2007年NPR美国国家公共电台四月-To Thine Own Self Be True

Welcome to This I believe, an NPR series presenting the personal philosophies of remarkable¹ men and women from all walks of life. Support for NPR Podcasts comes from Visa, offering the visa signature card featuring concierge² services for travel, dinning³ and entertainment, at visasignature.com

I believe in figuring out my own way to do things.
I believe in the power of numbers.
I believe in barbecue.
Well, I believe in friendliness⁴.
I believe in mankind.
This I believe.

For our series, This I Believe, we hear today from Judith Jamison, the artistic⁵ director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Jamison grew up in Philadelphia, began dancing when she was six years old. Her father said she was so hyperactive, he thought maybe she'd dance some of it off. In 2001, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts. Here's our series curator, independent producer Jay Allison.

Judith Jamison said that from the minute she first walked into a dance class, she understood the space was sacred and precious. It is in the rehearsal⁶ studio that she most actively⁷ lives her belief. And it was in her studio on 55th Street in Manhattan that we recorded her. Here is Judith Jamison with her essay for "This I believe".

I believe that there is sanctity in the fact that we are only on this earth for a short period of time. And I believe that with that time, we'd better be doing something good. That was the last thing my father said before he died. Be good. That was it.

In my life and work, I've found that honesty comes with goodness. My mother used to say and she was quoting Shakespeare, "This above all: To thine own self be true". And in the rehearsal studio, I strive to be as true to myself as I possibly can. For me, the studio is a hallowed ground, where the realities of self and spirit are revealed. There is a sense that I'm breathing rarified air, special and pure like on Mount Everest. And in the studio, on this higher ground, we’re unified⁸ in purpose. Everyone in the room is vulnerable.

I've been a dancer, I've been a choreographer⁹. I know what it's like on both sides. The dancer surrenders to the choreographer, and the choreographer to the dancer. We shed layers of needless emotions. The camouflage¹⁰ disappears to reveal the innocence¹¹ and honesty of the child within us all, and in each other's arms when the dancer and the choreographer surrender together, anything is possible.

A dancer can have all the right physical moves, but that does not mean they'll knock your socks off. They have to find their truth in what they want to say and show us who they are as a person.

Once, I had a dancer who was a beautiful dancer with a gorgeous body. But I couldn't get him to express himself. He had to go further. He had to tell me his journey, his emotional center, but he wouldn't. One time we were in rehearsal, he had a five-minute solo. He did it once, he was breathing hard. I said do it again. The second time, he was so exhausted¹² that he had no choice. He had to go deeper. He was honest, he arrived. It was exquisite¹³.

As dancers, we need to bring our life experiences to the stage. We don't just want to thrill an audience with how many turns we can do, or how high we can jump or raise our legs. Plenty of people can do that with practice. We need to share our truth. When a performance stands out, it's not just the arms and legs that stay in your mind. What you remember is the feeling you get from the performance. And that feeling comes from the dancers' expression of self.

A good performance on stage should take the audiences on a journey where they learn something about themselves. It's about all of us. It's about reaching for perfection. And most of all, it's about honesty. I believe that to be good, as my father instructed, we must be true to ourselves.

Judith Jamison with her essay for This I believe. Jamison says she's always been a church-going person, but for her, spiritual experiences also occur when the curtain goes up. If you would like to send us an essay, or read the others' in our series, visit NPR.org. For This I believe, I'm Jay Allison.

Next Monday on Morning Edition, an essay from listener Christine Cleary of Massachusetts on her belief in the importance of memory.

This I Believe is produced for NPR by This I Believe Incorporated at Atlanta Public Media. For more essays in the series, please visit NPR.org/thisibelieve.

Support for NPR Podcasts comes from Acura featuring the all-new Turbocharged Acura RDX with available voice-activated navigation. More at Acura.com/RDX.

1 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

2 concierge   

n.管理员；门房

参考例句：

• This time the concierge was surprised to the point of bewilderment.这时候看门人惊奇到了困惑不解的地步。
• As I went into the dining-room the concierge brought me a police bulletin to fill out.我走进餐厅的时候，看门人拿来一张警察局发的表格要我填。

3 dinning   

vt.喧闹（din的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• The cries of his tormentors were still dinning in his ears. 使他痛苦的人们的叫嚣仍然在他的耳际震响。 来自辞典例句
• The meals in the artistic little dinning-room were pleasant. 在雅致的小餐厅里吃饭是一种享受。 来自辞典例句

4 friendliness   

n.友谊，亲切，亲密

参考例句：

• Behind the mask of friendliness,I know he really dislikes me.在友善的面具后面，我知道他其实并不喜欢我。
• His manner was a blend of friendliness and respect.他的态度友善且毕恭毕敬。

5 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

6 rehearsal   

n.排练，排演；练习

参考例句：

• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
• You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。

7 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

8 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

9 choreographer   

n.编舞者

参考例句：

• She is a leading professional belly dancer, choreographer, and teacher. 她既是杰出的专业肚皮舞演员，也是舞蹈设计者和老师。 来自辞典例句
• It'stands aside, my choreographer of grace, and blesses each finger and toe. 它站在一旁，我优雅的舞蹈指导，并祝福每个指尖与脚尖。 来自互联网

10 camouflage   

n./v.掩饰，伪装

参考例句：

• The white fur of the polar bear is a natural camouflage.北极熊身上的白色的浓密软毛是一种天然的伪装。
• The animal's markings provide effective camouflage.这种动物身上的斑纹是很有效的伪装。

11 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

12 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

13 exquisite   

adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的

参考例句：

• I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。
• I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。