卷首語 · 本文來自我同學的朋友圈，我們共同在燕園有過一段學習的時光，十三年前一別之后知道她后來落腳大洋彼岸，三四年前在畢業(yè)十周年的典禮上我們見過一次。今天看到她在朋友圈分八段貼出來的這篇文章，我給她留言：我?guī)湍闵蓚€帖子吧，我想會有很多家長和教育工作者獲得啟發(fā)。感謝我這位同學的慷慨分享！祝賀你的女兒！也祝福你們?nèi)遥?/blockquote>

媽媽的“序言”

女兒五年級的演講，主題是“毅力”。她先寫了一個初稿，我看過后不是很滿意，給了她一些修改建議。在第二稿的基礎上，對于我讀法學院那一段她當時年紀太小記憶不夠清晰，我按事實稍做調(diào)整。關(guān)于我讀書那一段，尤其是晚上吃葵花仔免得睡著那幾句話，我覺得是家里的私事，公開說出來有點感覺別扭。后來一想，這是孩子記憶的一部分，我不應該因為自己的想法去影響孩子，所以只是建議她刪除決定權(quán)在于她。

沿襲前兩年的風格，女兒仍然是脫稿演講。現(xiàn)場演講長達九分鐘多，結(jié)束后全場掌聲經(jīng)久不息。如以往一樣，很多老師給予她很高的評價。有個老師甚至說“Sophia將來可能會成為改變世界的那部分人之一”。女兒是我們最大的驕傲和欣慰。很多老師和小朋友專門跑到女兒跟前，告訴她“你講得真棒”。還有兩個小朋友寫了簡短的紙條贊揚她。

這讓我不由得想起美國教育的另一個特點，或者至少是私立學校教育的特點，就是注重孩子品行和情商的培養(yǎng)。比如，女兒的同學們大部分都非常優(yōu)秀，但他們之間沒有妒忌心。女兒兩歲時就自發(fā)地給表演的小朋友鼓掌；三歲時有一天從幼兒園回來特別興奮地特別自豪地告訴我她班有個小男孩可以自己讀書了（后來我和別的家長提起，別的小孩子也有同樣的興奮和驕傲）；這么多年來，無論哪個小朋友無論哪方面的努力，都會得到老師們家長們同學們的贊譽。女兒去年參加拼寫比賽，本以為得第一的，可卻由于小失誤被提前淘汰，女兒當場忍不住哭了出來。好多老師和小朋友過來安慰她，說她已經(jīng)做得很棒了，還有的小朋友說“你已經(jīng)進到?jīng)Q賽，已經(jīng)很好了，我都沒有進去呢”?？吹竭@些，我心里充滿了感動和欣慰，感恩女兒在這樣的環(huán)境中身心健康地成長。

女兒的演講正文

Perseverance is an important trait we, humans and animals, all share that helps us succeed in life, from passing a test to getting a job, from hunting for food to taking care of their young.? Many famous people have worked years to earn fame because it rarely comes overnight. However, they persevered and earned themselves a name.

毅力是我們，包括人類及動物，所共同擁有的有助于我們成功的重要特質(zhì)，從通過一門考試至找到一份工作，從獵取食物到照顧幼獸。很多名人都是辛苦工作多年，因為名聲不是旦夕之間可以贏得的。他們堅持不懈地努力，最終才取得成就。

I think to persevere means to keep on going towards a goal in spite of difficulties, to continue no matter how many times you fail. For example, take Thomas Alva Edison, inventor of the light bulb. Sources disagree how many times he tried and failed, but figures estimate from 1,000 to as high as 9,000 times. He worked for almost two years on the light bulb. He spent days, weeks, and months working on that one project! Edison tried more than 6,000 plant types to get the light bulb to burn longer. Even after it was patented, he was constantly adjusting and improving it. What if he had given up? No stage lights, no reading lamps, and no Christmas lights! We might still be using candles to light our homes!

我認為毅力意味著要持之以恒地為達成目標而努力，無論有多艱難，無論要失敗多少次。以愛迪生，燈泡的發(fā)明者為例。資料對于他失敗的次數(shù)沒有準確記載，但高達1000至9000次。他不斷地工作了約兩年才最終發(fā)明了燈泡。他夜以繼日地為了這一個項目而工作。他隨后為了讓燈泡延長使用壽命，他嘗試了6000多種型號。即使在他取得燈泡專利后，他仍然不斷地持續(xù)進行調(diào)整及提高燈泡產(chǎn)品。他若放棄了會如何？沒有閱讀燈、沒有舞臺燈、沒有圣誕燈！我們或許仍然要在家里使用蠟燭照明！

Another great example is the story of Helen Keller. At nineteen months old, she contracted a disease that left her deaf and blind. Her teacher, Anne Sullivan faced many challenges. How do you teach someone who can’t hear to speak? How do you teach someone who can’t see to read and write? Answer: with a lot of patience and perseverance. Anne worked with Helen for a year before any major progress was made. Helen realized the motions Anne was making on her palm meant “water” while Anne ran cold water over her other hand. Helen then exhausted Anne asking the names of everything around her. Helen later wrote twelve books and toured the world to speak about her experience.?

