they're spending insufficient time with their family actually spend significantly more of it than those in past generations. What's more, the people who say they're the busiest generally aren't.

1 现代生活中最无可争议的一个事实是每个人看上去都很忙碌。你可能会认为理由很简单：如今我们这么忙是因为要做的事情多了很多。但你可能想错了。在欧洲和北美，人们近几十年花费在有偿或无偿工作上的时间并未增加。担忧陪伴家人时间不足的人们其实陪伴家人的时间比过去几代人多得多。而且，声称自己很忙的人往往并不忙。

2 What's going on? Part of the answer is simple economics. As economies grow, and the incomes rise, time has literally become more valuable: Any given hour is worth more, so we experience more pressure to squeeze in more work. But it's also a result of the kind of work in which many of us are engaged. In former eras, dominated by farming or manufacturing, labour could certainly be physically punishing, but it had certain limits. You can't harvest the crops before they're ripe; you can't make more physical products than the available raw material allows.

2 为什么会这样呢？这个情况部分纯粹源于经济因素。随着经济的发展和收入的提高，时间确实变得更有价值：每个小时都更值钱，因此我们面临更大压力，被迫安排尽可能多的工作。另一方面，这个问题也是我们很多人从事的工作类型导致的。在以耕种和制造为主要生产方式的过去，劳动对身体而言诚然是艰苦的，但是这种艰苦是有限的。庄稼不成熟就无法收割；原材料不足就无法生产更多的物质产品。

3 In the modern era, that's changed. We live in an infinite world. There are always more incoming emails, more meetings, more things to read, more ideas to follow up, and digital mobile technology means you can easily handle a few more to-do list items at home, or on holiday, or at the gym. The result, inevitably, is feeling overwhelmed: We're each finite human beings, with finite energy and abilities, attempting to get through an infinite amount of work. We feel the social pressure to "do it all", at work and at home, but that's not just really difficult; it's a mathematical impossibility.

3 在现代，工作性质产生了变化。我们生活在无限的世界，总有更多邮件要接收，更多会议要参加，更多东西要阅读，更多想法要跟进，而数字移动技术意味着你可以在家里、在度假时或在健身房轻易地多处理几个待办事项。其后果是，你不可避免会觉得不堪重负：我们每个人都是有限的，却以有限的精力和能力试图完成无限的工作。我们在工作和家庭中都感受到“要搞定一切”的社会压力，然而这不仅着实困难，也确实不可能。

4 With that kind of time pressure weighing us down, it's hardly surprising that we live with one eye on the clock. But research demonstrates that this kind of time-awareness actually leads to worse performance. So the ironic consequence of the "busy feeling" is that we handle our to-do lists less well than if we weren't so rushed. According to the economist Sendhil Mullainathan and the behavioural scientist Eldar Shafir, feelings of scarcity, whether of money or time, result in anxiety and damage decision-making. When you're busy, you're more likely to make poor time-management choices — taking on commitments you can't handle, or prioritising unimportant tasks over crucial ones. Your feelings of busyness leave you even busier than before. Worst of all, this mindset spreads to infect our leisure time, so that even when life finally does permit an hour or two for recovery, we end up feeling it ought to be spent "productively", too.

4 这种时间压力使我们忧心忡忡，所以我们总是盯着时钟过日子也就不足为奇了。但是研究表明，这种时间意识事实上使工作表现更差。因此，“忙碌感”产生的令人出乎意料的后果是，我们对待办事项处理得不如我们不太忙碌时那么尽如人意。经济学家塞德希尔 • 穆来纳森和行为科学家埃尔达尔 • 沙菲尔认为，无论是金钱还是时间方面的匮乏感都会导致焦虑并影响决策。在忙碌的时候，你更有可能做出糟糕的时间管理选择——承诺你干不了的事，或者优先处理不重要的任务而非重要的。你的忙碌感让你比以前更加繁忙。最糟糕的是，这种心态会影响到我们的闲暇时间，即便生活最终允许我们喘息一两小时，我们还是会觉得这段空闲本该“有效”度过。

5 If there's a solution to the busyness epidemic, it may lie in clearly perceiving just how our attitudes have changed. Historically, the ultimate symbol of wealth, achievement and social status was the freedom not to work. The true badge of honour, as the 19^th-century economist Thorstein Veblen put it, was leisure. Now, it's busyness that has become the indicator of high status.

5 忙碌普遍流行，其解决方案如果存在，或许在于洞见我们态度所发生的变化。历史上，财富、成就和社会地位的根本标志是拥有不工作的自由。正如十九世纪的经济学家索尔斯坦 • 凡勃伦所言，真正的荣耀是休闲。而现在，忙碌却成了显赫地位的标志。

6 To see how absurd such an attitude is, consider a story about a locksmith. Early in his career, the locksmith was not that good at it: It would take him a really long time to open a door. Still, people were happy to pay his fee and throw in a tip. As he got better and faster, though, they complained about the fee, and stopped tipping. You'd think they would value regaining access to their house or car more quickly. But what they really appreciated was the amount of time and effort that the locksmith put in — even if it meant a longer wait.

6 为了了解这种态度有多荒唐，不妨思索一下一个锁匠的故事。锁匠在职业早期，手艺并不那么熟练：他得花费相当长的时间才能打开门锁。但是人们还是很乐意付给他酬金和额外的小费。然而，随着他的技艺越来越精湛，他开锁速度越来越快，人们反倒抱怨酬劳过高，而且不再付小费。你本以为人们会看重自己能够更快地重回家里或者车内，但是他们真正在意的是锁匠为此投入的时间和努力——即便这需要他们等候更久。

7 Too often, we take a similar attitude not only to other people, but to ourselves: We measure our worth not by the results we achieve, but by how much of our time we spend. We live fast-paced lives, at least in part, because it makes us feel good about ourselves. This makes no sense. Perhaps we could pause long enough to realise that — if we weren't so busy!

