背上背包去旅行：旅行的6堂人生课

 　　Travel versus¹ college: the eternal debate rages on with no clear-cut winner. Faced with rising tuition costs and a less than satisfying job market, many would-be college students are ditching their knapsacks and textbooks for rucksacks and guidebooks. But is putting your future on hold for a year of travel the best idea?

　　去旅行还是读大学：对于这个问题，人们一直争执不休、不分胜负。面对不断上涨的高额学费和就业市场不甚乐观的前景，很多准大学生们都丢开书包、背上背包，选择去旅行。但是把未来放在一边，先去旅游一年，这到底是不是个好主意呢？

　　Although both sides have their merits, there are simply some things you'll never learn from scribbling² notes in a stuffy³ lecture hall. Struggling to choose between travel and college? Consider these six lessons travel teaches you that college never will:

　　尽管这两个选择都有各自的优点，但有些事情你永远都不会从乏味课堂里乱涂乱记的笔记中学会。正在纠结是去旅行还是读大学吗？考虑一下旅行教给你的这六堂人生课，这些是读大学永远也学不到的：

　　背上背包去旅行：旅行的6堂人生课

　　1) You are capable of more than you've ever imagined.

　　你的能力超乎你的想象。

　　No one can deny it: Travel is transformative. And I'm not talking about tired clichés like "how backpacking through Europe changed my life", but the ability of travel to affect a tangible⁴ and lasting⁵ impact on your life.

　　无人否认：旅行即革新。我说的不是那些陈词滥调：“遍游欧洲怎样改变了我的生活”，我要说的是旅行会对你的生活产生切实而持久的影响。

　　Travel can turn introverts⁶ into extroverts⁷, bring confidence to the meek⁸, and create adrenaline junkies out of thin air; it pushes your physical and mental limits, forcing you to quickly adapt to uncomfortable and unfamiliar⁹ situations.

　　旅游可以使性格内向的人变得外向，温顺的人增强信心，还能凭空激发出强烈激情，发掘你的身体极限和心理极限，迫使你快速适应不舒服和不熟悉的环境。

　　Want to see what you're truly made of? Travel.

　　想真正了解一下自己吗？那就去旅行。

　　2) People are fundamentally good.

　　人之初，性本善。

　　Whether you live in New York, Dubai or Karachi, human beings are driven by the same basic desires. We care for our family and friends. We seek to protect our loved ones. We strive to improve our lives day after day. Most importantly, we look out for one another.

　　无论你生活在纽约、迪拜或是卡拉奇，人类的基本欲望是相同的。我们关心家人和朋友，努力保护我们所爱的人，努力改善我们的生活，让日子过得越来越美好。最重要的是，我们照顾彼此。

　　Without experiencing the world for ourselves we often lose sight of that, relying instead on cheap stereotypes¹⁰ to guide our thinking. Travel reminds us that we are more bound by similarities than separated through differences.

　　我们不亲身体验这个世界的话，就会迷失自我，受廉价的思维定势影响。旅行提醒我们，我们对熟悉的环境亲近无比，而对陌生的环境拒之千里。

　　Good is stronger -- and more prevalent -- than evil. Get out there and see for yourself.

　　美好的力量比邪恶的力量强大，美好也比邪恶更普遍。走出去，自己亲身体验。

　　3) You are but a tiny blip on a giant radar¹¹.

　　你只是大雷达上波动着的一个小红点。

　　Our whole lives we're told were special. Starting at home, continuing into our school years, and even into college, parents, teachers, friends, and work colleagues all do their best to remind us just how important we are.

　　一生中，别人都会告诉我们，我们都是特别的。从家里开始，一直到我们多年的在校求学生活，甚至到了大学阶段，父母、老师、朋友和同事始终都在极力地提醒着我们，我们有多么的重要。

　　It can be painful at first, but travel will knock that right out of you. Travel humbles¹² you; it makes you truly realize just how small you are in this great big world.

　　旅行的最初阶段会感觉很痛苦，但旅行会让你重新认识自己。旅行使你变谦逊，使你真正意识到你在这个大大的世界上是多么的渺小。

　　You are a mere¹³ speck¹⁴ in an infinite universe. Accept it: You'll see it's not so bad.

　　你在一个无限宇宙中只是一个小斑点。接受它：你会发现并没那么糟糕。

　　4) Stereotypes are ridiculous.

　　思维定势很荒谬可笑。

　　Hollywood can really numb¹⁵ your common sense. If we believed everything we'd ever seen in the movies, we'd think all Russians are villains¹⁶, all American college kids are alcoholics¹⁷, and that all Australians do is hunt crocodiles and surf.

　　好莱坞真会让你的常识变麻木。如果我们认为电影里都是真的，那么所有的俄罗斯人都是坏人、美国大学的孩子都酗酒、所有的澳大利亚人都猎鳄鱼和冲浪。

　　Fortunately, travel clears your mind of (most of) that rubbish. Wander around a little and you'll discover that not all Germans are serious, not all Canadians are overly polite, and not all Swedish women are supermodels.

　　好在旅行会让你的头脑保持清醒，清理掉（大部分）垃圾。周游一下你会发现并不是所有德国人都严谨认真、并不是所有加拿大人都礼貌有加、并不是所有瑞典女性都是名模。

　　Well, maybe that last one's true.

　　嗯，也许最后一条是真的。

　　5) The world is not a dangerous place.

