TED演讲：你为何不会成就伟业(2)

 　　I'm not quite sure why you decide not to do it. You're too lazy to do it. It's too hard. 我不太确定你为什么决定不去做。你太懒了。这事太难。

　　You're afraid if you look for your passion and don't find it, you'll feel like you're an idiot¹, 你害怕如果你去寻找梦想然后找不到，你会觉得你像个白痴，

　　so then you make excuses about why you're not going to look for your passion. 所以你给自己找借口，为什么你不去追寻你的梦想。

　　They are excuses, ladies and gentlemen. We're going to go through a whole long list 这些都是借口，女士们先生们。我们要列一个长单子，

　　your creativity in thinking of excuses not to do what you really need to do if you want to have a great career. 你的创造力，想想你不去做成就伟业该做的事情的借口。

　　So, for example, one of your great excuses is: 所以，举例来说，你众多借口之一是，

　　"Well, great careers are really and truly, for most people, just a matter of luck. “嗯，伟业实际上对于大多数人来说只是运气问题，

　　So I'm going to stand around, I'm going to try to be lucky, and if I'm lucky, I'll have a great career. 所以我就在这待着，我就试试做那个幸运的人，然后如果我真幸运的话，我就能成就伟业。

　　If not, I'll have a good career." But a good career is an impossibility, so that's not going to work. 如果不能，我就找个还不错的事业。”但是没有还不错的事业，所以这个行不通。

　　Then, your other excuse is, "Yes, there are special people who pursue² their passions, but they are geniuses. 然后，你还有其他借口：“是的，有那些与众不同的人，追寻自己的梦想，但是他们是天才。

　　They are Steven J. I'm not a genius. 他们是Steven J。我不是天才。

　　When I was five, I thought I was a genius, but my professors have beaten that idea out of my head long since." 我五岁的时候以为自己是天才，但是我的教授们早就把这个念头打消了。”

　　"And now I know I am completely competent³." “然后现在我知道自己完全有能力。”

　　Now, you see, if this was 1950, being completely competent -- that would have given you a great career. But guess what? 现在你看，如果这是在1950年，完全有能力，就能让你成就伟业。但是你知道么？

　　This is almost 2012, and saying to the world, "I am totally, completely competent," is damning⁴ yourself with the faintest of praise. 现在几乎是2012年了，对世界说“我完全，绝对，有能力，”就是用最无力的称赞谴责你自己。

1 idiot   

n.白痴，傻子，笨蛋

参考例句：

• Only an idiot would make such a thoughtless remark.只有草包才会说出这样没有头脑的话来。
• You are behaving like a perfect idiot.你表现得像个十足的白痴。

2 pursue   

vt.继续，从事；追赶，追踪；追求

参考例句：

• He began to pursue an easy and comfortable life.他开始追求安逸舒适的生活。
• This is the path that we shall continue to pursue.这是我们要继续走的道路。

3 competent   

adj.能干的，胜任的，有权能的，足够的

参考例句：

• He is not competent to the task of teaching English.他不能胜任英语教学工作。
• He did a competent job.他的工作做得相当出色。

4 damning   

诅咒

参考例句：

• The poverty in our cities is a damning indictment of modern society. 我们的城市中贫民的苦况是现代社会的一大败象。
• The scandal is damning evidence of the government's contempt for democracy. 这宗丑闻是该政府蔑视民主的不可逃避的罪证。