7 太多时候，我们不仅用这种态度来对待他人，也用这种态度对待自己：我们不是以得到的结果而是以花费的时间来衡量自我价值。我们过着快节奏的生活，至少我们一部分的生活是这样，因为是这样使我们自我感觉良好。这完全不合情理。或许我们能暂停一段足够长的时间去意识到这一点——要是我们没那么忙碌的话。

Reading 2¶

生词

stroll

释义

vi. walk somewhere in a slow, relaxed way 散步；闲逛

e.g. We were strolling along, laughing and joking.
ulcer

释义

/ˈʌlsə/

n. [C] 溃疡
abuse

释义

n. [U] cruel or violent treatment of sb. 虐待

e.g. Abuse can lead to both psychological and emotional problems.
wimp

释义

n. [C] (infml.) a person who is not strong, brave, or confident 懦夫；窝囊废

e.g. The more she called her son a wimp, the less confident he became.
practically

释义

ad. almost 几乎；差不多

e.g. She blamed me for practically every mistake in the report.
fuss

释义

n. [U, sing.] unnecessary excitement, worry, or activity 无谓的激动（或忧虑、活动）；大惊小怪

e.g. We tried to arrange a ceremony with as little fuss as possible.
crush 一词多义

释义

v. become or make sth. full of folds or lines （使）变皱；起皱

vt. press or squeeze sth. so hard that it is damaged or injured, or loses its shape 压坏；压伤；挤压变形

e.g. My dress got all crushed in my suitcase.

e.g. The car was completely crushed under the truck.
conspiracy

释义

n. [C, U] a secret plan made by two or more people to do sth. harmful or illegal 密谋；阴谋

e.g. He was charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage.
stumble

释义

vi. trip or momentarily lose one's balance; almost fall 绊脚；绊跌

e.g. Victor stumbled over the step as he came in.
gut

释义

n. (~s) [pl.] (infml.) the courage and determination you need to do sth. difficult or unpleasant （做困难或不愉快的事情所需要的）勇气，魄力，决心

e.g. When failure knocks you down, will you have the guts to get up and get going?
snap 一词多义

释义

v. 1) say sth. quickly in an angry way 厉声说（话）

v. 2) break or cause to break suddenly and completely, typically with a sharp cracking sound （使）啪的一声折断

v. 3) (infml.) take a photograph （给···）拍照

e.g. There's no need to snap at me — it's not my fault that you lost your wallet.

e.g. You'll snap that ruler if you bend it too far.

e.g. Dave snapped a picture of me and Lucas.

词组

take off

释义

(of an aircraft, etc.) leave the ground and begin to fly 起飞

e.g. I felt quite excited when the plane took off from Heathrow.
make a fuss (about sth.)

释义

complain or become angry about sth., esp. when this is not necessary （因某事）大吵大闹，大惊小怪

e.g. The soup is just a bit salty. I don't know why you're making such a fuss about it.
show up

释义

arrive, esp. at the place where sb. is waiting for you 到达（尤指有人在等候之处）

e.g. We had 200 people show up for the conference.
make it

释义

succeed in getting somewhere in time for sth. or when this is difficult （尤指在困难情况下）准时到达，赶上

e.g. You can still make it to the railway station if you set out right away.

Getting to the airport

1 After years of study, I have determined there are only two types of people in this world: those who get to the airport early and those who stroll leisurely in as the plane is about to take off.

1 通过几年的研究，我确定世上只有这么两类人：早早抵达机场的人和在飞机即将起飞时才慢悠悠踱进机场的人。

2 If there were any justice in this world, the early-airport people would be rewarded for doing the right thing. And the late-airport people would be punished. But there is no justice. The early-airport people get ulcers, heart attacks and bite their fingernails to the bone. The late-airport people are barely aware they are flying. I once found myself in an airport bar with a man on the same flight as me. Our flight had been called three times, but he insisted we stay for another round.

2 如果这个世上还有正义的话，早到机场的人会因为做对事情而得到奖赏，而晚到机场的人会遭到惩罚。然而并没有什么正义。早到机场的人会得溃疡，会突发心脏病，会拼命咬自己的手指甲。而晚到机场的人几乎意识不到自己要乘坐飞机。有一次，我在一个机场酒吧里，有个跟我搭乘同一趟航班的男士也在。我们的航班已呼叫了三次登机，他却执意要我们留下，他好再给我们买一巡酒。

3 "If we miss this one, there's always another plane in an hour," he said, signaling for two more drinks.

3 “如果我们错过这个航班，一小时后总会有别的航班可乘。”说话间，他示意再给上两杯酒。

4 "To Dhahran, Saudi Arabia?" I said. "There isn't another flight for a week."

4 “去沙特阿拉伯宰赫兰的航班吗？”我说道，“一周内不会有别的航班了。”

5 "I have a theory," he said. "If you miss your flight, it's because you are not supposed to go."

5 “依我看，”他说，“如果你错过航班，那是因为你本就不应该走。”

6 This is clearly a guy who is never going to get an ulcer.

6 显然，这是个永远不会得溃疡的家伙。

7 Early-airport people suffer another abuse. They are called exactly what they are: wimps.

7 早到机场的人还会遭受另一种虐待，那就是会被称作“窝囊废”，事实上他们也就是。

8 I know. I was an early-airport person for years.

8 对此我很清楚，很多年来我一直是早到机场的人。

9 My luggage will get on the plane first, I told myself.

9 我的行李可以最先上飞机，我这么告诉自己。

10 Indeed it will. Which makes it the last luggage they take off the plane when you land.

10 的确如此，但这样却使它成为飞机降落后最后被从飞机上取下来的行李。

11 You know who really gets his luggage first? The late-airport person, who walks leisurely into the airport three minutes before the plane takes off.

11 知道是谁先取回自己行李的吗？晚到机场的人，那些在飞机起飞前三分钟才慢悠悠踱进机场的人。

12 The pilot is practically in the air when these people are still paying off the taxi.

12 飞行员几乎都要飞上天了，那些家伙还在付出租车费。

13 Then they make a big fuss at the gate in order to get their luggage on board.

13 然后他们会在登机口吵嚷着要把自己行李弄上飞机。

14 And when we finally take off, all us wimps know that not only will that late luggage be the first off the plane, but is probably sitting on top of our luggage, crushing our shirts.

14 当飞机终于起飞时，我们这些窝囊废都清楚，那件晚登机的行李不仅会被最早从飞机上取下来，而且很可能正叠放在我们的行李上面，压皱我们的衬衫。

15 BUT IF I GET THERE real, real early, I told my old wimpy self, I will get the best seat.

15 但是如果我到得特别早，我告诉一如既往窝囊的自己，我会坐到一个最好的座位。

16 Well, just try to show up early and get the seat you want. Go ahead and try.

16 那么就努力到得早一些，坐到想要的座位吧。就这么办，试试看。

17 No matter how early I showed up, I was always told that someone had called two or three years ahead of me and asked for that seat.

17 不论到得多早，我总是被告知，有人比我早两三年就打电话要了那个座位。

18 I figured it was a conspiracy. I figured there was someone in America who called every airline every day and said, "Is that wimp Simon flying somewhere today? If he is, give me his seat."

18 我猜这是个阴谋。我猜在美国定是有人每天给各个航空公司致电说：“那个窝囊废西蒙今天是不是要飞往某地？如果是，把他的座位给我。”

19 The ultimate embarrassment of the early-airport person happened to me a few years ago when I was flying from LaGuardia to O'Hare.

