双语有声阅读：面对挑战，勇于对自己说我可以

 I love challenging myself. I like to set a goal that seems difficult or even impossible and then do everything I can to reach that goal. It's not always easy, and sometimes I don't reach the goal -- heck, sometimes I don't come anywhere close to reaching it -- but it's still something that I love to do. Sometimes the challenges I take on are physical, such as running a very long distance, and sometimes they're more mental, such as writing a book. Sometimes they're very abstract¹, such as trying to deal with my fear of heights or my uneasiness² in crowds. But no matter what kind they are, I feel fortunate that I'm able to identify challenges and then take them on.

我喜欢挑战自己，我喜欢设定看似难以完成甚至不可能实现的目标，然后尽一切努力达到这一目标。这件事不总是容易做到，有时我达不到目标——管他呢，有时与目标还相差甚远——但这仍然是我喜欢做的。有时我迎接的挑战是身体方面的，比如说长跑；有时更多的是精神上的，比如说写一本书；有时非常抽象，比如说努力摆脱恐高或人多时的不安。但无论是什么挑战，我都感觉很幸运能够认清挑战，然后迎接挑战。

I actually meet many of them. I've run one hundred miles in 26 hours, I've written a few novels, and I've done some other things that I didn't think I could do at first. Nowadays, though, after taking on so many challenges, I never really feel that something is impossible -- I pretty much know that anything is possible with the right attitude and enough effort. That's not to say that nowadays I meet every challenge successfully, because I don't. I just don't start out by thinking that I can't do it.

我确实完成过很多挑战，我曾用26小时跑了一百英里，写过几篇小说，还做过一些其他起初以为自己做不到的事情。然而现在，接受过如此多挑战之后，我永远不会感觉有什么是不可能的——我大体上知道，只要态度正确，而且足够努力的话，一切皆有可能。我不是说我现在能成功地应对一切挑战，因为我做不到。我只是不会在做事之前就觉得自己不行。

And I've learned³ that my attitude towards a challenge is one of the most important keys to meeting it. If I see a challenge ahead and I'm overwhelmed⁴ or intimidated⁵, then the chances are very good that I won't be successful in meeting it.

我学会了面对挑战的态度是应对挑战最关键的因素之一。如果我看到面前有挑战，就不知所措或者被吓倒了，那应对挑战时很有可能会失败。

If, on the other hand, I see a challenge and immediately start thinking of different ways that I might be able to meet it, the chances are good that I shall meet it successfully.

相反，如果我看到了挑战，马上换个思路，认为自己有能力应对挑战，那我最终很有可能会成功。

1 abstract   

adj.抽象的；n.摘要，梗概；vt.提取；摘录要点

参考例句：

• He is an abstract painter.他是一个抽象派画家。
• He made an abstract of a long article.他对一篇长文章做了摘要。

2 uneasiness   

n.不安，担忧，不自在

参考例句：

• Doctors often sense uneasiness in the people they deal with.医生常常会觉察到病人的不安情绪。
• He felt a species of uneasiness.他有一种不安的感觉。

3 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

4 overwhelmed   

[ overwhelm ]的过去式

参考例句：

• She was overwhelmed by feelings of guilt. 她感到愧疚难当。
• If (one was) overwhelmed by passion, it could lead to serious blunders. 当感情完全淹没理智时，就可能铸成大错。

5 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》