TED演讲:3个激发自己信心的技巧(1)

 　　When faced with a big challenge where potential failure seems to lurk¹ at every corner, 当面临一个巨大的挑战时，失败的可能性貌似在各个角落潜伏着，

　　maybe you've heard this advice before: "Be more confident." 也许你曾听过这样的建议：“更自信一点！”

　　And most likely, this is what you think when you hear it: "If only it were that simple." 在你听到这样的建议后，你更有可能会想＂如果真有那么简单就好了。＂

　　But what is confidence? 然而，什么是自信呢？

　　Take the belief that you are valuable, worthwhile, and capable, also known as self-esteem,  相信自己是有价值的，值得被看重的，并且有能力的，也被称为自尊心，

　　add in the optimism² that comes when you are certain of your abilities,  加上肯定自己的乐观态度，

　　and then empowered by these, act courageously³ to face a challenge head-on. 这些让你变得更有力量，勇敢无畏地直面挑战。

　　This is confidence. It turns thoughts into action. 这，就是自信。它可以把想法变为实际行动。

　　So where does confidence even come from? 那么，自信到底从何而来？

　　There are several factors that impact confidence. 影响自信的因素很多。

　　One: what you're born with, such as your genes⁴, which will impact things like the balance of neurochemicals in your brain. 一：先天的因素，就像是基因会影响大脑神经化学物质的平衡。

　　Two: how you're treated. This includes the social pressures of your environment. 二：别人对待你的方式。这包括你所处环境的社会压力。

　　And three: the part you have control over, the choices you make, the risks you take,  三：你自己控制的部分，你所做的选择、你要冒的险，

　　and how you think about and respond to challenges and setbacks. 加上你面临挑战和困难时的想法。

　　It isn't possible to completely untangle these three factors, 这三个因素密不可分，

　　but the personal choices we make certainly play a major role in confidence development. 但是我们自己做出的选择其实在树立自信的过程中扮演着更重要的角色。

1 lurk   

n.潜伏，潜行；v.潜藏，潜伏，埋伏

参考例句：

• Dangers lurk in the path of wilderness.在这条荒野的小路上隐伏着危险。
• He thought he saw someone lurking above the chamber during the address.他觉得自己看见有人在演讲时潜藏在会议厅顶上。

2 optimism   

n.乐观，乐观主义

参考例句：

• Don't pour cold water on their optimism.别给他们的乐观态度泼冷水。
• Optimism made him alive through the hard days.乐观主义使他在艰难的岁月里活了下来。

3 courageously   

ad.勇敢地，无畏地

参考例句：

• Under the correct leadership of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the army and civilians in flooded areas fought the floods courageously, reducing the losses to the minimum. 在中共中央、国务院的正确领导下，灾区广大军民奋勇抗洪，把灾害的损失减少到了最低限度。
• He fought death courageously though his life was draining away. 他虽然生命垂危，但仍然勇敢地与死亡作斗争。

4 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