19 令早到机场的人最为尴尬的事情几年前就发生在我身上，那次我是从拉瓜迪亚机场飞往奥黑尔国际机场。

20 When I got to the ticket counter, the person there said, "Sir, you have a seat on the 9:15 a.m. flight to Chicago, is that right?"

20 我到售票柜台时，那里的人说：“先生，您在上午九点一刻飞往芝加哥的航班上订了一个座位，对吗？”

21 "Yes," I said.

21 “是的。”我说。

22 "Well, it's only 7 a.m., and the 7:05 a.m. flight has not left yet. If you hurry, you can make it."

22 “嗯，现在才早上七点，七点零五的航班还没起飞。如果您赶紧点，可以赶上这趟航班。”

23 I was too embarrassed to say that I arrived at airports early so I wouldn't have to hurry. Instead, I ran down the corridor to the plane.

23 我实在不好意思说我到机场这么早就是不想赶时间，还是沿着登机桥奔向了飞机。

24 I climbed on board, out of breath, red-faced, and stumbled over a woman's legs to get to the last unoccupied seat.

24 我气喘吁吁、面红耳赤地爬上飞机，在挤进最后一个空位时绊到了一位女士的腿。

25 The woman I stepped over was no wimp. She had the guts to complain. "You should get to the airport earlier!" she snapped. "I was here early," I said weakly. "But then somehow I wasn't anymore."

25 我绊到的这位女士一点不窝囊，她可是敢于抗议。“你该早点到机场！”她厉声说道。“我早来了，”我心虚地说，“但是莫名其妙地又不早了。”

26 After a lifetime of arguing over whether I really have to pack 24 hours in advance and set the alarm clock four hours ahead, I have learned one other fact about early-airport people and late-airport people:

26 就我究竟是否该提前二十四小时打包行李，以及是否要将闹钟设置成提前四小时响铃的问题争论了一辈子之后，我又明白了一个有关早到和晚到机场人们的事实：

27 They always marry each other.

27 他们总是进一家门。

Unit 3 In the name of love¶

Reading 1¶

生词

strain

释义

v. try very hard to do sth. using all your strength or ability 使劲；竭力；用尽全力

vt. injure a muscle or part of your body by using it too much or making it work too hard 拉伤；扭伤

e.g. She was straining to keep her head above the water.

e.g. I've strained a muscle in my leg and I have to go to hospital.
wrist

释义

n. [C] 腕（关节）

e.g. He grasped her wrist with his free hand.
athleticism

释义

n. [U] the ability to play sports or do physical activities well 运动能力

e.g. Except for the second game he seemed to be in control and showed some great athleticism.
gasp

释义

vi. breathe quickly in a way that can be heard because you are having difficulty breathing （由于呼吸困难而）急促吸气

v. breathe in suddenly in a way that can be heard, esp. because you are surprised or in pain （尤因惊讶或疼痛而）大声吸气，倒抽气

e.g. Brendan climbed slowly, gasping for breath.

e.g. The visitors gasped at the wonderful view.
clip

释义

vt. cut an article or picture from a newspaper, magazine, etc. （从报纸、杂志等上）剪下

e.g. He showed me a cartoon clipped from a newspaper.
clipping

释义

n. [C] an article or picture that has been cut out of a newspaper or magazine 剪报

e.g. He searched through piles of letters and clippings for his mother's letter.
grapple

释义

vi. fight or struggle with sb., holding them tightly 扭打；搏斗

e.g. Two men didn't stop grappling with a guard at the door until the police came.
ritual

释义

n. [C, U] 1) sth. that you do regularly and in the same way each time 惯例；老规矩；例行公事

n. [C, U] 2) a ceremony that is always performed in the same way, in order to mark an important religious or social occasion （为纪念重要宗教或社会事件举行的）仪式，典礼

e.g. He went through the ritual of checking the door and windows before going to bed.

e.g. The lady of the house still performs the ritual of lighting candles at dinner.
palm

释义

n. [C] 手掌；掌部
twist

释义

v. turn a part of your body around or change your position by turning 扭动（身体）

e.g. He twisted his head slightly and looked up at her.
indentation

释义

/ˌɪndenˈteɪʃn/

n. [C] (also indent) a cut into the surface or edge of sth. 凹口；凹陷；缺口

e.g. The kid made an indentation in the center of each cookie.
itchy

释义

/ˈɪtʃi/

a. 1) if clothes are itchy, they make your skin feel slightly unpleasant, so that you want to rub your skin with your nails （衣服）令人发痒的

a. 2) if part of your body is itchy, it feels slightly unpleasant and you want to rub it with your nails 发痒的

e.g. The shirt is itchy and uncomfortable.

e.g. My eyes sometimes get red and itchy in the summer.
yield 一词多义

释义

/jiːld/

vi. move, bend, or break because of physical force or pressure （因外力或受压而）移动，弯曲，断裂

v. stop resisting sb. / sth.; agree to do sth. that you do not want to do 屈服；让步

vt. produce a result, answer, or piece of information 产生，得出（结果、答案或消息）

e.g. The trees may yield to the wind, but they never break.

e.g. He reluctantly yielded to their demands.

e.g. Our research has only recently begun to yield important results.
handshake

释义

n. [C] the act of taking sb.'s right hand and shaking it, which people do when they meet or leave each other or when they have reached an agreement 握手

e.g. He greeted me with a firm handshake.
suck

释义

v. take air, liquid, etc. into your mouth by making your lips form a small hole and using the muscles of your mouth to pull it in 吸；吮；啜

e.g. He sucked hard for air to keep breathing.
brace

释义

vt. (~ oneself / sb. for) mentally or physically prepare yourself or sb. else for sth. unpleasant that is going to happen （使）准备迎接（令人不快的事）

e.g. Nancy braced herself for the inevitable arguments during the meeting.

词组

work against

释义

work effectively toward countering or defeating sb. / sth. 有效地对抗；击败

e.g. I heard that pepper spray works well against bears.
lift off

释义

if an aircraft or spacecraft lifts off, it leaves the ground and rises into the air （飞机）起飞；（航天器）升空

e.g. The aeroplane lifted off at noon for New York with more than 100 passengers.

Arm wrestling with my father

1 "Now you say when" is what he always said before an arm-wrestling match. He liked to put the responsibility on me, knowing that he would always control the outcome. "When!" I'd shout, and it would start. And I would tense up, concentrating and straining and trying to push his wrist down to the carpet with all my weight and strength. But Dad would always win; I always had to lose. "Want to try it again?" he would ask, grinning. But I would not answer or look at him. I never thought it was funny at all.

