英语专业晨读美文-哲理篇 15 Get a Thorough Understa

[00:00.97]Get a Thorough Understanding of Oneself
[00:05.67]In all one's life time it is oneself
[00:09.72]that one spends the most time being with or dealing¹ with.
[00:13.54] But it is precisely² oneself that one has the least understanding of.
[00:18.35]When you are going upwards³ in life you tend to overestimate⁴ yourself.
[00:22.95] It seems that everything you seek for is within your reach;
[00:26.56] luck and opportunities will come your way
[00:29.18]and you are overjoyed that they constitute part of your worth.
[00:33.12] When you are going downhill you tend to underestimate yourself,
[00:37.17]mistaking difficulties and adversities for your own incompetence⁵.
[00:41.54]It's likely that you think it wise for yourself
[00:43.98]to know your place and stay aloof⁶ from worldly
[00:46.71]wearing a mask of cowardice⁷,
[00:48.86] behind which the flow of sap in your life will be retarded⁸.
[00:52.58]To get a thorough understanding of oneself
[00:55.30]is to gain a correct view of oneself
[00:57.71]and be a sober realist—aware of both one's strength and shortage.
[01:02.09]You may look forward hopefully to the future
[01:04.60]but be sure not to expect too much, for ideals can never be fully⁹ realized.
[01:10.07] You may be courageous¹⁰ to meet challenges
[01:12.47] but it should be clear to you where to direct your efforts.
[01:15.76]That's to say so long as you have a perfect knowledge of yourself
[01:19.47] there won't be difficulties you can't overcome,
[01:21.99] nor obstacles you can't surmount¹¹.
[01:24.73]To get a thorough understanding of oneself needs self-appreciation.
[01:29.32] Whether you liken yourself to a towering tree or a blade of grass,
[01:34.02] whether you think you are a high mountain or a small stone,
[01:37.64] you represent a state of nature that has its own raison deter¹².
[01:42.34]If you earnestly admire yourself
[01:44.63]you'll have a real sense of self-appreciation,
[01:47.26] which will give you confidence.
[01:49.34]As soon as you gain full confidence in yourself
[01:52.39]you'll be enabled to fight and overcome any adversity.
[01:56.77]To get a thorough understanding of oneself
[01:59.61]also requires doing oneself a favor when it's needed.
[02:03.77] In time of anger, do yourself a favor
[02:05.95]by giving vent¹³ to it in a quiet place
[02:08.69]so that you won't be hurt by its flames; in time of sadness,
[02:12.41] do yourself a favor by sharing it with your friends
[02:15.35]so as to change a gloomy mood into a cheerful one;
[02:18.97]in time of tiredness, do yourself a favor
[02:22.03] by getting a good sleep or taking some tonic¹⁴.
[02:25.42]Show yourself loving concern about your health and daily life.
[02:29.46] As you are aware, what a person physically¹⁵ has is
[02:33.07] but a human body that's vulnerable when exposed to the elements.
[02:37.89] So if you fall ill,
[02:39.53]it's up to you to take a good care of yourself.
[02:42.26] Unless you know perfectly¹⁶ well when and how to do yourself a favor,
[02:46.53]you won't be confident and ready enough to resist the attack of illness.
[02:50.79]To get a thorough understanding of oneself
[02:53.42]is to get a full control of one's life.
[02:56.44]Then one will find one's life full of color and flavor.

1 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

2 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

3 upwards   

adv.向上，在更高处...以上

参考例句：

• The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
• The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。

4 overestimate   

v.估计过高，过高评价

参考例句：

• Don't overestimate seriousness of the problem.别把问题看重了。
• We overestimate our influence and our nuisance value.我们过高地估计了自己的影响力和破坏作用。

5 incompetence   

n.不胜任，不称职

参考例句：

• He was dismissed for incompetence. 他因不称职而被解雇。
• She felt she had been made a scapegoat for her boss's incompetence. 她觉得，本是老板无能，但她却成了替罪羊。

6 aloof   

adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的

参考例句：

• Never stand aloof from the masses.千万不可脱离群众。
• On the evening the girl kept herself timidly aloof from the crowd.这小女孩在晚会上一直胆怯地远离人群。

7 cowardice   

n.胆小，怯懦

参考例句：

• His cowardice reflects on his character.他的胆怯对他的性格带来不良影响。
• His refusal to help simply pinpointed his cowardice.他拒绝帮助正显示他的胆小。

8 retarded   

a.智力迟钝的，智力发育迟缓的

参考例句：

• The progression of the disease can be retarded by early surgery. 早期手术可以抑制病情的发展。
• He was so slow that many thought him mentally retarded. 他迟钝得很，许多人以为他智力低下。

9 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

10 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

11 surmount   

vt.克服；置于…顶上

参考例句：

• We have many problems to surmount before we can start the project.我们得克服许多困难才能著手做这项工作。
• We are fully confident that we can surmount these difficulties.我们完全相信我们能够克服这些困难。

12 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

13 vent   

n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄

参考例句：

• He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
• When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

14 tonic   

n./adj.滋补品，补药，强身的，健体的

参考例句：

• It will be marketed as a tonic for the elderly.这将作为老年人滋补品在市场上销售。
• Sea air is Nature's best tonic for mind and body.海上的空气是大自然赋予的对人们身心的最佳补品。

15 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

16 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。