另一個例子是海倫凱勒。她在19個月大時感染疾病，致使她失去聽力和視力。她的老師安妮要面對很多挑戰(zhàn)。如何教一個聽不到的人說話？如何教一個看不見的人閱讀寫字？安妮教了海倫一年多仍未取得大的進展，直至有一天當安妮讓涼水流過海倫的手時，海倫終于知道了“水”字。海倫隨后纏著安妮教她周圍所有的東西。海倫最終寫了十二本書，并環(huán)游世界演講她的經(jīng)歷。

In this story, I think Anne Sullivan showed more perseverance than Helen. She worked patiently, determined to teach Helen how to read, write, and speak. She worked hard in order to reach her goal. Without her, Helen might never have learned to communicate, and then she would never have made an impact on the world.

在這個故事里，我覺得安妮比海倫更有毅力。她傾注了耐心，下定決心教海倫讀書、寫字和說話。她努力達成了她的目標。若沒有她，海倫可能永遠學不會與人溝通，她亦將不會給世界帶來影響。

Someone in my life who has shown a lot of perseverance is my mother. My mother first worked as an accountant. Then she decided to pursue a law degree. She had to take night classes while working in downtown Los Angeles during the day and raising a child - me! I was only three, but I remember going to the classes with her sometimes because my dad had to work. As a part-time student, it took her four years to earn her degree. When she finally graduated, she was one of the top students in her class! Then it was the time for her to pass the California state bar - one of the hardest tests in the country - in order to get an attorney license. Many American-born law students have taken the test three or four times.? English was a foreign language to my mother. But my mother was undaunted. She thought, “I’ve worked so hard on this. My entire family has sacrificed a lot for me to study. I don’t want to do this again.? I’ll take the test once, and I will pass. Period.” She studied day and night for ten weeks. In the evening, she would say good night to me and then go downstairs to study, eating sunflower seeds to keep herself awake because coffee didn’t work anymore. Occasionally she fell asleep on the table!

在我的生命中，我媽媽是一個非常有毅力的人。她先是一個注冊會計師，然后她決定去讀法學院。她當時需要白天在洛杉磯市中心工作，晚上去法學院上課，還要養(yǎng)育一個孩子---我！我當時只有三歲，但我仍然記得當我爸爸有工作時，我得和媽媽一起在法學院上課的情景。作為一個非全職學生，我媽媽要學習四年才能取得學位。當她最終畢業(yè)時，她是全年級成績最好的學生之一！然后她要參加加州律師資格考試，這被譽為全美最難的考試之一。許多美國本土的法學院學生要考三四次才能通過。英語不是我媽媽的母語。但是她仍然不畏艱難。她想“我已經(jīng)付出了很多努力，我的家人亦為此做出很多犧牲，我不想再考一次，我這次一定要過”。她夜以繼日地學習了十周。她會每天晚上和我說過晚安后，再下樓學習，她需要吃葵花子讓自己保持清醒，因為咖啡已經(jīng)不起任何作用。她偶爾會趴著桌子上睡著了。

I remember how happy and proud the whole family was when Mom checked online and found that she had passed the bar. I think my mom was the proudest, though. After all, she had set the goal, and, with a lot of hard work and perseverance, she reached it.

我記得當媽媽最終在網(wǎng)上查到她通過考試的時候，全家都非常高興和驕傲。我覺得媽媽是最驕傲的。畢竟是她設定了目標，并在付出了努力和不懈地堅持后，最終得以達成。

Animals also show perseverance… oftentimes more than humans. Every winter, king salmon swim more than 2,000 miles – the distance between San Francisco and Chicago – to get to their birthplace. There are many amazing things about this journey. First, they swim upstream, against the current, which is no easy feat because the water keeps pushing them back. Second, they have to overcome predators, such as bears, wolves, and humans. And lastly, they do it all without eating a single bite of food.

動物也非常有毅力，有時甚至高于人類。每年冬天，三文魚要游兩千多英里——從舊金山到芝加哥的距離——回到它們的出生地。這個漫長的旅途極具特色。首先，它們是從下游逆流而上，因為水流不斷地把它們沖回去。其次，它們要面對各種各樣的捕獵者，如熊、狼、人類。最后，它們整個行程不吃任何東西。

After the king salmon swim to their birthplace, they lay eggs. The exhausted mothers will not leave the nest. They stay until they die or until they aren’t strong enough to fight the current and are swept away. The salmon persevered and achieved their goals, even though it came at a high price – their lives.