1 “你说开始，咱们就开始”，掰手腕比赛开始前，父亲总这么说。他知道结果总是由他掌控，但他还是喜欢由我来决定什么时候开始比赛。我会大声喊“开始！”，比赛就开始了。我绷紧肌肉，全神贯注，用尽全身力气试图将他的手腕扳倒在地毯上。但爸爸总是会赢，而我总是会输。他会咧着嘴笑着问道：“想再比一次吗？”但我不会理他，也不看他，我觉得这一点都不好笑。

2 That was the way I felt for a number of years during my teens. The relationship between my father and me had always been a physical one, I suppose, one determined by athleticism and strength. We never communicated as well in speech or in writing as in a strong hug, battling to make the other gasp for breath. His words were physical. The truth is, I have never read a card or a letter written in his hand because he never wrote to me. Never. Mom wrote me all the cards and letters when I was away from home. The closest thing to writing that I recall was in a newspaper clipping Mom had sent with a letter. He had gone through and underlined all the important words about the dangers of not wearing a bicycle helmet. Our communication was always physical, and that is why we did things like arm wrestling. To get down on the floor and grapple, arm against arm, was like having a conversation.

2 这种感觉在我青少年时期持续了数年。在我看来，父亲与我之间的关系总是肢体上的，这是一种以运动和力量为纽带的关系。我们之间的语言或文字交流从来都比不上一个紧紧的拥抱，这种拥抱就像一场肉搏战，压得对方喘不过气来。他用肢体语言表达。事实上，我从未读过他亲手写的信或卡片，因为他从来没给我写过，一次也没有。当我离家在外时，所有的信和卡片都是妈妈写的。记忆中，与文字最沾边的一次，是随妈妈的信一起寄来的剪报。他把报纸上所有关于不戴自行车头盔存在的风险的重要表述通通划了出来给我看。我们的交流总是局限于肢体上，这也是为什么我们会做像掰手腕这样的事情。趴在地板上，手腕与手腕较量，就好像在进行一场对话。

3 My feelings about this ritual of father-son competition have changed over the years. I don't feel pressured anymore to compete with him the way I thought necessary for years. I am not sure when it was that I began to feel less competitive with my father, but it all became clearer to me one day last January. I don't recall who suggested arm wrestling that day. We hadn't done it for a long time. But there we were, lying flat on the carpet, face to face, extending our right arms. Our warm palms came together, in much the same way as we had shaken hands the day before when he picked me up at the airport. Fingers twisted and wrapped around once again, testing for a better grip. Elbows slid up and back, making their little indentations on the itchy carpet.

3 这些年来，对于一贯以来父子间的竞争，我的想法变了。我觉得没有必要像过往那样去和爸爸竞争。不确定是从什么时候开始，我已经不怎么想赢父亲了。从去年一月的那天开始，这种感觉变得越来越清晰了。我不记得那天是谁提议掰手腕的，我们已经很久没有这样做了。但我们就那样趴在地毯上，面对面，伸出右臂，温暖的手掌握在一起，就像前一天他在机场接我时握手那样。我们一次次地活动手指然后握住，试探着想抓得更紧。胳膊肘在让人发痒的地毯上来回滑动，在地毯上留下了浅浅的凹痕。

4 It was not a long match. I had expected him to be stronger, faster. I was conditioned to lose and would have accepted defeat easily. However, after some struggle, his arm yielded to my efforts and began to move unsteadily toward the carpet. I worked against his arm with all the strength I could find. He was working hard as well, straining, breathing heavily. It seemed that this time was different, that I was going to win. Then something occurred to me, something unexpected. I discovered that I was feeling sorry for my father. I wanted to win but I did not want to see him lose.

4 这场比赛时间并不长。我原以为他会更强、更快。我已习惯了输，很容易接受失败。但是，经过一番挣扎，他的手臂扛不住我的力气，开始颤动着向地毯倒去。我使出吃奶的劲掰他的手腕，他也在喘着粗气拼命发力。这次好像不一样，我要赢了！我突然有一种感觉，一种令我意想不到的感觉，我发现我在为父亲感到难过。我想赢，但我不想看到他输。

5 A week after our match, we parted at the airport. To say goodbye, I kissed and hugged my mother and I prepared to shake my father's hand. A handshake had always seemed easier to handle than a hug. His hugs had always been powerful ones, intended I suppose to give me strength. They made me suck in my breath and struggle for control. So I offered a handshake; but he offered a hug. I accepted it, bracing myself for the impact. Once our arms were wrapped around each other, however, I sensed a different message. His embrace was softer, longer than before.

5 掰手腕比赛一周以后，我们在机场分别。我亲吻并拥抱母亲以示告别，并准备与父亲握手，握手似乎总是比拥抱来得更容易些。他的拥抱一直都是强有力的，我想他是要给我力量。这种熊抱让我喘不过气来，也使我挣扎着想要站稳。于是我选择了握手，但他选择了拥抱。我接受了这个拥抱，也准备好迎接这股力量。但当我们的双臂抱住对方时，我感觉到了不同的讯息，他的拥抱比以前温柔了，更绵长了。

6 I got on the airplane and my father and mother were gone. But as the plane lifted off, my throat was hurting with sadness. I realized then that Dad must have learned something as well, and what he had said to me in that last hug was that he loved me. Love was a rare expression between us, so I had denied it at first. As the plane turned north, I had a sudden wish to go back to Dad and wanted to embrace him again with all the love I felt for him. I would speak with him silently, telling him all my feelings, in that language we shared.

6 我登上了飞机，父母也走了。但当飞机起飞时，我难过得喉咙发疼。那时我才意识到，爸爸也一定悟出了什么，他在刚才那个拥抱中想对我表达的是，他爱我。爱的表达在我们俩之间是很罕见的，所以我一开始拒绝了。当飞机转向北面飞行时，我突然间很想回到爸爸身边，我想怀着对他所有的爱，再次拥抱他。我会用我们共同的语言，与他默默地交谈，向他倾诉我所有的感受。

Reading 2¶

生词

dresser 一词多义

释义

n. [C] 1) a low table with a mirror where one sits while applying makeup 梳妆台

n. [C] 2) a piece of furniture with drawers for storing clothes, sometimes with a mirror on top 衣橱

e.g. Mary took the watch out of her dresser and put it on.

e.g. He put the pants in the dresser and went to bed.
sling

释义

vt. (slung, slung) 1) hang sth. loosely （松松垮垮地）挂，吊，悬

vt. (slung, slung) 2) throw or put sth. somewhere with a careless movement and some force （随意而稍用力地）拐，掷，抛

e.g. She likes to wear a belt slung around her waist.

