向前一步:第74期 职业生涯中的长远梦想及短期目标(6)

 Some goals require more traditional paths; anyone who aspires¹ to become a Supreme² Court justice should probably start by attending law school. 有些目标的实现需要走较为传统的路子，例如一个想做最高法院大法官的人应该从法学院的学习起步。

But even a vague goal can provide direction, a far-off guidepost to move toward. 但即使是一个模糊的目标也能为你提供人生的方向，它就像一个远处的路标指引你前行。

With an eye on my childhood dream, 基于我童年的梦想，

the first job I took out of college was at the World Bank as research assistant to Larry Summers, who was serving a term as chief economist³. 我大学毕业后的第一份工作便是担任时任世界银行首席经济学家拉里·萨默斯的研究助理。

Based in Washington, D C., the Bank's mission is to reduce global poverty. 世界银行位于美国华盛顿，旨在减少全球范围内的贫困现象。

I spent my first nine months in the stacks of the Bank library on the corner of Nineteenth and Pennsylvania, 不过，我工作的头9个月都在位于第19号大街与宾夕法尼亚大道拐角处的世界银行图书馆里，

looking up facts and figures for Larry's papers and speeches. 为拉里·萨默斯的论文及演讲查找所需要的资料与数据。

Larry then generously arranged for me to join an India health field mission to get a closer look at what the Bank actually did. 萨默斯随后安排我加入了一个印度医疗特派团，以便更深入地了解世界银行的工作内容。

Flying to India took me into an entirely⁴ different world. 到了印度后，我看到了一个完全不同的世界。

The team was working to eradicate⁵ leprosy, which was endemic in India's most remote and poorest regions. 整个团队都在努力工作，以消除印度贫困地区的麻风病。

The conditions were appalling⁶. 情况是令人震惊的：

Due to the stigma⁷ of the disease, patients were often exiled from their villages and ended up lying on dirt floors in awful places that passed for clinics. 由于患上这种疾病被看作是一种耻辱，得了病的人通常都会被驱逐出自己的村庄，最终躺在诊所肮脏的地板上死去。

Facts and figures could never have prepared me for this reality. 之前我搜集的资料并没有让我为面对这样的现实做好准备，

I have the deepest respect for people who provide hands-on help to those in crises. 因此我对那些切实地去帮助解决这类危机的人们怀有最深的敬意。

It is the most difficult work in the world. 这是世界上最困难的工作。

1 aspires   

v.渴望，追求( aspire的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The fame to which he aspires was beyond his reach. 他追求的名誉乃是他所不能及的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• An old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand li. 老骥伏枥，志在千里。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

3 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

4 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

5 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

6 appalling   

adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。

7 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。