名校励志英语演讲 14:失败的额外收益和想象力的重要性

 　　You see? If all you remember in years to come is the 'gay wizard' joke, I've come out ahead of Baroness¹ Mary Warnock. Achievable goals: the first step to self improvement.

　　你们知道吗？如果在若干年后你们还仅仅记得“快乐的魔法师”这个笑话，那就证明我已经超越了男爵夫人玛丽·沃诺克。确定一个切实可行的目标——这是自我提升的第一步。

　　Actually, I have wracked my mind and heart for what I ought to say to you today. I have asked myself what I wish I had known at my own graduation, and what important lessons I have learned in the 21 years that have expired between that day and this.

　　实际上，我为今天应该给大家的讲些什么绞尽了脑汁。我曾自问，在当初自己毕业典礼上我想要知道些什么呢？从毕业典礼那天到现在的21年里我得到了什么重要的经验和教训呢？

　　I have come up with two answers. On this wonderful day when we are gathered together to celebrate your academic success, I have decided³ to talk to you about the benefits of failure. And as you stand on the threshold of what is sometimes called 'real life', I want to extol⁴ the crucial importance of imagination.

　　我想到了两个答案。今天是个美好的日子，我们欢聚一堂一起庆祝你们在学业上取得的成功。然而我决定跟你们谈谈失败的收益；同时，你们将迈入“现实生活”，所以我还要褒扬想象力的极度重要性。

　　These may seem quixotic or paradoxical choices, but please bear with me.

　　这两点似乎是不切实际或自相矛盾的选择，但请先容许我讲完。

　　Looking back at the 21-year-old that I was at graduation, is a slightly uncomfortable experience for the 42-year-old that she has become. Half my lifetime ago, I was striking an uneasy balance between the ambition I had for myself, and what those closest to me expected of me. I was convinced that the only thing I wanted to do, ever, was to write novels.

　　对于已经42岁的我来说，回忆21岁刚刚毕业时的情景并不是一件很舒服的事情。21年前，我一直都在自己的雄心和身边的人对我的期望之间寻求平衡。我一直深信，自己唯一想做的事情就是写小说。

　　wrack² one's mind and heart for

　　为......绞尽脑汁

　　eg. Bob wracked his mind and heart trying to remember where he left the book.

　　鲍勃绞尽脑汁试图回忆起书丢在何处。

　　expire

　　vt. 终止；期满

　　eg. Now her passport has expired.

　　现在她的护照已过期了。

　　on hte threshold of

　　在......快要开始的时候

　　eg. This country is on the threshold of prosperity.

　　这个国家即将进入繁荣之境。

　　extol

　　vt. 颂扬

　　eg. They extol the virtues⁵ of the peaceful life.

　　他们都称赞宁静的乡村生活的种种的优点。

　　crucial

　　adj. 关键性的

　　eg. She broke into the conversation at a crucial moment.

　　她在关键时刻打断了谈话。

　　quixotic

　　adj. 不切实际的

　　eg. At worst his scruples⁶ must have been quixotic, not malicious⁷.

　　从最坏的角度来说，他的疑虑肯定是出于一时冲动，而不含恶意。

　　paradoxical

　　adj. 矛盾的

　　eg. The result of such punishments is often paradoxical.

　　这样惩罚的结果往往适得其反。

　　bear with

　　忍受

　　eg. We have to bear with his bad temper because he is a bit frustrated⁸ these days.

　　我们不得不容忍他的坏脾气因为这些日子他有点灰心丧气。

　　strike a balance between

　　在......之间寻求平衡

　　eg. This teacher tries to strike a balance between work and play.

　　老师试图使学生们的学业和娱乐两全其美。

1 baroness   

n.男爵夫人，女男爵

参考例句：

• I'm sure the Baroness will be able to make things fine for you.我相信男爵夫人能够把家里的事替你安排妥当的。
• The baroness,who had signed,returned the pen to the notary.男爵夫人这时已签过字，把笔交回给律师。

2 wrack   

v.折磨；n.海草

参考例句：

• Periodic crises wrack the capitalist system,and they grow in size and duration.周期性的危机破坏着资本主义制度，这种危机的规模在扩大，时间在延长。
• The wrack had begun to stink as it rotted in the sun.海草残骸在阳光下腐烂，开始变臭了。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 extol   

v.赞美，颂扬

参考例句：

• We of the younger generation extol the wisdom of the great leader and educator.我们年轻一代崇拜那位伟大的引路人和教育家的智慧。
• Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. 我要天天称颂你，也要永永远远赞美你的名。

5 virtues   

美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处

参考例句：

• Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
• She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。

6 scruples   

n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• I overcame my moral scruples. 我抛开了道德方面的顾虑。
• I'm not ashamed of my scruples about your family. They were natural. 我并未因为对你家人的顾虑而感到羞耻。这种感觉是自然而然的。 来自疯狂英语突破英语语调

7 malicious   

adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的

参考例句：

• You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
• Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。

8 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》