e.g. He stood up and slung his gun over his shoulder.
porch

释义

n. [C] 1) (AmE) a structure built onto the front or back entrance of a house, with a floor and a roof but no walls （房屋前后的）游廊，走廊；阳台

n. [C] 2) (BrE) an entrance covered by a roof outside the front door of a house or church （房子或教堂前门外有顶的）入口，门廊
carton

释义

n. [C] a small box made of cardboard or plastic that contains food or a drink 硬纸盒；塑料盒

e.g. She was so thirsty that she drank a carton of orange juice.
rewind

释义

vt. (rewound, rewound) make a cassette tape or video go backward in order to see or hear it again 倒回（录音带或录像带）

e.g. He rewound the tape and replayed a few pieces.
sip

释义

v. drink sth. slowly, taking very small mouthfuls 小口地喝；抿；呷

e.g. She was sitting at the table sipping her coffee.
patio

释义

/ˈpætiəʊ/

n. [C] (pl. patios) a flat hard area near a house, where people sit outside （房屋外面的）露台，平台
reassure

释义

vt. make sb. feel calmer and less worried or frightened about a problem or situation 使安心；使放心；使消除疑虑

e.g. He tried to reassure me, but I still felt anxious.
cuddle

释义

v. hold sb. / sth. very close to you with your arms around them, esp. to show that you love them （尤指表示喜爱而）抱，拥抱，搂抱

e.g. Lisa and her boyfriend were cuddling on the sofa.
dependent

释义

a. 1) (be ~ on / upon) be directly affected or decided by sth. else 取决于某物

a. 2) needing sb. / sth. in order to survive or be successful 依靠的；依赖的

e.g. Your pay is dependent on how much you produce.

e.g. You can't be dependent on your parents all your life.

词组

stay up

释义

not go to bed at the time you would normally go to bed 熬夜；深夜不睡觉

e.g. With so much homework to do, I will have to stay up late tonight.
settle for

释义

accept sth. even though it is not the best, or not what you really want 勉强接受；将就

e.g. They want $2,500 for it, but they might settle for $2,000.
within walking distance

释义

near enough to walk to easily 在步行距离之内

e.g. She used to live within walking distance of her children.
on one's mind

释义

if sth. is on your mind, you keep thinking or worrying about it 挂在心上的；惦念的

e.g. He looked as though he had something on his mind.
at the top of one's lungs

释义

as loudly as possible 尽量大声地；放声地

e.g. He came running up to me screaming at the top of his lungs, "I love you!"
cuddle up

释义

lie or sit very close to sb. / sth. 偎依

e.g. We cuddled up together to keep out the cold.

To the best friend I don't see every day

1 There's a picture of us sitting on my dresser. You're laughing, your head thrown back, hair flying wild in the wind. I'm standing next to you, my arm slung across your shoulder, smiling at the camera, an oversized pair of sunglasses hiding my entire face. In that picture, everything was easy. We didn't have dreams pulling us in different directions. We didn't have love telling us to stay, or to go. We were rooted in the same town, the same school. We didn't know how hard it could be to be so far apart.

1 我的梳妆台上摆放着一张我们的合影。照片上你在笑，头向后仰着，头发飘舞在风中。我站在你身旁，手臂搭在你的肩头，冲着镜头微笑，一副超大号的墨镜遮住我整张脸。照片里，一切都很安逸。那时，我们还没有让我们各奔东西的梦想，也没有爱情让我们在去留之间抉择。我们扎根在同一个小镇，上同一所学校。尚不知遥遥两相隔的日子会这么艰辛。

2 I haven't told you this, but every time I look at that photo, my chest aches.

2 我还没跟你说过这些，但每次我看到那张照片时，心都在隐隐作痛。

3 I miss how it used to be — when I could run across the street and sit on your porch, when you could pick me up across town to grab coffee, or when we could easily meet up and spend all evening walking around the mall, talking about boys.

3 我怀念那些往日时光——那时，我可以跑到街对面，坐在你家的门廊上；可以搭你的顺风车，穿过小镇去享用一杯咖啡；那时，我们见面很容易，可以整晚在商场里闲逛，聊聊男孩子们。

4 I miss the nights we'd stay up way too late telling secrets, eating ice cream straight from the carton, watching some stupid shows but talking through every good part and having to rewind it to see what we've missed.

4 我怀念那些夜晚，我们聊至深夜，交换小秘密，直接从盒子里舀冰激凌吃，看些傻傻的节目，可是每到节目精彩的部分我们都在聊天，于是又不得不倒回去看我们错过的内容。

5 Sometimes it feels like you're half a world away from me.

5 有时，你我之间好像隔了半个世界。

6 Honestly, I'd do anything to have you here, right now, laughing at my stupid jokes, showing you my text messages, sipping beers on my front patio, watching the seagulls dance across the sunny sky.

6 老实说，我愿意做任何事来让你立刻出现在我的面前，你会为我的傻笑话而大笑，我会给你看我的短信，我们在我家前院小口喝着啤酒，看着海鸥在阳光明媚的天空中飞舞。

7 There are miles between us. Airplane rides, rail journeys, hours on a bus — all these keep you from easily walking through my front door. There are commitments and schedules. There are work trips and family vacations and day-to-day obligations that remind us our lives are rooted in different places now.

7 我们之间山水相隔。搭飞机、乘火车，还要坐几个小时汽车——所有这些都让你来我家这件事儿变得困难重重。我们有各种不得不做的事情、各种安排，还有出差、家庭旅行，以及日常义务需要履行。这些都在提醒着我们，如今我们的生活已扎根在不同的地方。

8 Sometimes it breaks my heart that when you call me crying, I can only reassure you over the phone. That when I need your shoulder, all I can have is a voice message. That when what we really need is a big best friend hug, we'll have to settle for handwritten cards and long text messages.

8 有时，当你哭着跟我打电话，我只能通过电话安慰你；当我需要你的肩膀时，我所能得到的也只是一条语音信息；当我们真正需要的是一个来自最好朋友的大大的拥抱时，却只能勉强接受手写的卡片或长长的信息。每当这些时候，我的心都碎了。

9 I hate that we don't live within walking distance, that we can't so easily fall into one another's arms. I hate that we live in different places and have to settle for a more distant kind of friendship.

9 真讨厌！我们没有住在咫尺之遥，不能轻易投入彼此的怀抱。真讨厌！我们生活在不同的地方，必须适应远距离的友谊。

10 I hate that I can't see you every day, but no matter the miles and days and hours that separate us, you are never far from me.

