二十一世纪大学英语读写教程（第二册）学习笔记（原文）——4

Unit 4 - Turning failure into Success（反败为胜）

Turning failure into Success

Fredelle Maynard

Vicky — beautiful, talented, very bright, voted "Most Likely to Succeed" in college — got a promising job with a large company after graduation. Then, after two years without promotions, she was fired. She suffered a complete nervous breakdown. "It was panic," she told me later. "Everything had always gone so well for me that I had no experience in coping with rejection. I felt I was a failure." Vicky's reaction is an extreme example of a common phenomenon.

Our society places so much emphasis on "making it" that we assume that any failure is bad. What we don't always recognize is that what looks like failure may, in the long run, prove beneficial. When Vicky was able to think coolly about why she was fired, for example, she realized that she was simply not suited for a job dealing with people all the time. In her new position as a copy editor, she works independently, is happy and once again "successful."

People are generally prone to what language expert S. I. Hayakawa calls "the two-valued orientation." We talk about seeing both sides of a question as if every question had only two sides. We assume that everyone is either a success or a failure when, in fact, infinite degrees of both are possible. As Hayakawa points out, there's a world of difference between "I have failed three times" and "I am a failure." Indeed, the words failure and success cannot be reasonably applied to a complex, living, changing human being. They can only describe the situation at a particular time and place.

Obviously no one can be brilliant at everything. In fact, success in one area often precludes success in another. A famous politician once told me that his career had practically destroyed his marriage. "I have no time for my family," he explained. "I travel a lot. And even when I'm home, I hardly see my wife and kids. I've got power, money, prestige — but as a husband and father, I'm a flop."

Certain kinds of success can indeed be destructive. The danger of too early success is particularly acute. I recall from my childhood a girl whose skill on ice skates marked her as "Olympic material." While the rest of us were playing, bicycling, reading and just loafing, this girl skated — every day after school and all weekend. Her picture often appeared in the papers, and the rest of us envied her glamorous life. Years later, however, she spoke bitterly of those early triumphs. "I never prepared myself for anything but the ice," she said. "I peaked at 17 — and it's been downhill ever since."

Success that comes too easily is also damaging. The child who wins a prize for a carelessly - written essay, the adult who distinguishes himself at a first job by lucky accident faces probable disappointment when real challenges arise.

Success is also bad when it's achieved at the cost of the total quality of an experience. Successful students sometimes become so obsessed with grades that they never enjoy their school years. They never branch out into tempting new areas, because they don't want to risk their grade - point average.

Why are so many people so afraid of failure? Simply because no one tells us how to fail so that failure becomes a growing experience. We forget that failure is part of the human condition and that "every person has the right to fail."

Most parents work hard at either preventing failure or shielding their children from the knowledge that they have failed. One way is to lower standards. A mother describes her child's hastily made table as "perfect!" even though it's clumsy and unsteady. Another way is to shift blame. If John fails math, his teacher is unfair or stupid.

The trouble with failure - prevention devices 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, 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 feels terrible, of course. But parents should not offer a quick consolation prize or say, "It doesn't matter," because it does. The youngster should be allowed to experience disappointment — and then be helped to master it.

Failure is never pleasant. It hurts adults and children 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?" Resist the natural impulse to blame someone else. Ask yourself what you did wrong, how you can improve. If someone else can help, don't be shy about inquiring.

When I was a teenager and failed to get a job I'd counted on, I telephoned the interviewer to ask why. "Because you came ten minutes late," I was told. "We can't afford employees who waste other people's time." The explanation was reassuring (I hadn't been rejected as a person) and helpful, too. I don't think I've been late for anything since.

Success, which encourages repetition of old behavior, is not nearly as good a teacher as failure. You can learn from a disastrous 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 total can prompt fresh thinking, a change of direction.

A friend of mine, after 12 years of studying ballet, did not succeed in becoming a dancer. She was turned down by the ballet master, who said, "You will never be a dancer. You haven't the body for it." In such cases, the way to use failure is to take stock courageously, asking, "What have I left? What else can I do?" My friend put away her toe shoes and moved into dance therapy, a field where she's both competent and useful.

