人生之求07-我被法学院开除的日子

[00:00.00]The Day I Flunked¹ out of Law School 我被法学院开除的日子
[00:06.07]The dean of the University of Colorado School of Law decided²
[00:11.32]that I couldn’t return to classes next fall
[00:13.85]because my grades were too low.
[00:16.02]He said I would never make a lawyer.
[00:18.52]Even today words cannot describe my upset.
[00:22.27]I’d never really failed at anything significant.
[00:26.19]After all, the University of Colorado at Boulder³ was a Taj Mahal—
[00:30.67]the door to judicial⁴ clerkships and prestigious⁵ law firms.
[00:34.38]But I decided to try again and went to see Clifford Mills,
[00:38.78]the dean of Westminster College of Law—
[00:41.29]a poor man’s school with no tenured professors or law review.
[00:45.10]After reading my college transcript,
[00:47.64]Dean Mills let me enroll⁶ at Westminster,
[00:50.58]on one condition,
[00:51.89]that I repeat all my first-year classes,
[00:54.43]this time paying attention.
[00:56.26]“I’ll be looking over your shoulder,”
[00:58.80]he said.
[00:59.65]One door had closed.
[01:01.63]But others opened.
[01:02.73]Given a second chance,
[01:04.59]I worked much harder,
[01:05.89]becoming fascinated by the law of evidence.
[01:08.52]In my second year the professor who taught the course passed away.
[01:12.35]I was asked to take over—
[01:14.55]inconceivable at a law school like Boulder.
[01:17.38]Evidence became a lifelong specialty,
[01:21.09]and for many years I taught classes on the subject for judges,
[01:25.16]law students and practicing lawyers throughout the country.
[01:28.43]Meanwhile I worked days in the Denver City Attorney’s office as a clerk.
[01:33.57]It was anything but glamorous⁷.
[01:35.44]But it led to a job as an assistant city attorney after graduation.
[01:39.70]I became a county judge at age 28,
[01:43.19]one of Denver’s youngest.
[01:44.73]Later I was elected as a district judge,
[01:48.22]and then appointed by the President to the federal judiciary
[01:51.60]as a U.S. district judge.
[01:53.37]And, ultimately, I did return to Boulder—
[01:56.11]to receive the University of Colorado’s George Norlin Award,
[01:59.82]and an honorary doctorate⁸ of law.
[02:02.11]Sooner or later everyone will fall short at something important to them—
[02:06.70]whether it be a job,
[02:08.23]a dream or a relationship.
[02:10.55]Flunking out of law school,
[02:12.71]I believe, made me a better judge,
[02:14.92]it certainly taught me about the frailties⁹ of the human condition,
[02:18.30]and about the need to give people second chances.
[02:21.26]But failure also taught me that life
[02:23.98]is a road with unpredictable forks and unexpected tomorrows.
[02:28.13]To take advantage of them,
[02:30.45]you can’t let yourself be destroyed by a defeat,
[02:33.39]or let others set the limits on your ability to achieve.

1 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》

2 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。

3 boulder   

n.巨砾；卵石，圆石

参考例句：

• We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲，把大石头搬开了。
• He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。

4 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

5 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

6 enroll   

v.招收；登记；入学；参军；成为会员（英)enrol

参考例句：

• I should like to enroll all my children in the swimming class.我愿意让我的孩子们都参加游泳班。
• They enroll him as a member of the club.他们吸收他为俱乐部会员。

7 glamorous   

adj.富有魅力的；美丽动人的；令人向往的

参考例句：

• The south coast is less glamorous but full of clean and attractive hotels.南海岸魅力稍逊，但却有很多干净漂亮的宾馆。
• It is hard work and not a glamorous job as portrayed by the media.这是份苦差，并非像媒体描绘的那般令人向往。

8 doctorate   

n.(大学授予的)博士学位

参考例句：

• He hasn't enough credits to get his doctorate.他的学分不够取得博士学位。
• Where did she do her doctorate?她在哪里攻读博士？

9 frailties   

n.脆弱( frailty的名词复数 )；虚弱；（性格或行为上的）弱点；缺点

参考例句：

• The fact indicates the economic frailties of this type of farming. 这一事实表明，这种类型的农业在经济上有其脆弱性。 来自辞典例句
• He failed therein to take account of the frailties of human nature--the difficulties of matrimonial life. 在此，他没有考虑到人性的种种弱点--夫妻生活的种种难处。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