10 真讨厌！不能每天都看到你。但无论你我相隔多远、多少天、多少个小时，你都不曾离我远去。

11 You are on my mind when I take my first bite of pizza and think of how we used to get an extra-large one and shamelessly eat every bite. You're on my mind when I run down the path by my house and remember how we used to be workout partners, sharing stories between each set. You're on my mind when I'm drunk and wish you were sitting next to me, singing songs at the top of our lungs and laughing happily. You're on my mind when there is a thunderstorm, and I wish you were cuddling up next to me like you used to, comforting me until I fell asleep.

11 当我吃第一口比萨时，我会想起你，想着过去我们是怎么买一个超大号的比萨，然后夸张地吃得一点儿不剩。当我沿着我家旁边的小路奔跑时，我会想起你，还记得我们曾经是一起健身的伙伴，每组动作之间休息的时候会彼此分享故事。当我喝醉时，我会想起你，真希望你正坐在我身边，一起声嘶力竭地唱歌，一起开怀大笑。雷雨天我会想起你，多希望你能像以前一样，依偎在我身旁、安慰我，直到我入睡。

12 You're on my mind more than you know, and every time I think of you, I'm reminded how lucky I am. And how wonderful it is to have someone who, no matter the distance, no matter the time apart, no matter how far we are physically from one another, will never stop being my best friend.

12 你不知道我是多么想你。每当想起你，我就会意识到自己是多么幸运。无论距离多远，无论分开多久，无论我们彼此相距多远，你始终是我最好的朋友，拥有你这样的朋友是一件多么美好的事情。

13 I love you, my dearest friend. That means more than the miles between us. That means more than the months that have passed since the last time we hugged, laughed, or cried in one another's arms. Our friendship is not dependent upon distance. Even if I can't see you every day, I know that this love will never change.

13 我爱你，我最亲爱的朋友。这份爱超越我们之间的距离，超越从我们上次拥抱、欢笑或在彼此怀中哭泣到现在的数月时间。我们之间的友谊和距离无关。即便无法每日相见，我也知道这份爱永远不会改变。

Unit 4 The art of choice¶

Reading 1¶

生词

aisle

释义

/aɪl/

n. [C] a long passage between rows of seats in a church, plane, theater, etc., or between rows of shelves in a shop 通道；过道

e.g. Madam, would you like a window seat or a seat next to the aisle?
flick

释义

v. make sth. move quickly and suddenly, esp. with a quick movement of the hand （尤指用手快速地）轻击，轻拍，轻拂，轻弹

e.g. The kid flicked the screen of the iPad to find something interesting.
paralysis

释义

n. [U] 1) a state of being unable to take action, make decisions, or operate normally 不知所措；（行动、决策、运行等）瘫痪，停顿

n. [U] 2) the loss of the ability to move all or part of your body or feel things in it 瘫痪；麻痹

e.g. The country was on the verge of complete paralysis due to the strike.

e.g. A stroke can cause paralysis and difficulties with speech in the patient.
hay

释义

n. [U]（作动物饲料用的）干草，饲草
replicate

释义

vt. (fml.) if you replicate sb.'s work, a scientific study, etc., you do it again, or try to get the same result again 重做；重复（某项科学研究）；复证（某个结果）

e.g. There is a need for further research to replicate the findings of Professor Thompson and his team.
pension

释义

n. [C] an amount of money paid regularly by the government or company to sb. who does not work anymore, for example because they have reached the age when people stop working or because they are ill 养老金；退休金

e.g. If you are self-employed, can you enjoy a pension after retirement?
demotivate

释义

vt. make sb. less eager to work or study 使人失去动力；使人消极

e.g. The new policy can create insecurity and demotivate staff.
cyberspace

释义

n. [U] all the connections between computers in different places, considered as a real place where information, messages, pictures, etc. exist 网络空间

e.g. The laws of privacy and copyright still apply in cyberspace.
stack

释义

v. (also stack up) make things into a neat pile, or form a neat pile （使）整齐地堆起；摞起

n. [C] a neat pile of things 一叠；一堆；一摞

e.g. The shop assistants price all kinds of ice cream before stacking them in the freezer.

e.g. Next to the bottles was a tall stack of plastic cups.
realm

释义

n. [C, U] (written) a general area of knowledge, activity, or thought （知识、活动、思想的）领域，范围

e.g. This concept first appeared in the realm of science fiction a hundred years ago.

词组

stick with

释义

(infml.) continue doing sth. the way you did or planned to do before 继续做（使用）；不放弃

e.g. Let's stick with the original plans we decided together.
have sth. at one's fingertips

释义

have knowledge or information ready and available to use very easily 手头有某物（可供随时使用）；对某物了如指掌

e.g. We have all the facts and latest figures about the application at our fingertips.
set in

释义

if sth. sets in, esp. sth. unpleasant, it begins and seems likely to continue for a long time （尤指不愉快的事）开始，来临

e.g. Winter seems to be setting in rather early this year.

When too much choice is no choice at all

1 I was 35,000 feet up, somewhere over the Indian Ocean, when it struck me that I had spent more time browsing through viewing options on the seat-back screen than actually watching anything.

1 我正处于距地面35,000英尺的印度洋上空，突然意识到，自己花在浏览座椅后背屏幕上的视频选项的时间超过了实际观看视频的时间。

2 This thought was quickly followed by an odd longing, a longing for the days when airlines put a film on a screen down the aisle and you either watched it or you didn't.

2 这一念头过后是一阵奇怪的怀旧之情：我怀念起航空公司在过道上方架着屏幕放电影的那个年代，你想看就看，不想看就不看。

3 The longing passed. I didn't really wish to be back in those days, any more than I wanted to be on a plane with a smoking section. But I was suffering from something, and looking around at others flicking restlessly between options on their screens, I couldn't help but feel I wasn't the only one.

3 怀旧之情渐渐消退。我并非真的想回到那个年代，正如我不愿坐在带吸烟区的飞机上一样。不过，此时的我有所不适。看到周围其他人在屏幕上烦躁地来回翻选项时，我不禁意识到，我不是唯一一个这样的人。

4 What I had was choice fatigue. Or decision paralysis. I had the problem of too many options.

4 我有选择疲惫，或者是决策瘫痪。我的问题是选择太多。

5 The problem of choice has a long history — the 14^th-century tale of a donkey unable to choose between hay and water and dying as a result — but it is a problem that has surely become more complicated in the digital age where choice is almost limitless.

5 选择的困惑由来已久。有一则十四世纪的故事，讲述了一头驴因为无法在干草和水之间进行选择而死去。然而，在数字化时代，当选择几乎无法穷尽时，这个问题无疑已经变得更为复杂。

6 Why watch or listen to one thing on a streaming service and not another? Where to start? Where to end? And once a choice is made, why stick with it when it's so easy to click something else that might be better?