Though we may envy the assurance that comes with success, most of us are attracted by courage in defeat. There is what might be called the noble failure — the special heroism of aiming high, doing your best and then, when that proves not enough, moving bravely on. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said: "A man's success is made up of failures, because he experiments and ventures every day, and the more falls he gets, moves faster on....I have heard that in horsemanship — a man will never be a good rider until he is thrown; then he will not be haunted any longer by the terror that he shall tumble, and will ride whither he is bound."

New Words

vote

vt. 1. choose (sb.) to have (a particular title); elect 推选

2. 投票选举（或制定、决定、赞成、支持、通过）

vi. (for, against, on) express one's choice officially at a meeting or in an election 投票；选举；表决

n. 选举；投票；选票

promising

a. likely to be very good or successful 有前途的；有希望的

promotion

n. 1. advancement in rank or position 提升，晋级

2. attempt to make a product or an event popular or successful, esp. by advertising 促销；宣传

breakdown

n. 1. physical, mental, or nervous collapse 崩溃；衰竭

2. （关系、计划或讨论等的）中断

nervous breakdown

an unnatural condition of deep worrying, anxiety, weeping or tiredness 精神崩溃

rejection

n. the act of rejecting or being rejected （遭到）拒绝；摒弃

reaction

n. response or change caused by the action of another 反应；感应

extreme

a. 1. greatest possible; of the highest degree 极端的；极度的；最大的

2. furthest possible; at the very beginning or end 末端的；尽头的

n. 极端；极度（状态）

emphasis

n. (on, upon) special force or attention given to sth. to show that it is particularly important 强调；重点；重要性

beneficial

a. producing favourable effects or useful results 有益的；有帮助的

editor

n. 1. a person who checks and corrects texts before they are published 校订者；（文字）编辑

2. 编辑；主编

editorial

a. of or done by an editor 编辑的，编者的

edit

v. 1. prepare for printing, broadcasting, etc., by deciding what shall be included or left out, putting right mistakes, etc. （为出版、广播等而）编辑，编选；剪辑

2. be the editor of 主编；充任（报纸等的）编辑

edition

n. a particular version of a book, magazine, or newspaper that is printed at one time 版本

prone

a. (to) habitually likely to do sth. (usu. undesirable) 有…倾向的，易于…的

apply

vt. (to) bring or put into use or operation 应用；实施

vi. (to, for) request sth., esp. officially and in writing （尤指以书面形式）申请；请求

complex

a. 1. difficult to understand, explain, or deal with; not clear or simple 错综复杂的

2. （词或句子）复合的，复杂的

n. a system consisting of a large number of closely related parts 综合体；复合体；群落

preclude

vt. (fml.) (from) make impossible; prevent 妨碍，阻止；排除；防止

practically

ad. 1. (infml.) very nearly; almost 几乎，差不多

2. in a practical way 实际上；从实际角度

prestige

n. general respect or admiration felt in men's mind for sb. or sth. by reason of having, or being connected with, rank, proved high quality 声望；威望；威信

flop

n. (infml.) a failure 失败（者）

vi. move or fall heavily or awkwardly 笨重地行动；沉重地落下

destructive

a. causing or be capable of causing great damage, harm or injury 破坏（性）的

acute

a. 1. severe, strong, deep 剧烈的，激烈的；深切的

2. (of the mind or the senses) able to notice small differences; working very well; sharp（思想或感官）敏锐的；灵敏的；尖锐的

3. 尖的，锐的；成锐角的

loaf

vi. (infml.) stand or wait in a place without doing anything interesting or useful 游荡，闲逛

n. bread, usu. fairly large, in a shape that can be cut into slices （一个）面包

glamo(u)rous

a. having the quality of being more attractive, exciting, or interesting than ordinary people or things 富有魅力的；令人向往的

glamo(u)r

n. the exciting and charming quality of sth. unusual or special, with a magical power of attraction 魅力；迷人的力量

peak

vi. reach the highest value, level, point, etc. 达到顶峰；达到最大值

n. （山）峰；顶峰；尖顶

downhill

a. & ad. 1. (becoming) worse or less successful 走下坡路的（地）

2. (going) towards the bottom of a hill 向坡下（的）：向下（的）

damage

n. harm; loss 损害；损失

vt. cause damage to 损害；损坏；毁坏

distinguish

vt. 1. (～oneself) behave or perform noticeably well 使出众

2. recognize 辨别；区分

probable

a. likely 很可能发生的

obsess

vt. (usu. pass.) completely fill the mind of (sb.) so that no attention is given to other matters [常被动]使着迷

