08　Learn From Failure從失敗中學習

Why are so many people so afraid of failure?Quite simply because no one tells us how to fail so that failure becomes an experience that will lead to growth. We forget that failure is part of the human condition and that every person has the right to fail.

為什么這么多人害怕失敗呢？原因很簡單，從沒有人告訴我們如何失敗，并且失敗是成長過程中必須經歷的。我們忘了，失敗是人類生存條件的一部分，每個人都有與失敗斗爭的經歷。

Most parents work hard at either preventing failure or protecting their children from the knowledge that they have failed. One way is to lower standards.A mother describes her child's hurriedly-made table as“perfect”！Even though it couldn't stand on uneven（not same in height）legs.Another way is to shift blame.If John fails in science, his teacher is unfair or stupid.

許多父母都努力工作，或許是為了避免失敗，或許是為了不讓自己的孩子知道他們曾經失敗過。有一種辦法是降低標準。一位母親說自己孩子匆匆做成的桌子是“完美的”，哪怕這張桌子由于不均衡桌腳的支撐正搖搖欲墜。另一種辦法是“嫁禍”，如果約翰考試沒過，那他父母就會認為他的老師是不公平的或愚蠢的。

The trouble with failure-prevention methods is that they leave a child unequipped for life in the real world. The young need to learn that no one can be best at everything, that no one can win all the time and that it's possible to enjoy a game even when you don't win.A child who's not invited to a birthday party, who doesn't make the honor roll or the baseball team feel terrible, of course.But parents should not offer a quick comfort prize or say“It doesn't matter”because it does.The young should be allowed to experience disappointment and be helped to master it.

這些防止失敗的策略所帶來的麻煩是，他們沒能使孩子在這個真實的世界里做好獨立生活的準備。年輕人需要知道，沒有誰能在各方面都做到最好，沒有誰總能獲勝，即使你沒有獲勝，你也可以享受這場比賽。一個沒有收到生日宴會邀請，沒有上光榮榜或者棒球隊的孩子，必然會感到很沮喪。父母不應該給他們一個快速安慰獎勵，或者是在事實上并不是沒關系的情況下說“這都沒關系的”。應該允許年輕人經歷失望，并且幫助他們控制它。

Failure is never pleasurable. It hurts grown-ups and children exactly alike.But it can make a positive contribution to your life once you learn to use it.Step one is to ask“Why did I fail?”Control the natural impulse to blame someone else.Ask yourself what you did wrong, and how you can improve.If someone else can help, don't be shy about asking them.Success, which encourages repetition of old behavior, is not nearly as good a teacher as failure.You can learn from a bad party how to give a good one, from an ill-chosen first house what to look for in a second.Even a failure that seems definitive can cause fresh thinking, a change of direction.After twelve years of studying ballet, a friend of mine applied for a professional company.She was turned down.“Would further traning help?”She asked.That ballet master shook his head.“You will never be a dancer，”he said，“you haven't the body for it.”

失敗不可能使人愉快。它會傷害到成年人，同樣也會傷害到孩子。但是，一旦你學會運用它，它就能對你的生活有積極的貢獻。第一步是問：“為什么我會失敗？”不要受到本性沖動的影響去責備他人。問問自己到底做錯了什么，如何才能改進。如果有人幫助你，就不要羞于請教。成功，會激發人們重復自己的行為，根本不會比失敗更讓人受益良多。你可以從一場糟糕的宴會上學會如何辦一場成功的宴會。從第一次失敗的選房經歷中學會如何尋找第二個。明確的失敗甚至會讓人涌現出新的想法，改變方向。我的一個朋友在學了12年芭蕾舞之后去了一家專業公司進行面試。她被拒絕了。“我還需要進一步接受培訓嗎？”她問。芭蕾舞教練搖搖頭。“你不可能成為一名舞蹈演員，”他說，“你不是塊跳芭蕾舞的料。”

In such cases, the way to use failure is to take stock bravely asking“What have I left?What else can I do?”My friend put away her shoes and moved into dance treatment center, a field where she's both able and useful. Failure frees one to take risks because there's less to lose.Often there is recovery of energy—a way to find new possibilities.

在這樣的情況下，利用失敗的方法是勇敢地進行自我總結，問問：“我還剩下什么？我還可以做什么？”我的朋友收好了她的芭蕾舞鞋，然后轉而從事舞蹈治療，這是一個對她來說很在行也很實用的領域。失敗可以讓人不必再去冒險，因為失敗的人幾乎沒有什么可以再失去的了。通常，失敗還會讓人精力復蘇，認識到一些新的可能性。

單詞解析　Word Analysis

growth[gr??θ]n.生長；增長

例　A steady growth in the popularity of two smaller parties may upset the polls.

兩個較小政黨的支持率穩步上升，可能會打亂投票結果。

knowledge[?n?l?d?]n.了解，理解；知識

例　She told Parliament she had no knowledge of the affair.

她告訴議會她對此事并不知情。

hurriedly[?h?r?dl?]adv.倉促地，匆忙地

例　He tramped hurriedly round the lake towards the garden.