6 你为什么选择看或听流媒体上的一个内容而不是另一个？从什么地方开始？在什么地方结束？你一旦选定，为什么会继续下去，而不是点击另一个可能更好的内容（而这么做是轻而易举的事情）？

7 If a music app boasts of 40 million songs in an ad, is this a good thing? Will it be even better when it offers 50 million songs? At a certain point, having practically every song ever recorded at your fingertips is an awful lot like having none. A kind of paralysis sets in.

7 假如某个音乐软件在广告中炫耀自己有四千万首歌的海量库存，这是一件好事吗？如果给听众提供五千万首歌，会更好吗？在某种程度上，拥有历史上曾经录制的几乎所有歌曲，与一首歌曲都没有差不多。选择瘫痪的感觉随之袭来。

8 We like choice, but it seems we only like choice up to a point. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that too much choice ends up causing us confusion, anxiety, and regret.

8 我们喜欢选择，但似乎只是在某种程度上。有许多证据显示，太多选择会导致困惑、焦虑和遗憾。

9 In a study from 2000, shoppers who were offered free samples of six different jams were much more likely to buy one than shoppers who were offered free samples of 24 jams.

9 在2000年的一项研究中，免费品尝了六种不同果酱的顾客比免费品尝了二十四种果酱的顾客更有可能购买其中一种果酱。

10 These findings have since been replicated in studies of chocolate, coffee, and pension plans. There is something about more choice that demotivates us.

10 这些发现已经在巧克力、咖啡、养老金计划的研究中得到反复验证。增加选项会让我们失去选择的动力。

11 But making a choice even at a large shopping mall is still easy compared with the choice in cyberspace. A mall is at least limited by how much can be stacked on the shelves. In the digital realm, space isn't an issue. The shelf you choose your product from goes on forever.

11 然而即便在一家大型购物中心，作出选择仍然比在网络空间上容易。购物中心货架上能够放置的物品至少是有限的，但在数字领域，空间不是问题，你所选择的商品的货架可以无限延伸下去。

12 This not only makes choice harder; it also raises the expectation of what the choice will deliver. We think that with so many options we should be able to find something truly amazing. But with such high expectations comes regret at the things not chosen, the annoying feeling that we could have done better.

12 这不仅使得选择更加困难，而且提高了人们对选择结果的期待。我们以为，有了这么多选择，我们应该能够找到一些真正令人惊喜的东西。然而，伴随着高期望而来的是，我们对放弃的东西感到遗憾，遗憾我们本来可以作出更好的选择，这种感觉让人懊恼。

13 Perhaps that is why we see the pockets of resistance to the digital, such as the continuing dominance of paper books over digital formats, and the boom in record sales. The appeal of the older products might simply be that they offer a sense of "finishability" with a defined beginning, middle and end, and don't go on and on forever in the way of limitless digital options.

13 也许，那就是为什么我们至今还能看到对数字媒介的零星抵抗，比如纸质书籍继续超越电子书占主导地位，唱片销量大增。旧商品的吸引力或许仅仅是因为它们给你“可穷尽”的感觉，它们有明确界定的开始、中间、结尾，不像无限的数字选项那样永远延伸下去。

14 The answer to the problem of choice paralysis may be ultimately to lower our expectations. We need to grow more comfortable with the idea of "good enough" — like the "70 percent rule for decision-making (i.e., if anything gets 70 percent approval, do it).”

14 解决选择瘫痪问题的办法最终也许在于降低我们的期望。我们需要接受“足够好”这个想法，比如“决策的百分之七十原则（即：如果一件事得到百分之七十的认可，那就去做）”。

15 All of this is as good a defense as any for why at 35,000 feet, somewhere over the Indian Ocean, I watched a movie called Fist Fight. And yes, it was terrible. Really quite terrible even from the opening minutes. But I stuck with it. I had made my choice.

15 这就极好地解释了为什么我在距地面35,000英尺的印度洋上空，看了一部叫《拳斗》的电影。是的，电影很糟，从开始的几分钟就非常糟。但是我坚持看了下去，我已经作了选择。

Reading 2¶

生词

invincible

释义

a. too strong to be destroyed or defeated 不可战胜的；无敌的

e.g. She seemed nearly invincible on the tennis court this year.
foyer

释义

/ˈfɔɪeɪ/

n. [C] a room or hall at the entrance to a public building （公共建筑物入口处的）休息厅，门厅
high-rise

释义

a. (only before noun) tall with many levels 高耸的；高层的

e.g. Their office is in a high-rise building in the center of the city.
trickle

释义

vi. 1) if people, vehicles, goods, etc. trickle somewhere, they move there slowly in small groups or amounts （人、车辆、货物等）缓慢而零星地移动

vi. 2) if liquid trickles somewhere, it flows slowly in drops or in a thin stream 滴；淌；涓涓地流

e.g. A few fans started to trickle into the stadium where the concert was to be held.

e.g. She could feel the sweat trickling down her back.
scribble

释义

vt. (also scribble down) write sth. quickly and untidily 潦草地写

e.g. You can scribble your own ideas in the blank areas provided.
oyster

释义

n. [C] 牡蛎；蚝
straddle

释义

vt. 1) include different areas of activity, groups, time, etc. 包括，跨越（不同的活动领域、团体、时间等）

vt. 2) sit or stand with your legs on either side of sb. / sth. 跨坐；跨立

e.g. She is experimenting with a new style which straddles classic and modern art.

e.g. The photo shows him dressed in leather, straddling a motorbike.
existential

释义

a. (fml.) (only before noun) relating to the existence of humans or to existentialism 关于人类存在的；存在主义的

e.g. He holds the existential notion that man is in control of his own life.
executive

释义

n. [C] a manager in an organization or company who helps make important decisions （机构或公司的）主管，经理

e.g. As an executive, he made some important decisions and gradually led the company to the track of rapid progress.
stuck 一词多义

释义

a. 1) not knowing what to do in a particular situation 不知所措的；（为某事）犯愁的

a. 2) impossible or unable to move from a particular position 卡住的；无法移动的；动不了的

e.g. If you're stuck for something to do tonight, come out with us.

e.g. Sara tried to open the window but it was stuck.

词组

the world is sb.'s oyster

释义

used to tell sb. that they can achieve whatever they want 可以随心所欲；想要什么就能得到什么

e.g. With a doctoral degree and a mathematical talent, the world is her oyster.
fit in

释义

manage to do sth. or see sb., even though you have a lot of other things to do 安排时间做（某事）；安排时间见（某人）；找出···的时间

e.g. I wanted to fit in a swim before breakfast, since I would be fully occupied the whole day.
in passing

释义

if you say sth. in passing, you mention it while you are mainly talking about sth. else （在谈论别的事情时）顺便说起某事物，附带提及某事物

e.g. Sampson mentioned in passing Emma's strange behavior at yesterday's party.
by default

释义

if sth. happens by default, it happens because you did not do anything to change it 由于没有采取行动（而发生某事）

e.g. I became a teacher by default rather than by design.
step in

释义

become involved in an activity, discussion, or disagreement, sometimes in order to stop trouble 介入；干涉；插手

e.g. An outside buyer has stepped in to save the company from going out of business.

