01　Adrift逆境求生

In 1982，Steven Callahan was crossing the Atlantic alone in his sailboat when it struck something and sank. He was floating in a life raft, alone.When three fishermen found him seventy-six days later（the longest anyone has survived a shipwreck on a life raft alone），he was still alive.

1982年，史蒂文·卡拉漢乘船獨(dú)自穿越大西洋的時(shí)候，帆船因撞擊沉了。他依靠救生筏在海面上漂浮著。七十六天之后，當(dāng)三個(gè)漁夫發(fā)現(xiàn)他的時(shí)候，他還活著（這是在船只失事中個(gè)人依靠救生筏最后獲救的最長時(shí)間紀(jì)錄）。

His account of how he survived is fascinating. But the thing that caught my eye was how he managed to keep himself going when all hope seemed lost, when there seemed no point in continuing the struggle, when he was suffering greatly, when his life raft was punctured and after more than a week struggling with his weak body to fix it, it was still leaking air.Giving up would have seemed the only sane option.

關(guān)于自己是如何幸存下來的，他的說法很有意思。但是最引我注意的是，當(dāng)所有的希望全部破滅，當(dāng)沒有理由再繼續(xù)堅(jiān)持，當(dāng)他遭受那么大的痛苦，當(dāng)他拖著虛弱的身體在一周多時(shí)間里還沒能修好漏氣的救生筏時(shí)，他是如何堅(jiān)持下來的。看上去放棄才是唯一明智的選擇。

When people survive these kinds of circumstances, they do something with their minds that gives them the courage to keep going. Many people in similarly desperate circumstances give in or go mad.Something the survivors do with their thoughts helps them find the guts to carry on in spite of overwhelming odds.

從這種環(huán)境中幸存下來的人，他們的毅力和信念鼓勵(lì)他們繼續(xù)堅(jiān)持。在這種令人絕望的環(huán)境中，很多人都屈服了或者發(fā)瘋了。但是幸存者的毅力和信念讓他們滿懷勇氣，即使面對(duì)無法抗拒的趨勢(shì)也要堅(jiān)持下去。

“I tell myself I can handle it，”wrote Callahan in his narrative.“Compared to what others have been through, I'm fortunate. I tell myself these things over and over, building up fortitude……”I wrote that down after I read it.It struck me as something important.And I told myself the same thing when my own goals seemed far off or when my problems seemed too overwhelming.And every time I've said it, I have always come back to my senses.

卡拉漢在他的敘述中寫道：“我告訴自己我可以的。與那些經(jīng)歷災(zāi)難的人相比，我是幸運(yùn)的。我一遍遍地告訴自己，以此來建立信念。”我讀完這些話后就寫了下來。這些話深深地震撼了我。當(dāng)我的目標(biāo)看起來非常遙遠(yuǎn)的時(shí)候，或者當(dāng)我面臨的困難難以抗拒的時(shí)候，我也曾告訴自己這些。每一次我這樣說的時(shí)候，我總會(huì)重新回到理智的狀態(tài)中。

The truth is our circumstances are only bad compared to something better. But others have been through much worse.I've read enough history to know you and I are lucky to be where we are, when we are, no matter how bad it seems to us compared to our fantasies.It's a sane thought and worth thinking.

確實(shí)，我們身處的環(huán)境總是跟好的比起來才顯得非常糟糕。但是總是有一些人經(jīng)歷著更加糟糕的事情。我讀過很多歷史資料，明白了無論現(xiàn)實(shí)跟幻想比起來有多殘酷，其實(shí)我們都很幸運(yùn)，處在這個(gè)時(shí)代、做自己本身這個(gè)人。這個(gè)觀點(diǎn)非常明智，也很令人深思。

So whatever you're going through, tell yourself you can handle it. Compared to what others have been through, you're fortunate.Tell this to yourself over and over, and it will help you get through the rough spots with a little more fortitude.

所以，無論你將要經(jīng)歷什么困境，告訴自己你可以的。與其他人經(jīng)歷的那些相比，你是幸運(yùn)的。不斷這樣告誡自己，這會(huì)幫你增添毅力，克服困境。

單詞解析　Word Analysis

life raft n.救生筏

例　The life raft was buoyed up by two airtight oil drums.

救生筏是用兩只密封的油桶浮起來的。

shipwreck[???prek]n.遇難船；海難；船只失事

例　The whole family perished in a shipwreck.

這一家人在一次海難中全部喪生。

puncture[?p??kt??r]v.刺穿；削弱

例　Our tires do not puncture easily.

我們的輪胎不易爆破。

guts[g?ts]n.內(nèi)臟；勇氣（只用復(fù)數(shù)）

例　It takes a lot of guts to do so.

