思想的珍珠篇05：Weakness or Strength 弱点还是强项

Sometimes our biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take, for example, the story t of one 10-year-old boy who decided¹ to study judo² despite the fact that the had lost his left arm in a devastating³ car accident.
 有的时候，你的弱项可以变成你的强项。给你讲一个10岁男孩的故事做例子。这个男孩在一次惨烈的车祸中失去了左臂，但他仍然决定学习柔道。

The boy began lesson with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was dong well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move.
 男孩师从一位年长的日本柔道大师。孩子练得很好，但他不明白为什么师傅在三个月的训练中，始终只让他重复同一个动作。

"Mister," the boy finally said, "shouldn't I be learning more moves?"
 “师傅，”男孩终于忍不住问道，“我是不是可以学点儿别的动作了？”

"This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the master replied.
 师傅回答说：“这是你惟一知道的动作，但也是你惟一需要知道的动作。”

Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.
 男孩虽然不理解，但他非常信任自己的师傅，于是继续练着。

Several months later, the master took the boy to his first tournament.
 几个月后，师傅带这个男孩子去参加他的第一次比赛。

To his surprise,, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly⁴ used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.
 令这个男孩不可思议的是，他轻易赢了头两场比赛。第三场比赛似乎更难，但他的对手在比赛中开始失去耐心，向他冲过来，而这个孩子立即用他学过的惟一一招击败了对手。就这样稀里糊涂地，他进入了决赛。

This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched.
 这一次，他的对手更壮、更强，也更有经验。有那么一阵，男孩似乎低档不住了。

Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee⁵ called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the master intervened.
考虑到男孩可能会受伤，裁判叫了暂停。他正准备停止比赛的时候，男孩的师傅阻止了他。

"No," his master insisted, "let him continue."
  “不能停，”他说，“让他继续比。”

Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.
 比赛继续进行之后不久，男孩的对手就犯了一个致命的错误：防漏（柔道术语）。男孩迅速用他那惟一的一招绊倒了对手，赢了这场比赛，并最终取得了冠军。

On the way home, the boy and his master reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really in his min.
 回家的路上，当男孩和他师傅重温着每一场比赛里的每一个动作时，他鼓起勇气道出了心中的困惑。

"Mister, how did I win the tournament with only one move?"
 “师傅，我怎么会用一个动作就赢得了所有的比赛呢？”

"You won for two reasons," the master answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second, the only known defense⁶ for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm."
 “你获胜有两个原因，”师傅回答道：“第一，你已经基本掌握了柔道当中最难学的一个动作。第二，要对付这个动作，你的对手惟一可以做的就是去抓你的左臂。”

The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.
 就这样，男孩的最大弱点变成了他的最强项。
 

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 judo   

n.柔道

参考例句：

• The judo is a kind of fighting sport.柔道是一种对抗性体育活动。
• Which is more important in judo, strength or techniques?柔道运动中，力量和技术哪个更重要？

3 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

4 deftly   

adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He deftly folded the typed sheets and replaced them in the envelope. 他灵巧地将打有字的纸折好重新放回信封。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• At last he had a clew to her interest, and followed it deftly. 这一下终于让他发现了她的兴趣所在，于是他熟练地继续谈这个话题。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

5 referee   

n.裁判员．仲裁人，代表人，鉴定人

参考例句：

• The team was left raging at the referee's decision.队员们对裁判员的裁决感到非常气愤。
• The referee blew a whistle at the end of the game.裁判在比赛结束时吹响了哨子。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。