02 Be an Optimist做一个乐观者
If you change your mind—from pessimism to optimism—you can change your life.Do you see the glass as half-full rather than half empty?Do you keep your eye upon the doughnut,or upon the hole?Suddenly these clichés are scientific questions,as researchers scrutinize the power of positive thinking.Research is proving that optimism can help you to be happier,healthier and more successful.Pessimism leads,by contrast,to hopelessness,sickness and failure,and is linked to depression,loneliness and painful shyness.If we could teach people to think more positively,it would be like inoculating them against these mental ills.
如果你能将悲观情绪转化为乐观情绪，那么你将改变自己的命运。你看到的是杯子中的半杯水，还是空着的另一半？你的眼睛盯着的是炸面包圈，还是它当中的圆洞？当研究者们详细检测积极思维的作用时，突然之间这些陈词滥调都成为了科学问题。研究证实，乐观能够让你更加快乐、更加健康、更加成功。相反，悲观则会导致无望、疾病以及挫败；其与消沉、孤独和使人痛苦的腼腆不无关系。假如我们能够教导人们更加积极地去思考，那就会像给他们注射预防这些心理疾病的疫苗。
Your habits count but the belief that you can succeed affects whether or not you will.In part,that’s because optimists and pessimists deal with the same challenges and disappointments in very different ways.When things go wrong the pessimist tends to blame himself.“I’m not good at this.”“I always fail.”He would say.But the optimist looks for loopholes.Negative or positive,it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.If people feel hopeless they don't bother to acquire the skills they need to succeed.
你的诸多习惯固然重要，但是你能够成功的信念影响着你是否真的会成功。在某种程度上讲，这是由于乐观主义者和悲观主义者以迥异的方式对待相同的挑战与失望。当出了问题之后，悲观主义者往往自我责备。他会说“我不擅长做这种事”，“我总是失败”。但是乐观主义者则寻找疏漏之处。不管是消极还是积极的想法，都是一种本身会得以实现的预言。如果人们感觉毫无希望，那么他们就不会花费力气去获得成功所需要的技能。
A sense of control is the litmus test for success.The optimist feels in control of his own life.If things are going badly,he acts quickly,looking for solutions,forming a new plan of action,and reaching out for advice.The pessimist feels like fate's plaything and moves slowly.He doesn't seek advice,since he assumes nothing can be done.Many studies suggest that the pessimist's feeling of helplessness undermines the body's natural defenses,the immune system.Research has found that the pessimist doesn't take good care of himself.Feeling passive and unable to dodge life’s blows,he expects ill health and other misfortunes,no matter what he does.He munches on junk food,avoids exercise,ignores the doctor,has another drink.
有无控制感是成功的试金石。乐观主义者感觉到能够掌握自己的命运。如果事出不利，他立即做出反应，寻求解决办法，制定新的行动计划，而且主动去请教他人。悲观主义者则感觉到自己只能任凭命运摆布，行动起来拖拖拉拉。既然认为无计可施，他便不去寻求他人的意见。许多研究显示，悲观主义者的无助感会损害人体的自然防御体系，即免疫系统。研究发现悲观主义者不会很好地照顾自己。这种人消极被动，不会避开生活中的打击，不管做什么都会担心身体不好或者其他灾祸降临。他吃着垃圾食品，逃避体育锻炼，忽视医生的劝告，总是要再贪一杯。
Most people are a mix of optimism and pessimism,but are inclined in one direction or the other.It is a pattern of thinking learned at our mothers’knees.It grows out of thousands of cautions or encouragements,negative statements or positive ones.Too many“don’t”and warnings of danger can make a child feel incompetent,fearful and pessimistic.Pessimism is a hard habit to break—but it can be done.
在大多数人身上，乐观主义和悲观主义兼而有之，但总是更加倾向于其中之一。这是在母亲膝下之时就已经形成的思维模式。它源自千万次警告或者鼓励，积极的或者消极的话语。过多的“不许”和危险警告会让一个孩子感到无能、胆怯，以至于悲观。悲观是一种很难克服的习惯——但并非不能克服。
单词解析Word Analysis
pessimism[ˈpesɪmɪzəm]n.悲观；悲观主义
例Optimism was gradually taking the place of pessimism.
乐观情绪逐渐取代了悲观主义。
optimism[ˈɒptɪmɪzəm]n.乐观；乐观主义
例Now is the time to forge ahead with all the enthusiasm and optimism that you can manage.
现在到了拿出你最大的热情和积极努力进取的时候了。
doughnut[ˈdəʊnʌt]n.炸面包圈，圈饼
例No,I’m going to the snack bar to get a doughnut and some milk.不，我要到小吃店买一个炸面包圈和一些牛奶。
scrutinize[ˈskru：tənaɪz]vt.仔细检查
例Her purpose was to scrutinize his features to see if he was an honest man.
她的目的是通过仔细观察他的相貌以判断他是否诚实。
depression[dɪˈpreʃn]n.萎靡不振，沮丧
例He never forgot the hardships he witnessed during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
他永远不会忘记20世纪30年代经济大萧条时期他所目睹的困苦情形。
loophole[ˈlu：phəʊl]n.空子；漏洞；观察孔
例He had found a loophole which allowed him to evade responsibility.