The invincible power of choice

1 I stared, wide-eyed, at the piece of paper in my hands. I was sitting in the foyer of a high-rise office building. It was dusk, and the last few people were trickling out for the evening. The piece of paper, covered with scribbled words and arrows, was the result of a 20-minute brainstorm about what I currently wanted to be doing with my life. As I looked at the paper I was struck by what wasn't on it — law school was not on the list. This got my attention because I was halfway through my first year at law school in England.

1 我瞪大眼睛盯着我手上的一张纸，此时的我正坐在一栋高层办公大楼的大厅内。天色已是黄昏，最后一拨人正缓缓走出办公楼，进入暮色中。这张布满潦草字迹和杂乱箭头的纸是我二十分钟大脑风暴的产物，我在思索现在要如何规划我的人生。看着这张纸，我惊讶地发现“它”不在上面——法学院不在列表上。这引起了我的注意，因为我已经在英格兰一所法学院读了半年。

2 I had applied to study law because of repeated advice to "keep your options open." Once I graduated, I could practice law. I could write about law. I could teach law. Or I could consult on law. The world would be my oyster, or so the argument went. Yet from almost the first moment I started studying law, instead of choosing between these options, I had simply tried to fit them all in. I would study my law books at all hours all day and read the great management thinkers in the evenings. In spare moments, I would write. It was a "straddled strategy" of attempting to invest in everything at once. The result was that while I was not entirely failing in any option I was not entirely succeeding at any either. I soon began to wonder just what was so great about all these open options.

2 我当时申请读法律专业，是因为周围人反复劝告我：“要给自己留有余地。”毕业后我可以当律师，可以写法律方面的东西，可以教法律，或者作法律咨询。世界任我遨游，至少他们的理由如此。然而，几乎从一开始学习法律，我就没有在这些方向中进行遴选，而是试图一揽包收。白天所有时间我都在读法律书籍，晚上我阅读伟大的管理思想家的著作，空闲时间我写文章。这是一个“跨式策略”，即试图同时投资所有的事情。其结果是，我虽然不是一败涂地，但也没有任何一样做得很成功。很快，我便开始怀疑这么多开放的选择有什么意义。

3 In the middle of all this existential confusion, I received a call from a friend in the United States inviting me to his wedding. He had already bought and sent the tickets! So I gratefully accepted his invitation and left England for an unexpected adventure.

3 就在这种人生困惑中，我接到了美国朋友的一个电话，邀请我去参加他的婚礼，他连机票都给我买好寄出了！所以，我满怀感激地接受了他的邀请，离开英格兰，踏上了一次始料不及的奇遇之旅。

4 While in the United States I took every opportunity to meet with teachers and writers. One such meeting was with an executive of an educational group. As I was leaving his office, he mentioned in passing, "You have abundant options. If you decide to stay in America, you should come and join us on a consultation committee. But you should make your own choice first."

4 在美国期间，我抓住每一次机会去拜见教师和作家们。其中有一次，我拜访了一家教育集团的主管。正当我准备离开他办公室的时候，他随口说了一句：“你有很多选择。如果你决定留在美国，你应该来我们的咨询委员会。但是，首先你自己应该做出决定。”

5 His words had a curious force about them. It wasn't his specific offer to join his committee; it was his assumption that I had the power of choice: "You should make your own choice." He saw it as a real necessity. This got me thinking.

5 他的这番话似乎有一种奇特的力量，并非因为他明确地邀请我加入他的委员会，而是他认为我有选择的权力：“你自己应该作出决定。”他认为这十分必要。这让我陷入了思考。

6 So I took a sheet of paper and attempted to answer the question: "If you could do only one thing with your life right now, what would you do?"

6 我便拿出一张纸，试图写下这个问题的答案：“如果你现在只能做一件改变人生的事情，你会做什么？”

7 The result was that piece of paper on which law school, as I have indicated, was not written.

7 所以才有了我方才所说的那张纸，纸上并没有写法学院。

8 Up to that point I had always known logically that I could choose not to study law. But emotionally it had never been an option. That's when I realized that in sacrificing my power to choose I had made a choice — a bad one. By refusing to choose "not law school," I had chosen law school — not because I actually or actively wanted to be there, but by default. I think that's when I first realized that when we surrender our ability to choose, something or someone else will step in to choose for us.

8 在那之前，从逻辑上讲，我一直清楚我可以不选择法律。但是从情感上说，绝不可能不读法律。就是在那个时候，我意识到，放弃选择就是作了选择，一个糟糕的选择。拒绝选择“非法学院”，我就选择了法学院，这并非因为我的确想去或者我主动地想去那里，而是默认了这个选择。我想就是在那一刻，我第一次意识到，当我们放弃选择时，别的人或事就会介入，替我们作抉择。

9 A few weeks later, I officially quit law school. I left England and moved to America to start down a path to become an author and a teacher. You're reading this now because of that choice.

9 几周后，我正式从法学院退学，离开英格兰，搬到美国，走上了作家和教师这条道路。你现在读到这篇文章，正是因为那个抉择。

10 We often think of choice as a thing. But a choice is not a thing. Our options may be things, but a choice — a choice is an action. It is not just something we have but something we do. This experience made me realize that we may not always have control over our options, but we always have control over how we choose among them.

10 我们经常将选择视为一件事，但选择不是一件事。我们的可选项可能是一件事，但选择不是，选择是行动。它不仅是我们拥有的，而且是我们所做的。这次经历使我认识到，我们也许不是一直能够控制可选项，但是始终能够控制如何在可选项中作出选择。

11 Have you ever felt stuck because you believed you did not really have a choice? Have you ever felt the stress that comes from simultaneously holding two contradictory beliefs: "I can't do this" and "I have to do this"? Have you ever given up your power to choose bit by bit until you allowed yourself to blindly follow a path set by another person?

11 你是否也曾经陷入这样的困境，因为你以为自己别无选择？你是否也曾经因为同时拥有两种自相矛盾的想法而感受到压力，比如“我不能做这个”和“我必须做这个”？你是否也曾经渐渐放弃选择的能力，直到有一天你听任自己沿着别人为你铺设的那条路盲目地走下去？

12 If so, you are not alone.

12 如果是，那么，并非只有你如此。