TED演讲:性格的迷思--你究竟是谁(9)

 It relates to your kid -- you've been back three times to the hospital, 也许这事业跟孩子有关--你已经去医院三趟了，

and they still don't know what's wrong. Or it could be your mom. 医生们还是查不出你孩子的病因。或者生病的是你母亲。

And you'd been acting¹ out of character. These are free traits. 你会做一些跟你的性格不相符的事情。这些是可变的性格特点。

You're very agreeable, but you act disagreeably  你本和善可亲却表现得咄咄逼人，

in order to break down those barriers of administrative² torpor³ in the hospital, 只为了对抗如今医院里无处不在的懒散风气，

to get something for your mom or your child.  让自己的母亲或者孩子得到及时治疗。

What are these free traits?  这些可变的性格特点到底是什么？

They're where were enact⁴ a script in order to advance a core project in our lives. 那是我们演的一出戏，为了达成我们生命中最重要的目标。

And they are what matters.  而这才是最重要的。

Don't ask people what type you are; ask them, "What are your core projects in your life?" 不要问别人是什么性格的人，而要问他们，“你们生命中最重要的事是什么？”

And we enact those free traits.  然后我们身上的可变，性格特点就会被激发。

I'm an introvert⁵, but I have a core project, which is to profess⁶. I'm a professor. 我是一个内向的人，但我最重要的事业是教书。我是一名教授。

And I adore my students, and I adore my field. 我热爱我的学生，也热爱我的事业领域。

And I can't wait to tell them about what's new, what's exciting, what I can't wait to tell them about. 我总是迫不及待地想与他们分享那些新奇有趣的事情。

And so I act in an extroverted⁷ way,  因此我会表现得像一个外向的人，

because at eight in the morning, the students need a little bit of humor, 因为早上8点，学生需要一点幽默，

a little bit of engagement to keep them going in arduous⁸ days of study. 需要一点激励才能熬过一天紧张的学习。

But we need to be very careful when we act protractedly out of character. 但是当我们扮演其他性格的时候需要万分小心。

1 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

2 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

3 torpor   

n.迟钝；麻木；（动物的）冬眠

参考例句：

• The sick person gradually falls into a torpor.病人逐渐变得迟钝。
• He fell into a deep torpor.他一下子进入了深度麻痹状态。

4 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

5 introvert   

n.性格内向的人

参考例句：

• You are very much an introvert.你是一位地道的内向性格者。
• The same conversation that energizes the extravert also drains the introvert.同样的交谈能让外向者荣光焕发，却让内向者精神颓靡。

6 profess   

v.声称，冒称，以...为业，正式接受入教，表明信仰

参考例句：

• I profess that I was surprised at the news.我承认这消息使我惊讶。
• What religion does he profess?他信仰哪种宗教？

7 extroverted   

a.性格外向的

参考例句：

• Do you think you are introverted or extroverted? 你认为你性格内向还是外向？
• Are you introverted or extroverted? 你个性内向还是外向？ 来自轻松英语会话---联想2000词(上)

8 arduous   

adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的

参考例句：

• We must have patience in doing arduous work.我们做艰苦的工作要有耐性。
• The task was more arduous than he had calculated.这项任务比他所估计的要艰巨得多。