他发现了一个可以让他回避责任的漏洞。
prophecy[ˈprɒfəsi]n.预言；预言书；预言能力
例The youth,too,fulflled the prophecy.
那个年轻人，同样地，让预言说中了。
litmus[ˈlɪtməs]n.石蕊
例Ending the fghting must be the absolute priority,the litmus test of the agreements’validity.
停火绝对是第一要务，也是检验协议是否有效的试金石。
plaything[ˈpleɪθɪŋ]n.玩物，供消遣的东西
例He would not allow anyone to make him into a political plaything for their own ends.
他不会允许任何人为了达到其自身目的把他变成政治玩物。
undermine[ˌʌndəˈmaɪn]v.逐渐削弱；使逐步减少效力
例Offering advice on each and every problem will undermine her feeling of being adult.
对每个问题都给出建议会令她觉得自己不像个成年人。
immune[ɪˈmju：n]adj.免疫的；有免疫力的
例This blood test will show whether or not you’re immune to the disease.
这个血检显示你是否对这种疾病具有免疫力。
passive[ˈpæsɪv]adj.被动的；消极的
例His passive attitude made things easier for me.
他顺从的态度让我做起事来要轻松些。
dodge[dɒdʒ]v.闪躲；回避
例He desperately dodged a speeding car trying to run him down.
他拼命地闪身躲开一辆试图撞倒他的疾驰的汽车。
munch[mʌntʃ]v.用力咀嚼（某物）；大声咀嚼
例Across the table,his son Benjie munched appreciatively.
桌子对面，他儿子本杰有滋有味地吃着。
语法知识点Grammar Points
①If you change your mind—from pessimism to optimism—you can change your life.
本句中if引导的是一个条件状语从句，句中change……from……to……表示“从……变成”，此用法与change……from……into……相近，但是后者存在本质上的变化，而前者在强调变化的程度上稍弱。
例The worm has changed into a butterfy.
这条虫变成了蝴蝶。（完全变化）
The traffc lights change from red to green.
红绿灯从红灯变成了绿灯。（灯没变，光有变化）
②Research is proving that optimism can help you to be happier,healthier and more successful.Pessimism leads,by contrast,to hopelessness,sickness and failure,and is linked to depression,loneliness and painful shyness.
本句中that引导宾语从句；句中固定搭配help sb.（to）do sth.表示“帮助某人做某事”，to通常可以省略。
例We helped her（to）fnd her things.
我们帮她找东西。
I helped him（to）repair his bike.
我帮他修自行车。
Mother helped me（to）do my homework.
妈妈帮助我做家庭作业。
by contrast表示“相比之下”。
例By contrast,social and political tensions might be a bigger worry.
相比之下，社会和政治的紧张局势可能更令人担忧。
③If we could teach people to think more positively,it would be like inoculating them against these mental ills.
本句中，if引导条件状语从句；inoculate……against……表示“接种预防”。
例But if the goal is to inoculate us against recession and more fnancial turmoil,the answer is no.
但是，如果目标是为了防止衰退及避免更多的金融混乱而打防疫针的话，那么答案是否定的。
④In part,that’s because optimists and pessimists deal with the same challenges and disappointments in very different ways.When things go wrong the pessimist tends to blame himself.
本句中有较多固定短语，in part表示“在某种程度上”。
例In part that’s because industry is smack in the middle of the city.
部分原因在于：工业恰好在城市的中心。
deal with表示“应付；对待；惠顾；与……交易”，本文中表示“应对，应付”之意。
例In dealing with suicidal youngsters,our aims should be clear.
在对待有自杀倾向的青少年时，我们的目标应当很明确。
tend to表示“趋向；朝某方向；偏重”，本文中表示“倾向于”之意。
例In our culture we tend to be bashful about our talents and skills.
在我们的文化中，我们往往羞于谈论自己的才干和技能。
经典名句Famous Classics
1.Perseverance is failing nineteen times and succeeding the twentieth.
十九次失败，到第二十次获得成功，这就叫坚持。
2.Soft beaches are the easiest to leave footprints,but also most likely to be wiped out by the tide.
松软的沙滩上最容易留下脚印，但也最容易被潮水抹去。
3.No matter when you start,it is important that you do not stop after the start.
不论你在什么时候开始，重要的是开始之后就不要停止。
4.Time goes by so fast,people go in and out of your life.You must never miss the opportunity to tell these people how much they mean to you.
时间在流逝，生命中人来人往。不要错失机会告诉他们，他们在你生命中的意义。
5.No matter how bad your heart has been broken,the world doesn’t stop for your grief.The sun comes right back up the next day.
不管你有多痛苦，这个世界都不会为你停止转动，太阳照样升起。
6.If you would hit the mark,you must aim a little above it.Every arrow that fies feels the attraction of earth.—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
要想射中靶心，必须瞄准比靶心略高的位置，因为脱弦之箭都受到地心引力的影响。——亨利·沃兹沃斯·胡费罗
读书笔记
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