书城外语当英语成为时尚:生活全由你创造
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第23章 Act at Once 立即行动

Anonymous

心灵寄语

当我们整日哀哀怨怨,抱怨命运的不公时;当我们仍旧沉溺于懒惰之中时,有没有想过生命在于行动?我们不应该沉溺于抱怨、叹息,怨天尤人,时时感觉一切都不可能。我们必须立刻行动,朝着梦想的方向奔跑。

My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals are impossible. All are of no value unless they are followed by action.

Never has there been a map, however carefully executed to detail and scale, which carried its owner over even one inch of ground. Never has there been a parchment1 of law, however fair, which prevented one crime. Action alone, is the tinder2 which ignites3 the map, the parchment, my dreams, my plans, my goals, into a living force. Action is the food and drink which will nourish my success.

My procrastination4 which has held me back was born of fear and now I recognize this secret mined from the depths of all courageous hearts. Now I know that to conquer fear I must always act without hesitation and the flutters5 in my heart will vanish. Now I know that action reduces the lion of terror to an ant of equanimity6.

Henceforth, I will remember the lesson of firefly7 who gives off its light only when it is on the wing, only when it is in action. I will become a firefly and even in the day my glow8 will be seen in spite of the sun. Let others be as butterflies who preen9 their wings yet depend on the charity of a flower for life. I will be as the firefly and my light will brighten the world.

I will not avoid the tasks of today and charge them to tomorrow for I know that tomorrow never comes. Let me act now even though my actions may not bring happiness or success for it is better to act and fail than not be act and flounder10. Happiness, in truth, may not be the fruit plucked11 by my action yet without action all fruit will die on the vine.

I will act now. Henceforth, I will repeat these words again and agian, each hour, each day, until the words become as much as a habit as my breathing and the actions which follow become as instinctive as the blinking of my eyelids. With these words I can condition my mind to perform every act neccessary for my success. With these words I can condition my mind to meet every challenge which the failure avoids.

I will repeat these words, again and agian and agian. When I awake I will say them and leap from my cot while the failure sleeps yet another hour.

For now is all I have. Tomorrow is the day reserved for the labor of the lazy. I am not lazy. Tomorrow is the day when the evil become good. I am not evil. Tomorrow is the day when the weak become strong. I am not weak. Tomorrow is the day when the failure will succeed. I am not a failure.

When the lion is hungry he eats. When the eagle has thirst he drinks. Lest they act, both will perish. I hunger for success. I thirst for happiness and peace of mind. Lest I act I will perish in a life of failure, misery, and sleepless night.

Success will not wait. If I delay she will become betrothed12 to another and lost to me forever. This is the time. This is the place. I am the man.

佚名

我的梦想一文不值,我的计划渺如粉尘,我的目标虚无缥缈。除非我付诸行动,不然这一切都毫无意义。

不论一张地图有多么详细的标注和多么精确的比例,它也决不可能带着它的主人离开大地一寸。不论一部法律有多么正,也决不可能真正地制止犯罪的发生。只有实际行动才是点燃现实的导火线,唯有行动才能使地图、法律公文、我的梦想、计划和目标付诸实践。行动正如食物和水一样,为我的成功提供保障。

令我难以进步的是拖延这个坏毛病。如今,我领悟到了从所有勇敢的人内心深处挖掘出的一个秘密,那就是拖延源自于恐惧。现在我明白,要克服恐惧,必须毫不犹豫地立即行动,只有这样才能平定心中的慌乱。现在我明白,行动可将面对狮子时的恐惧,减缓为看到蚂蚁时的平静。

从此以后,我将牢记萤火虫给我的启发,它们只有在振翅飞翔的时候,只有在行动的时候,才能发出光亮。我要做一只萤火虫,即使阳光炽烈,我仍然要发光发亮。让别人像蝴蝶一样精心装扮着自己的翅膀,却靠吸取花朵的精华而生存。而我要做一只萤火虫,我的光芒将点亮整个世界。

