人生之求04-未经磨光的钻石

[00:00.00]Unpolished Diamond 未经磨光的钻石
[00:07.49]How a person reacts to criticism often means the difference
[00:10.65]between success and failure.
[00:12.74]Take the case of Ole Bull,
[00:15.02]the famous Norwegian violinist of the 19th century.
[00:18.62]His practical father,
[00:20.38]a chemist, sent him to the University of Christiania to study for the ministry
[00:25.74]and forbade him to play his beloved violin.
[00:28.27]He promptly¹ flunked² out and, defying his father,
[00:32.86]devoted all his time and energy to the violin.
[00:35.80]Unfortunately, though he had great ability,
[00:38.99]his teachers were relatively³ unskilled,
[00:41.82]so that by the time he was ready to start his concert tour
[00:45.54]he wasn’t prepared.
[00:46.74]In Italy a Milan newspaper critic wrote:
[00:50.23]"He is an untrained musician.
[00:52.43]If he be a diamond,
[00:54.19]he is certainly in the rough and unpolished."
[00:57.13]There were two ways Ole Bull could have reacted to that criticism.
[01:01.50]He could have let it make him angry,
[01:03.59]or he could learn from it.
[01:05.32]Fortunately he chose the latter.
[01:07.96]He went to the newspaper office and asked to see the critic.
[01:11.67]The astounded⁴ editor introduced him.
[01:14.31]Ole spent the evening with the 70-year-old critic,
[01:17.91]asked about his faults,
[01:19.45]and sought the older man’s advice on how to correct them.
[01:22.40]Then he canceled the rest of his tour,
[01:24.92]returned home, and spent the next six months studying
[01:28.19]under really able teachers.
[01:30.18]He practiced hours upon hours to overcome his faults.
[01:33.88]Finally, he returned to his concerts and,
[01:37.26]when only 26,
[01:38.81]became the sensation of Europe.

1 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

2 flunked   

v.( flunk的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）（考试、某学科的成绩等）不及格；评定（某人）不及格；（因不及格而） 退学

参考例句：

• I flunked math in second grade. 我二年级时数学不及格。
• He flunked out (of college) last year. 他去年（从大学）退学了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

4 astounded   

v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶

参考例句：

• His arrogance astounded her. 他的傲慢使她震惊。
• How can you say that? I'm absolutely astounded. 你怎么能说出那种话？我感到大为震惊。