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第12章 You Never Really Lose Your Value 人们绝不会失去自己的价值

Anonymous

心灵寄语

你所珍视的价值绝不会受世间纷乱的干扰,它是你一生的依靠。当我们沮丧、气馁、懊恼时,不要忘记自己的信念。相信自己绝不会失去自己所珍视的价值。

A well—known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200,he asked,“What is this piece of paper?Is it worth anything?”

“It is a $20 bill, cashable in international and national markets for it"s quoted value.”replied one of the many participants who raised their hands.

He proceeded to crumple1 the dollar bill up using both his hands till it became a bundle of wrinkled paper.

He then unfolded it again and made an unsuccessful attempt to keep it straight he asked,“Would you still be able to negotiate it for it"s quoted value?”

“Yes!”was the echoing reply from the participants.

“Well,”he said,“Looks like I haven"t done enough!What if I do this?”And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind2 it onto the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, which was now all crumpled3,dirty, defaced and not easy to recognise from a distance.

“Now will someone like to trade it for its quoted value?”Many hands went in the air.

“I think this piece of currency is still holding its quoted value,”replied a participant in a slightly unsure voice.

“This bill can still fetch4 goods worth 20 Dollars,”said the other participants. Everyone agreed.

“My friends, there is a very valuable lesson in this exercise that we are just going through with. It may have appeared to some of you, that I was able to reshape, deface, mutilate5 and alter the $20 bill during the process as the effects were quite visible.”

“However, no matter what I did to this piece of paper, you still upheld its negotiability6 because you were sure in your mind that my actions did not actually decrease its value. It was still a currency note worth $20.”

“Many times in our lives, we feel like as if we were dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and/or the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. It may also appear to onlookers as if it has really happened to certain extent. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, please remember you never lose your"Value".”

佚名

在一场学术讨论会开始时,一位著名的演讲者手里举着一张20美元的钞票。他问在场的200位听众:“这张纸是什么?它有什么价值吗?”

“它是20美元的钞票,在国内和国际市场上都能按照它的面值进行等价交换。”其中一位与会者举手答道。

接着,演讲者开始用双手揉搓那张美钞,直到它成了一团皱巴巴的纸。

他又把那张钞票展开,试图把它变得平整些,但是已经不可能恢复原貌了。他又问道:“现在你们还能把它按照面值进行等价交换吗?”

“能!”与会者异口同声地回答。

“噢,”他说,“看来我做得还不够啊!如果这样呢?”接着他把钞票扔在地上,踩上去用鞋用力地碾。然后把钞票捡起来,现在这张钞票已经皱得不像样了,脏兮兮的,面目全非,从远处看很难辨认出是什么了。

“现在还有人愿意以它的面值跟我进行等价交换吗?”还是有很多人举起了手。

“我觉得这张钞票仍然保留着它的票面价值,”一位听众不太肯定地回答道。

“这张钞票还是能换来价值20美元的东西的,”另一位听众说。大家纷纷表示赞同。

“我的朋友们,在我们刚刚所做的练习中蕴涵着一个非常有价值的道理。可能你们当中的一些人已经发现了,刚才我能够把这张20美元钞票弄变形,使它面目全非、残缺、走样,效果十分明显。”

“然而,不论我对这张钞票做了什么,你们始终坚持说它还具有可流通性。那是因为,你们非常确定我所做的一切并没有真正地使这张钞票贬值。它仍然是一张现金钞票,价值20美元。”

“在我们的一生中,有很多时候,在我们做出决定后或种种境况下,会觉得自己好像是被扔在地上,揉成一团,在脏兮兮的地上被碾来碾去。我们感觉自己好像毫无价值。可能在某种程度上,对旁观者来说,事情好像的确如此。但是,不论以前发生过什么,也不管以后会如何,请记住,你永远没有失去自己的‘价值’。”

词汇空间 ocabulary

1.crumple v. 把……弄皱

2.grind v. 碾(碎)

3.crumpled adj.摺皱的,弄皱的

4.fetch v.(去)拿来

5.mutilate v. 使残缺不全

6.negotiability n. 可流通性

文化链接 Culture Background

美元

美元是美利坚合众国的官方货币。目前流通的美元纸币是自1929年以来发行的各版钞票。1792年美国铸币法案通过后出现。它同时也作为储备货币在美国以外的国家广泛使用。当前美元的发行是由美国联邦储备系统控制。从1913年起美国建立联邦储备制度,发行联邦储备券。现行流通的钞票中99%以上为联邦储备券。美元的发行主管部门是国会,具体发行业务由联邦储备银行负责办理。美元是外汇交换中的基础货币,也是国际支付和外汇交易中的主要货币,在国际外汇市场中占有非常重要的地位。

妙语拾珠

1.Many times in our lives, we feel like as if we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and/or the circumstances that come our way.

在我们的一生中,有很多时候,在我们所做的决定后或种种境况下,会觉得自己好像是被扔在地上,揉成一团,在脏兮兮的地上被碾来碾去。我们感觉自己好像毫无价值。

2.But no matter what has happened or what will happen, please remember you never lose your"Value".

但是,不论以前发生过什么,也不管以后会如何,请记住,你永远没有失去自己的‘价值’。