我不会逃避今天的重担,把它们留给明天,因为我深谙明日复明日的道理。就算我的行动不会带来幸福或成功,我也要现在就行动!因为行动后的失败总比漫无目标的生活好。幸福,事实上,也许不是我行动的胜利果实,但是假若不行动,所有的果实只会在藤上腐烂。

我会立即行动。从今往后,我会把这句话一遍又一遍,每时每刻地反复诵读,直到这几个字像呼吸一样成为习惯,让行动像眨眼睛一样成为本能。这句话能让我调节好心态,为获取成功而踏踏实实地走好每一步。失败者对挑战避而远之,而这句话能让我调节好心态,迎接每一次的挑战。

我将不间断地重复这句话,在清晨醒来时,我会默诵这句话,一跃而起,而懒惰的失败者只会迟迟不起。

我所拥有的一切就是现在。明天是留给懒惰者的,而我并不懒惰;明天是弃恶扬善的日子,而我并不邪恶;明天是弱者变得强大的日子,而我并不软弱;明日是失败者成功的日子,而我绝非失败者。

狮饥则食,鹰渴即饮。假若不行动,它们都只有死路一条。我渴望成功、渴求幸福以及心灵的平静。假若不行动,我只会在饱尝失败、悲伤和不眠之夜的痛苦后终结一生。

成功不会在那里等着你的到来。如果我拖延,她就会投入别人的怀抱,我将永远失去她。就在此刻、此地行动!我就是那个成功的人。

词汇空间 ocabulary

1.parchment n. 羊皮纸,印在上等纸上的正式文字

2.tinder n. 导火线

3.ignite v. 点燃,引发

4.procrastination n. 延迟,拖延

5.flutter n. 紧张,慌乱,激动不安

6.equanimity n. 平和,镇定

7.firefly n. 萤火虫

8.glow n. 光亮,光辉

9.preen v. 用嘴整理羽毛

10.flounder v. 漫无目的

11.pluck v. 采,摘

12.betrothed adj. 同某人订婚

文化链接 Culture Background

萤火虫

萤火虫是鞘翅目萤科昆虫的通称。全世界约2000种,分布于热带、亚热带和温带地区。根据中国几位专家统计发现的种类约有100余种,再加上未发现的种类,总共有150多种。小至中型,长而扁平,体壁与鞘翅柔软。前胸背板平坦,常盖住头部。头狭小。眼半圆球形,雄性的眼常大于雌性。腹部7~8节,末端下方有发光器,能发黄绿色光。萤火虫夜间活动,卵、幼虫和蛹也往往能发光,成虫的发光有引诱异性的作用。幼虫捕食蜗牛和小昆虫,喜栖于潮湿温暖草木繁盛的地方。成虫仅仅进食一些露水或花粉等。科学家研究表明,也有一种萤火虫,是要靠吃掉雄性萤火虫来繁衍并且保护后代生存的。这种“致命情人”目前还没有在中国发现,它们大多生活在北美。它们不像中国的萤火虫成虫那样,一生不取食,或者仅仅食用花粉及露水等,它们是标准的捕食昆虫。这种萤火虫可通过模仿其他种类萤火虫的雌性闪光来“引诱”雄性,等雄性萤火虫以为自己的求爱得到应答,赶来幽会时,就会被对方吃掉。

妙语拾珠

1.Now I know that to conquer fear I must always act without hesitation and the flutters in my heart will vanish. Now I know that action reduces the lion of terror to an ant of equanimity.

现在我明白,要克服恐惧,必须毫不犹豫地立即行动,只有这样才能平定心中的慌乱。现在我明白,行动可将面对狮子时的恐惧,减缓为看到蚂蚁时的平静。

2.When the lion is hungry he eats. When the eagle has thirst he drinks. Lest they act, both will perish. I hunger for success. I thirst for happiness and peace of mind.

狮饥则食,鹰渴即饮。假若不行动,它们都只有死路一条。我渴望成功、渴求幸福以及心灵的平静。