名人励志英语演讲 第86期:为成功做好准备(5)

 　　This wandering path led me into the private sector¹ where I moved from advising companies on how to deal effectively with governments, to running a $10 billion business in superannuation. And how I oscillate between being a non-executive director and an executive coach. As you see, my career has no clear direction, no single expertise² and no sole passion. But I have pursued my own path and loved every minute of it.

　　经过这些曲折，我辞去了在咨询公司向人们讲解如何有效地与政府沟通的工作，转而步入私营企业，用退休金经营了一个有100亿美元注册资金的公司。现在，至于是做公司的非执行董事，还是做一名行政人员教练，我也犹豫不定。你们看，我没有明确的职业方向，没有专长，也没有专注于一年事情的热情。但是，我在自己的职业道路上有追求，享受差点的每一分钟。

　　I blame my mother for my persistence³ and motherhood for my fixation with multi-tasking! Like all lists of this sort, they seem to promise a quick and easy fix. Success risks becoming just a function of personality, public image, attitudes and behaviours, skills and techniques. While these factors are important, it leaves out one's inner compass--character, principles and values, things like courage, fairness, integrity, patience, service, and human dignity.

　　母亲给予了我做事的耐性，母爱使我同时专注于多项工作。像所有同类清单一样，“成功八部曲”似乎能给我们提供一个快速而又简单的方法。个性、公众形象、态度和行为、技能和科技都是成功的重要因素。这些因素固然重要，但却忽略了内在因素，即性格、做事原则及价值观，还有勇气、公平、正直、耐心、服务以及人性尊严等。

　　To quote Stephen Covey of Seven Habits fame, principles are guidelines for human conduct that are proven to have enduring, permanent value. When these truths are internalized into habits, they empower people to create a wide variety of practices to deal with different situations. This is the way that we prepare for the sometimes harsh realities of life--like not getting one's dream job on the first attempt.

　　正如斯蒂芬·科维在《高效人士的7个习惯》一书中所说，原则是人类行为的向导。这一点已经被证实拥有持久不变的价值。当这些真理渐渐内化为一种习惯时，他们会赋予人类处理各种局面的能力。有了这种能力，我们就能坦然应对生活中的困境，比如第一次求职没有得到理想中的工作。

1 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

2 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

3 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。