Anonymous
心灵寄语
每人都有一个好运降临的时候，只看他能不能领受；但他若不及时注意，或竟顽强地抛开机遇，那就并非机缘或命运在作弄他，其实惟有归咎于他自己的疏懒和荒唐；我想这样的人只好抱怨自己。
——乔叟
The air we breathe is so freely available that we take it for granted. Yet without it we could not survive more than a few minutes. For the most part， the same air is available to everyone， and everyone needs it. Some people use the air to sustain1 them while they sit around and feel sorry for themselves. Others breathe in the air and use the energy it provides to make a magnificent2 life for themselves.
Opportunity is the same way. It is everywhere. Opportunity is so freely available3 that we take it for granted. Yet opportunity alone is not enough to create success. Opportunity must be seized and acted upon in order to have value. So many people are so anxious to“get in”on a“ground floor opportunity”，as if the opportunity will do all the work.
Just as you need air to breathe， you need opportunity to succeed. It takes more than just breathing in the fresh air of opportunity， however. You must make good use of that opportunity. That"s not up to the opportunity. That"s up to you. It doesn"t matter what“floor”the opportunity is on. What matters is what you do with it.
佚名
我们能够如此轻而易举地获取空气，以至于我们常将其视为理所当然。然而，一旦没有了空气，我们只能存活几分钟而已。大多数情况下，每个人都能呼吸到空气，而且人人都需要空气。对于有些人来说，呼吸空气只是为了维持自己的生命而已——他们活在碌碌无为和自怨自艾的日子里。而有的人呼吸空气是为了利用它提供的能量来为自己创造缤纷绚丽的生活。
机会也是如此，它无所不在。我们能够如此轻而易举地获得机会，以至于我们将其视为理所当然。然而单凭机会并不能创造成功。为了创造价值，我们必须紧抓机会，随机应变。许多人都渴望能“夺得先机”，想当然地以为“夺得先机”就能“拔得头筹”。
正如你的呼吸需要依靠空气一样，你的成功必须以机会的存在为前提。然而，成功靠的并不仅仅是像空气一样唾手可得的机会。你必须好好利用机会。成功并不取决于机会，而是取决于你自己。重要的并不是你在什么时候遇见机会，而是在面对机会时，你是否把握好了。
词汇空间 ocabulary
1.sustain v. 支撑，支持
2.magnificent adj. 壮丽的，伟大的
3.available adj. 可用的，可得到的
文化链接 Culture Background
关于机会的名人名言
愚蠢的行动，能使人陷于贫困；投合时机的行动，却能令人致富。——克拉克
好花盛开，就该尽先摘，慎莫待美景难再，否则一瞬间，它就要凋零萎谢，落在尘埃。——莎士比亚
善于捕捉机会者为俊杰。——歌德
机会不会上门来找；只有人去找机会。——狄更斯
机不可失，时不再来。——张九龄
人生成功的秘诀是当好机会来临时，立刻抓住它。——狄斯累利
一个人因为看到另外一种生活方式更有重大的意义，只经过半小时的考虑就甘愿抛弃一生的事业前途，这才需要很强的个性呢，贸然走出这一步，以后永不后悔，那需要的个性就更多了。——毛姆
妙语拾珠
1.Yet opportunity alone is not enough to create success. Opportunity must be seized and acted upon in order to have value.
然而单凭机会并不能创造成功。为了创造价值，我们必须紧抓机会，随机应变。
2.You must make good use of that opportunity. That"s not up to the opportunity. That"s up to you. It doesn"t matter what“floor”the opportunity is on. What matters is what you do with it.
成功并不取决于机会，而是取决于你自己。重要的并不是你在什么时候遇见机会，而是在面对机会时，你是否把握好了。