美文欣赏：遵从本心 做你自己（双语）

 　　There will never be anyone else like you in the future of the universe. That's why being yourself is more important than anything else.

　　宇宙中再不会有一个人和你一样。这就是为什么做自己比什么都重要。

　　That's how life works: two steps forward, followed by one-and-a-half back as those who lost their power try to reverse the process.

　　生活就是这样：向前迈两步，接着后退一步半，而失去权势的人努力想要逆转这个顺序。

　　Those who benefit most from the status quo are naturally the least interested in change, and they find allies in the fearful and the authoritarian¹. Conformity² always includes a threat of punishment if you fail to fit in, whether it comes from ridicule³, being shunned⁴ by others, or direct attack.

　　从现状得益最多的人自然是最不希望改变的，他们与畏首畏尾者还有权威主义者结成联盟。如果你不能适应随大流，遵从一致往往有遭惩罚的风险，或是受人奚落，或是别人避之不及，甚至是受到直接攻击。

　　There’s a more fundamental power behind the urgency with which authoritarian conservatives seek to suppress individuality. That power is lack of trust. Wise leaders and outstanding thinkers are alike in two things: they’re usually non-conformists —and they display a deep trust in the basic goodness, intelligence, and capacity for development of their fellow human beings.

　　权威主义派的保守者急不可耐要压抑个性有其更为根本的原因，那就是缺乏信任。明智的领导和杰出的思想家有两点是相似的：他们不随大流，他们对他人的本善、才智和能力发展表现出高度信任。

　　In stark⁵ contrast, the most determined⁶ proponents⁷ of conformity have always been dictatorships. Under a dictatorship, any kind of variation from prescribed ways of thinking or acting⁸ is punished. Conservative thinkers often suggest too much freedom will lead to anarchy⁹ and the collapse¹⁰ of all standards.

　　与之对照鲜明的是，顺从最为顽固的要素在于独裁专制。在独裁控制下，凡有悖既定思维和有违既定行为者都会受到惩处。保守派思想常告诫，过度自由会引发混沌无序、会破坏标准。

　　Being who and what you are is the most natural thing there is. There may be a cost. Some people, even some friends, will disapprove¹¹ of you as you truly are and will let you know it. There will be setbacks along the way. Yet the price for being yourself can never be as great as the price you will pay for stepping aside from your basic nature: a price paid in frustration¹², dissatisfaction, and the hopeless realization¹³ of all that you might have been, but now can never attain¹⁴.

　　做自己是最自然的事情。也许会有代价，一些人，有些甚至是朋友，会不认可真实的你，并且告诉你，一路都会有挫折。但做自己的代价永远不会像违背你的本心代价那么大，背离自我的代价是挫败感、不满不悦、曾经可以企及的目标和愿望，如今却无望实现。

　　Take up the challenge. Conformity has very little to recommend it. Trust yourself and trust others. Mediocrity and inner frustration are the true price of conforming. Only those with the courage openly to live their dreams can ever hope to find lasting¹⁵ satisfaction with their lives.

　　接受挑战吧。循规蹈矩没什么可以褒奖的。相信自己，相信他人。平庸无才和内心挫折才是默守陈规真正的代价。只有敢于实现梦想、心怀勇气的人才能在生命中获得源源不断的满足感。

1 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

2 conformity   

n.一致，遵从，顺从

参考例句：

• Was his action in conformity with the law?他的行动是否合法？
• The plan was made in conformity with his views.计划仍按他的意见制定。

3 ridicule   

v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄

参考例句：

• You mustn't ridicule unfortunate people.你不该嘲笑不幸的人。
• Silly mistakes and queer clothes often arouse ridicule.荒谬的错误和古怪的服装常会引起人们的讪笑。

4 shunned   

v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was shunned by her family when she remarried. 她再婚后家里人都躲着她。
• He was a shy man who shunned all publicity. 他是个怕羞的人，总是避开一切引人注目的活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

6 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

7 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句

8 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

9 anarchy   

n.无政府状态；社会秩序混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• There would be anarchy if we had no police.要是没有警察，社会就会无法无天。
• The country was thrown into a state of anarchy.这国家那时一下子陷入无政府状态。

10 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

11 disapprove   

v.不赞成，不同意，不批准

参考例句：

• I quite disapprove of his behaviour.我很不赞同他的行为。
• She wants to train for the theatre but her parents disapprove.她想训练自己做戏剧演员，但她的父母不赞成。

12 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

13 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

14 attain   

vt.达到，获得，完成

参考例句：

• I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。
• His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。

15 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。