他匆匆地邁著沉重的步伐繞過湖邊向花園走去。

uneven[?n?i：vn]adj.不平的，一長一短的

例　What kids experience now is an uneven rate of development.They are forced to be older than their years.

小孩子現在的問題是成長速度不均衡。他們被迫變得比自己的實際年齡老成。

unfair[??n?fe?（r）]adj.不公正的，不公平的

例　The American plane makers continue to accuse Airbus of unfair competition.

美國飛機制造商繼續指控空中客車公司不正當競爭。

failure-prevention[?fe?lj?（r）-pr??ven?n]故障預防

unequipped[??n?'kw?pt]adj.未配備所需物品的，無準備的

例　The trouble with failure-prevention devices is that they leave a child unequipped for life in the real world.

這種防止失敗的策略的問題是使孩子們對現實的世界毫無準備。

baseball[?be?sb?：l]n.棒球；[體]棒球運動

例　They were beaten to death with baseball bats.

他們被人用棒球棒打死了。

master[?mɑ：st?（r）]vt.精通，熟練；征服

例　Jackson remained calm and always master of his passions.

杰克遜鎮定自若，始終克制著情緒。

pleasurable[?ple??r?bl]adj.令人快樂的，愉快的，舒適的

例　The most pleasurable experience of the evening was the wonderful fireworks display.

這個晚上最讓人高興的就是精彩的焰火表演。

contribution[?k?ntr??bju：?n]n.貢獻，捐贈，捐助

例　American economists have made important contributions to the field of financial and corporate economics.

美國的經濟學家們在金融和企業經濟學領域做出了重要的貢獻。

impulse[??mp?ls]n.憑沖動行事；突如其來的念頭

例　Unable to resist the impulse, he glanced at the sea again.

他抑制不住沖動，又向海面瞥了一眼。

語法知識點　Grammar Points

①Quite simply because no one tells us how to fail so that failure becomes an experience that will lead to growth.

本句中because引導原因狀語從句，so that引導結果狀語從句，最后一個that引導定語從句，先行詞an experience在從句中做主語；lead to表示“導致，通向”。

例　A lack of prudence may lead to financial problems.

不夠謹慎可能會導致財政上出現問題。

so that　主要引導兩種從句：目的狀語從句和結果狀語從句。

例　My old father began to study computer at the age of sixty so that he might keep up with times.

父親六十歲時才開始學習電腦，以便跟上時代。（目的狀語從句）

She had not planned her time well, so that she did not finish her homework on time.

她沒把時間計劃好，所以沒按時完成家庭作業。（結果狀語從句）

②Most parents work hard at either preventing failure or protecting their children from the knowledge that they have failed.

本句中　either……or……表示“要么……要么……”；protect sb.from　表示“保護某人免于”。

例　They gave money to the Conservative Party either personally or through their companies.

他們要么以個人名義要么通過他們的公司捐錢給了保守黨。

The most important trees were tagged to protect them from being damaged by construction machinery.

最珍貴的樹木都被貼上了標簽，以防被建筑機械毀壞。

③A child who’s not invited to a birthday party, who doesn’t make the honor roll or the baseball team feel terrible, of course.

本句較長，分析出句子的主干A child feel terrible，句中兩個who均引導定語從句，先行詞在從句中做主語。

④But it can make a positive contribution to your life once you learn to use it.

本句中，once為連詞，引導條件狀語從句；once引導的從句不能用將來時，如果謂語動詞是將來發生的動作，動詞常用一般現在時來代替將來時。

例　Once you begin, you must go on.

一旦開了頭，就應該繼續下去。

Once you see the film, you will never forget it.

一旦你看了這部電影，你將永遠不會忘記。

make contribution to　表示“為……做出貢獻”。

例　I think this will make contribution to our Jilin educational reform.

我想這對我們吉林的教育改革將會有很大貢獻。

Let's work hard to make contribution to our country in the future.

讓我們努力工作，為我們的國家做出更大的貢獻。

經典名句　Famous Classics

1.A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.

一個人可以失敗很多次，但是只要他沒有開始責怪旁人，他還不是一個失敗者。

2.If you have great talents, industry will improve them；if you have but moderate abilities, industry will supply their deficiency.

如果你很有天賦，勤勉會使其更加完善；如果你能力一般，勤勉會補足其缺陷。

3.Few things are impossible in themselves；and it is often for want of will, rather than of means, that man fails to succeed.

事情很少有根本做不成的；其所以做不成，與其說是條件不夠，不如說是由于決心不夠。

4.Dare and the world always yields.If it beats you sometimes, dare it again and again and it will succumb.

大膽挑戰，世界總會讓步。如果有時候你被它打敗了，不斷地挑戰，它總會屈服。

5.Ideal are like the stars—we never reach them, but like mariners, we chart our course by them.

理想猶如天上的星星，我們猶如水手，雖不能達到天上，但是我們的航程可憑借它指引。

6.Health is certainly more valuable than money, because it is by health that money is procured.

健康當然比金錢更為重要，因為擁有了健康我們才能獲得金錢。