名校励志英语演讲 22:失败的额外收益和想象力的重要性

 　　Amnesty mobilises thousands of people who have never been tortured or imprisoned¹ for their beliefs to act on behalf of those who have. The power of human empathy, leading to collective action, saves lives, and frees prisoners. Ordinary people, whose personal well-being² and security are assured, join together in huge numbers to save people they do not know, and will never meet. My small participation³ in that process was one of the most humbling⁴ and inspiring experiences of my life.

　　大赦国际动员成千上万没有因为个人信仰而受到折磨或监禁的人，去为那些遭受这种不幸的人奔走。人类的同情心引发了集体行动，拯救生命，使那些被关押的人们得以释放。个人的福祉和安全有保证的普通百姓聚集在一起，携手挽救那些与他们素不相识，也许永远不会见面的人。我的参与虽然微不足道，但那却是我一生中最振奋人心的一次经历。

　　Unlike any other creature on this planet, humans can learn and understand, without having experienced. They can think themselves into other people’s places.

　　与这个星球上任何其他的动物不同，人类可以学习和理解未曾经历过的事情。他们可能会换位思考，能够设身处地地去体会他人的感受。

　　Of course, this is a power, like my brand of fictional⁵ magic, that is morally neutral. One might use such an ability to manipulate, or control, just as much as to understand or sympathise.

　　当然，这种能力就像我在小说里虚构的魔法一样，没有邪恶之分。有人可能会利用这种能力去操控或者控制别人，也有人选择用它去了解和同情他人。

　　And many prefer not to exercise their imaginations at all. They choose to remain comfortably within the bounds of their own experience, never troubling to wonder how it would feel to have been born other than they are. They can refuse to hear screams or to peer inside cages; they can close their minds and hearts to any suffering that does not touch them personally; they can refuse to know.

　　而很多人不愿去运用他们的想象力。他们选择舒适地生活在自己经验所及的范围内，从来不愿费心去想想如果生活在别处会怎样。他们会拒绝去听别人的尖叫，不愿看一眼囚禁的笼子；对于与自身无关的苦难，他们会封闭自己的内心；他们会拒绝了解这一切。

　　mobilise

　　vt. 动员

　　eg. No power can any longer mobilise its armed forces in secret.

　　现在，任何一个大国都不可能秘密地动员其武装力量。

　　empathy

　　n. 同情；同感

　　eg. Even young children will show empathy for another child if he or she gives visible signs of distress⁶ like crying.

　　哪怕是年幼的儿童也会对另一个儿童表示同情，假如这个儿童表现出了可见的痛苦的迹象，比如哭泣。

　　humbling

　　adj. 微不足道的

　　eg. For me, reading this list is always a humbling experience.

　　对于我来说，阅读这份列表总是一件令人羞辱的经历。

　　fictional

　　adj. 虚构的

　　eg. All the characters in his novel are fictional .

　　他的小说里的所有人物都是虚构的。

　　neutral

　　adj. 中立的

　　eg. You cannot be completely neutral in this world.

　　在此世间，你无法做到绝对的中立。

　　manipulate

　　vt. 操纵；操作

　　eg. He quickly learned how to manipulate the controls of a plane.

　　他很快学会了操作飞机的操纵装置。

　　sympathise

　　vi. 同情

　　eg. You might even find it in your heart to sympathise with them.

　　你或许甚至发现你的内心在同情它们。

1 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

2 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

3 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

4 humbling   

adj.令人羞辱的v.使谦恭( humble的现在分词 )；轻松打败（尤指强大的对手）；低声下气

参考例句：

• A certain humbling from time to time is good. 不时受点儿屈辱是有好处的。 来自辞典例句
• It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-buildingexperience. 据说天文学是一种令人产生自卑、塑造人格的科学。 来自互联网

5 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

6 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。