书城外语每天都是精彩:英语诵读美文240篇(英汉对照)
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第144章

Too Much Talk,Not Enough Action

Guidance for Reciting

oo many of us spend too much of our life stuffing around,not doing the things we know we should. We talk about what we want and how we're going to get it. We just never seem to do it. We talk ourselves into inactivity. We continue to find new and interesting reasons for not changing. We delude ourselves into believing we'll do it soon,but for some very logical reason(of course)now is never the time. We know we're full of it. Those closest to us know it,but we get pretty good at living a lie.

We avoid change because we are fearful. At the same time,we never do anything to get strong. Ironically,it's the change process(the one we avoid)that makes us strong. We're smart,informed,and have done the whole self-help thing,but when it comes to us we're perpetually treading water and spinning our wheels.

Notes

1.stuff [stQf] v.填满,塞满

2.delude [di5lu:d] v.迷惑,蛊惑

3.perpetually [pE5petFuEli] ad.持久地,没完没了地

语言的巨人,行动的矮子

诵读导言

行胜于言,所以与其挂在嘴上,不如落实在行动上。

我们中太多的人都将太多的生命浪费在饱食终日、不务正业上。我们谈论着我们的目标,谈论着怎么去实现它,可就是不付诸实践。我们说服自己不去行动,继续寻找一些新颖而有趣的理由来拒绝改变。我们骗得自己相信不久我们就会行动起来,可出于一些特别合乎逻辑的理由(这是当然的),又相信眼下绝不是行动的时候。我们知道自己满嘴谎言,那些和我们最亲近的人们也知道,然而我们还是在谎言中生活得心安理得。

我们逃避改变,是出于恐惧。与此同时,我们从不做任何事让自己变得强大。具有讽刺意味的是,正是我们所逃避的改变过程让我们变得强大。我们机智聪慧,见识广博,对于如何自助自强了若指掌,可当轮到自己时,却总是犹犹豫豫,空谈不做。

口语点津

文中出现了两个习惯用语:to tread water 和to spin one's wheels,二者含义差不多。前者的本来意思是“踩水”,后来衍生出“徒劳无益”的意思;后者用来形容一个人花了精力,采取了行动,但是令他非常懊丧的是,他的行动毫无成果。“to spin”的意思是“转动”。