grade-point average, GPA

（美）（学生各科成绩的）平均积分点

shield

vt. (from) protect or hide from harm or danger 保护；庇护

n. 盾，盾牌

hastily

ad. too quickly 匆忙地；草率地；性急地

haste

n. quick movement or action 急忙，匆忙

device

n. 1. a method of achieving sth. 策略；手段

2. an object that has been invented for a particular purpose 装置；设备

unequipped

a. not equipped with the necessities 未配备所需物品的；无准备的

honor roll

（美）光荣榜（指优秀学生名单、当地服兵役公民名单等）

consolation

n. comfort during a time of sadness or disappointment 安慰；慰问

consolation prize

a prize given to sb. who has not won the competition 安慰奖

alike

ad. in (almost) the same way; equally 同样地；相似地；以同样程度

a. similar in appearance, quality, character, etc. 想像的，同样的

impulse

n. 1. a sudden desire to do sth. （一时的）冲动

2. 冲力；脉冲；神经冲动

inquire, enquire

v. ask For information 询问；查问

inquiry, enquiry

n. (into, about) an act of inquiring 询问；查问

afford

vt. 1. be able to buy 买得起

2. be able to do, spend, give, bear, etc., without serious loss or damage 担负得起（损失、费用、后果等）

repetition

n. the act of repeating, or sth. repeated 重复；反复

ill-chosen

a. not well chosen 选择不恰当的

ill

ad. 1. not well. not enough 不恰当地；拙劣地

2. unfavourably; badly, unpleasantly or cruelly 不利地；恶劣地；冷酷无情地

3. hardly 几乎不；困难地

prompt

vt. cause or urge; encourage or help sb. to continue 促使；推动；激励

a. done without any delay; not late 迅速的；及时的

ballet

n. 芭蕾舞（剧）

stock

n. 1. a supply(of sth.)for use 库存物；储备物

2. the thick part of a tree trunk 树桩；树干

v. (up) keep supplies of; store 备货；储备

courageously

ad. bravely; in a way showing courage 英勇地，无畏地

toe

n. 脚趾；足尖

toe shoe

芭蕾舞鞋

therapy

n. the treatment of mental or physical illness （心理或生理）疗法，治疗

heroism

n. the quality of being a hero; great courage 大无畏精神；英勇

horsemanship

n. the practice or skill of horse-riding 马术；骑术

*haunt

vt. (often pass.) be always in the thoughts of (sb.); visit regularly [常被动]（思想、回忆等）萦绕；缠扰；常去

terror

n. (sb. or sth. that causes) extreme fear 恐怖；引起恐怖的人（或物）

tumble

vi. (down) fall suddenly or helplessly; collapse 摔下；跌倒；倒塌，坍塌

whither

conj. & ad. (archaic) (to) where 〈古体〉（无论）去哪里

bound

a. 1. (for, to) going to or intending to go to 准备到…去的

2. very likely; certain 一定的；注定的

Phrases and Expressions

place/lay/put emphasis on/upon

give sth. special force or attention to show that it is particularly important 强调；把重点放在，着重于

in the long run

after enough time; in the end 从长远观点来看；终究

a world of

a lot of 大量的，无数的

be brilliant/best at sth.

having or showing great skill at sth. 在某一方面极为出色

at the cost of

以…为代价

branch out

(into) add to the range of one's interests or activities 扩大（兴趣、活动、业务等的）范围

count on/upon

expect; depend on 指望；料想；依靠

turn down

refuse (a request or offer or the person that makes it); reject 拒绝（某人或其请求、忠告等）

take stock

consider a situation carefully so as to take a decision 作出判断，进行评估

Proper Names

Fredelle Maynard

弗雷德勒·梅纳德（男子名）

Vicky

维姬（Victoria的昵称）（女子名）

S. I. Hayakawa

S·I 早川（日本人名）

Olympic

a. 奥运会的

Ralph Waldo Emerson

拉尔夫·沃尔多·爱默生（1802—1882，美国思想家、散文作家、诗人）

参考资料：

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册 Unit04_大学教材听力 - 可可英语

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