英语背诵美文：迷失的自我

 　　“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” ——Henry David Thoreau

　　迷失自我，才能开始认识自我。——亨利·大卫·梭罗

　　Everything about my future was ambiguously assumed. I would get into debt by going to college, then I would be forced to get a job to pay off that debt, while still getting into more and more debt by buying a house and a car. It seemed like a never-ending cycle that had no place for the possibility of a dream.

　　我们未来的一切似乎都模糊地设定好了，利用贷款上大学，然后为了还债被迫去找一份工作，还要为了买房买车背负更多的债务……这仿佛是一个无休止的循环，让我们的梦想没有实现的机会。

　　I want more—but not necessarily in the material sense of personal wealth and success. I want more out of life. I want a passion, a conceptual dream that wouldn't let me sleep out of pure excitement. I want to spring out of bed in the morning, rain or shine, and have that zest¹ for life that seemed so intrinsic in early childhood.

　　我们想要的更多——并不是对于个人财富和成功等物质性需求，我们对于生活，想要更多。我想要热忱、有概念的梦想，让我不会空怀纯粹的兴奋入睡。我希望能在早晨一跃起床，无论是阳光普照还是刮风下雨，也能对生活充满热情，就像我们的童年时固有的一样。

　　We all have a dream. It might be explicitly² defined or just a vague idea, but most of us are so stuck in the muck of insecurity and self-doubt that we just dismiss it as unrealistic or too difficult to pursue.

　　我们都有梦想，无论它是明确的目标还是模糊的主意，但我们大多数人都受困于不安全和自我怀疑的泥泞里，我们把梦想看做是不现实的、难以追求的，最后放弃了。

　　We become so comfortable with the life that has been planned out for us by our parents, teachers, traditions, and societal norms that we feel that it's stupid and unsafe to risk losing it for the small hope of achieving something that is more fulfilling.

　　我们变得满足于父母、老师、传统及社会规条为我们营造的安逸生活。为了那一点点能够为生活变得更充实的希望去冒险，我们会认为这是愚蠢和危险的。

　　“The policy of being too cautious is the greatest risk of all.” ~Jawaharlal Nehru

　　过于谨慎才是最大的危险——贾瓦哈拉尔·尼赫鲁（印度开国总理）

　　Taking a risk is still a risk. We can, and will, fail. Possibly many, many, many times. But that is what makes it exciting for me. That uncertainty³ can be viewed negatively, or it can empower us。

　　冒险始终还是有风险。我们，也有可能失败，还有可能是失败很多很多次。但这会让我们更加兴奋。不确定因素看起来有不利，但同时也能激励我们。

　　Failing is what makes us grow, it makes us stronger and more resilient to the aspects of life we have no control over. The fear of failure, although, is what makes us stagnant⁴ and sad. So even though I couldn't see the future as clearly as before, I took the plunge⁵ in hopes that in the depths of fear and failure, I would come out feeling more alive than ever before.

　　失败能让我们成长，让我们更强大，让我们更能适应生活中难以控制的各个方面。对于失败的恐惧，让我们停滞不前，悲伤不已。尽管不能清晰地看见未来，在恐惧和失败的深渊里，我们也要保持希望，那么我们将活得更有生命力。

　　If you feel lost, just take a deep breath and realize that being lost can be turning point of finding out who you truly are, and what you truly want to do.

　　如果你迷失了自我，请深呼吸，迷失或许能成为你人生的转折点，让你发现真正的自己，并让你知道自己想真正成为怎样的人。

1 zest   

n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣

参考例句：

• He dived into his new job with great zest.他充满热情地投入了新的工作。
• He wrote his novel about his trip to Asia with zest.他兴趣浓厚的写了一本关于他亚洲之行的小说。

2 explicitly   

ad.明确地，显然地

参考例句：

• The plan does not explicitly endorse the private ownership of land. 该计划没有明确地支持土地私有制。
• SARA amended section 113 to provide explicitly for a right to contribution. 《最高基金修正与再授权法案》修正了第123条，清楚地规定了分配权。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

3 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

4 stagnant   

adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的

参考例句：

• Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
• Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

5 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。