你這樣做很需要勇氣。

odds[ɑ?dz]n.概率；可能性；差別；投注賠率；讓步；優(yōu)勢(shì)

例　His odds are very poor after he sprained his wrist.

他扭傷了手腕，獲勝的可能性極小。

narrative[?n?r?t?v]n.故事；敘述

例　His adventure made an interesting narrative.

他的冒險(xiǎn)是個(gè)有趣的故事。

fortitude[?f??rt?tu?d]n.剛毅；堅(jiān)毅；不屈不撓

例　I know that my body lacks the fortitude and courage of a strapping young man, and that I cannot find my niche in life.

我知道我身上缺少一個(gè)男子漢所應(yīng)該有的剛毅和果敢，頂不起一片天空。

fantasy[?f?nt?si]n.幻想

例　He is unable to divorce fantasy from reality.

他不能將幻想與現(xiàn)實(shí)分開。

語法知識(shí)點(diǎn)　Grammar Points

①In　1982，Steven Callahan was crossing the Atlantic alone in his sailboat when it struck something and sank.

這個(gè)句子中有一結(jié)構(gòu)“sb.be doing when……”，表示“當(dāng)……的時(shí)候發(fā)生了……”。

例　I was doing my homework when Mary called me.

當(dāng)我做作業(yè)的時(shí)候，瑪麗打電話給我。

②But the thing that caught my eye was how he managed to keep himself going when all hope seemed lost, when there seemed no point in continuing the struggle, when he was suffering greatly, when his life raft was punctured and after more than a week struggling with his weak body to fix it, it was still leaking air.

這個(gè)句子比較長，讓我們逐步分析。第一個(gè)that引導(dǎo)的是定語從句，先行詞是thing, that在從句中做主語。catch one’s eye是固定搭配，表示“吸引某人注意力”，注意eye要用單數(shù)。was后面是how引導(dǎo)的表語從句。這里有兩個(gè)固定搭配：1.manage to do sth.設(shè)法成功做某事。2.keep sb.doing　讓某人一直做某事。

例　Disguising himself as an old man, he managed to make his way through the enemy lines.

他化裝成一個(gè)老頭兒，設(shè)法通過了敵人的封鎖線。

The police keep the traffic moving.

警察使交通暢通無阻。

后面是四個(gè)由when引導(dǎo)的時(shí)間狀語從句。其中，第二個(gè)從句里有一個(gè)句型是“there be/seems/seemed no point in doing sth.”，表示“沒有理由做某事，做某事沒用”。最后一句中，注意單詞leak的用法。leak的基本含義是“漏”，指由于包裝破損或沒有妥善包裝而引起內(nèi)部物質(zhì)的外泄，通常是指液體或氣體，引申可指新聞或秘密等。leak可做及物動(dòng)詞，也可做不及物動(dòng)詞。用做及物動(dòng)詞時(shí)，后接名詞做賓語。

③I’ve read enough history to know you and I are lucky to be where we are, when we are, no matter how bad it seems to us compared to our fantasies.

句中no matter how就相當(dāng)于however，后面引導(dǎo)的是讓步狀語從句。

例　No matter how hard he may try, he will not succeed.

不管他怎么努力去干都不會(huì)成功的。

No matter how many prototypes we make, we just cannot get it right.

不管做多少次樣品，我們都無法滿意。

還要注意compare的用法。句中是“compare to”，意思是“同……相比”，一般用于兩個(gè)不同性質(zhì)的事物比較。而compare with的意思是“把……跟……比較”，一般用于兩個(gè)同類事物之間，著重區(qū)別。

例　We may well compare the little girl to a kitten.

我們可能把這個(gè)小姑娘比作小貓來看待。

She compares me with my sister.

她把我和我妹妹進(jìn)行比較。

經(jīng)典名句　Famous Classics

1.Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles, it empties today of its strength.

憂慮不會(huì)消除明天的麻煩，只會(huì)消除今天的力氣。

2.As selfishness and complaint cloud the mind, so love with its joy clears and sharpens the vision.

自私和抱怨是心靈的陰暗，愉快的愛則使視野明朗開闊。

3.All things will come round to him who will but wait.

只要耐心肯等待，一切都會(huì)按時(shí)來。

4.Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.

忍耐是痛苦的，但它的果實(shí)是甜蜜的。

5.Zeal without knowledge is fire without light.

熱情而無知，猶如無光之火。

6.The man who has made up his mind to win will never say“impossible”.

凡是決心取得勝利的人是從來不說“不可能的”。

7.It is not the fine coat that makes the gentleman.

使人成為君子的并不是講究的衣著。