　　世界并不危险。

　　Turn on the news at any given moment: Reports about civil wars, armed struggles or terrorist attacks are never too far away. It's no wonder that announcing travel plans for places like Turkey, Israel or Indonesia can send loved ones into a panic. (I speak from experience.)

　　随时打开新闻：报道的内容总是内战、武装斗争、恐怖袭击。难怪一提出去土耳其、以色列或印尼的旅行计划，亲人就会陷入恐慌。（我说的都是我的亲身经历。）

　　Negative news sells, and without venturing beyond your backyard, it's easy to assume that chaos¹⁸ reigns¹⁹ as soon as you step out of your country's borders. Never do we hear those feel-good, heart-warming local news stories from around the world. They're out there. You just need to find them.

　　一系列负面新闻，再加上你不去后院外面活动，你自然会认为一旦跨出国界就会面临一个混乱的世界。我们从来不会在新闻报道中听到世界各地有那种给人感觉良好、温暖感动的地方和国家。这样的地方是有的，只是需要你自己去寻找。

　　6) One person can make a difference.

　　我们也可以不同凡响。

　　Grand gestures get all the attention. With philanthropists doling²⁰ out millions of dollars to charities, it's difficult to see how ordinary people like us can affect positive change.

　　做大事业吸引所有人的眼球。慈善家给慈善机构捐款数百万美元，像我们这样的普通人却很难看到我们能做出什么有影响力的作为。

　　Travel shows you the other side of the coin: how tiny gestures can add up to something truly meaningful. You'll see that don't need to save a whole village or solve all the world's problems to impact lives. Be the difference for one person at a time. Even the small can become mighty²¹.

　　旅行能为你展现出另一面：改变再小都是有真正意义的变化。你会发现无需拯救整个村庄或解决世界上所有的问题，就会对生活产生影响。一个人的变化即使再小也可以变得很强大。

1 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

2 scribbling   

n.乱涂[写]胡[乱]写的文章[作品]v.潦草的书写( scribble的现在分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下

参考例句：

• Once the money got into the book, all that remained were some scribbling. 折子上的钱只是几个字！ 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• McMug loves scribbling. Mama then sent him to the Kindergarten. 麦唛很喜欢写字，妈妈看在眼里，就替他报读了幼稚园。 来自互联网

3 stuffy   

adj.不透气的，闷热的

参考例句：

• It's really hot and stuffy in here.这里实在太热太闷了。
• It was so stuffy in the tent that we could sense the air was heavy with moisture.帐篷里很闷热，我们感到空气都是潮的。

4 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

5 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

6 introverts   

性格内向的人( introvert的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Extroverts tend to lack self-discipline while introverts lack courage. 性格外向的人缺乏自我约束力，而性格内向的人则缺乏勇气。
• I an introvert and introverts get drawn in. 我是个内向的人而且内向是天生的。

7 extroverts   

性格外向的人( extrovert的名词复数 )； 活跃、愉快、爱交际的人

参考例句：

• In the second half, the students were criticized. Extroverts were unfazed. 在后半部分，举不动时学生要受批评，外向性格的学生表现出不满。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 大脑与疾病
• Extroverts prefer lively conversation to brooding on the meaning of life. 性格外向的人喜欢高谈阔论，而不愿思索人生的意义。

8 meek   

adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的

参考例句：

• He expects his wife to be meek and submissive.他期望妻子温顺而且听他摆布。
• The little girl is as meek as a lamb.那个小姑娘像羔羊一般温顺。

9 unfamiliar   

adj.陌生的，不熟悉的

参考例句：

• I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
• The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。

10 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

12 humbles   

v.使谦恭( humble的第三人称单数 )；轻松打败（尤指强大的对手）；低声下气

参考例句：

• The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. 他使人贫穷、使人富足．人卑微、使人高贵。 来自互联网
• Do you see how Ahab humbles himself before Me? 29亚哈在我面前这样自卑，你看见了么？ 来自互联网

13 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

14 speck   

n.微粒，小污点，小斑点

参考例句：

• I have not a speck of interest in it.我对它没有任何兴趣。
• The sky is clear and bright without a speck of cloud.天空晴朗，一星星云彩也没有。

15 numb   

adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木

参考例句：

• His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
• Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。

16 villains   

n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 )；罪犯；（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物；淘气鬼

参考例句：

• The impression of villains was inescapable. 留下恶棍的印象是不可避免的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some villains robbed the widow of the savings. 有几个歹徒将寡妇的积蓄劫走了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

17 Alcoholics   

n.嗜酒者，酒鬼( alcoholic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many alcoholics go on drinking sprees that continue for days at a time. 许多酒鬼一次要狂饮好几天。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Do you have a copy of the Alcoholics Anonymous book? 你手上有戒酒匿名会的书吗？ 来自互联网

18 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

19 reigns   

n.君主的统治( reign的名词复数 )；君主统治时期；任期；当政期

参考例句：

• In these valleys night reigns. 夜色笼罩着那些山谷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The Queen of Britain reigns, but she does not rule or govern. 英国女王是国家元首，但不治国事。 来自辞典例句

20 doling   

救济物( dole的现在分词 )； 失业救济金

参考例句：

• "What are you doling?'she once demanded over the intercom. 有一次他母亲通过对讲机问他：“你在干什么？ 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• Many scrollbars are quite parsimonious in doling out information to users. 很多滚动条都很吝啬，给用户传递的信息太少。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

21 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。