當三文魚終于游回它們的出生地后，它們開始產(chǎn)卵。已經(jīng)萬分疲憊的媽媽們不會離開產(chǎn)卵地，直至生命的盡頭或虛弱到被流水沖走。三文魚持之以恒，終于達成了目標，即使付出了高昂的代價——生命。

I think of the time that I’ve used the most perseverance was this year. Brain Boosters are optional packets that Mr. Gately makes with various challenging math and word puzzles. Mr. Gately said that he hadn’t expected anyone to make it to Packet #10, but someone did, so he made numbers 11-17. As soon as I heard that, I thought, “I want to make it to #17. No, I don’t want to, I’m going to.” Saying is one thing. Doing is another. But I did. I went Brain Booster crazy. I spent lots of time on it at night and on weekends. I really enjoyed myself. I broke the record and finished #10 by the second week of October. Then I hit #11. The hardest thing was the Samurai Sudoku, a variation of regular Sudoku puzzles that features five conjoined grids.

我生平最有毅力的事發(fā)生在今年。Brain Boosters是Mr. Gately（女兒的數(shù)學老師）編制的由孩子們課余自選要不要做的智力數(shù)學題或拼詞題。老師最初只做了十套，后來有小朋友做完了十套，他就又編制了十一至十七套。我一聽到這些，我就決定要做完所有十七套。說是一回事兒，做是另一回事兒。但我做到了。我迷上了做這些題。我在每天放學后和周末花了大量的時間做題。我非常享受做題的樂趣。我創(chuàng)紀錄僅于十月第二周即完成了第十套，開始做第十一套。最難的是綜合數(shù)獨題，是有五套相連的數(shù)獨組成的。

Throughout the packets, it wasn’t uncommon for me to stay up until 10:00 p.m. finishing one so I could turn it to Mr. Gately in the next morning. Once, I was up till 11:00 p.m. working on a Samurai puzzle on #16. Guess what? I will finish #17 this week!? I work hard to accomplish my goal.

在做題期間，我經(jīng)常會做到十點鐘以便第二天可以交給老師。我甚至在做第十六套題里的綜合數(shù)獨時一直做到十一點。我終于可以在本周完成第十七套了！我努力以達成我的目標。

Here are the five simple steps to help with perseverance. First, set your goal and make sure it deserves your perseverance. To go after a worthy goal is perseverance; to go after an unworthy goal is stubbornness.

下面是關(guān)于毅力的五個步驟。首先，我們要設定目標，并確保這個目標值得為此付出毅力。努力實現(xiàn)有意義的目標是有毅力，努力實現(xiàn)無價值的目標是固執(zhí)。

Second, think of what you might miss if you pursue this goal and make sure you are willing to sacrifice it.? Once you are determined, then it is a commitment you make to yourself. For example, I skipped a party so that I could finish a Brain Booster.

第二，想清楚你在追求目標的過程中可能錯失的，確保你愿意付出代價。一旦決定了，就要義無反顧。比如，我曾經(jīng)放棄了參加聚會以完成一套Brain Booster.

Third, begin. Lao Zi, a Chinese philosopher that lived 2,000 years ago, once said, “Every journey begins with a single step.” I could fantasize all I wanted about finishing Brain Booster #17, but I would have to start working on #1 to get to #17.

第三，付諸行動。老子，生活在兩千多年前的中國的哲學家，曾說過“千里之行，始于足下”。我可以任意幻想我完成了第十七套題，但是我必須從第一套題開始逐步完成至第十七套題。

Fourth, only go as fast as you feel comfortable. Set your own pace. Remember the old saying: Slow and steady wins the race!

第四，按照你自己舒適的步伐和節(jié)奏來。記住有句老話“慢行穩(wěn)健才能贏”。

Lastly, just keep going. If you work hard enough, you’ll eventually reach your goal. Don’t overthink it. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, and you’ll get there.

最后，持續(xù)前行。只有你足夠努力，你最終總是會達成目標。不要思慮過度。堅持一步一步往前走，你總會到終點。

I think of perseverance like mountain climbing. First, plan your trip. Second, make sure you’re committed. Third, start the trip. Next, don’t rush yourself. Look around. Take a break when you get tired. And lastly, just keep climbing. Finally, you make it to the peak. You turn around to get your reward: the beautiful mountaintop view of the city, or the forest, or the sea, or wherever your mountain is.

我認為毅力就好比爬山。先計劃行程，并確保你愿意為之努力。然后開始，不要過度催促自己，看看周圍，累了就休息一下。最后，堅持往上爬。終于你可以到達目的地。你可以環(huán)顧四周獲取你的獎勵：美麗的城市風光、或森林、或海洋、或山周圍的任何風景。

You may not reach your goal the first time you try. That’s okay. It happens to all of us. Just keep on going.? “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

你第一次嘗試可能不會達成目標。沒關(guān)系，這在每個人身上都會發(fā)生。只要持續(xù)前行?！叭绻悴荒茱w那就跑，如果你不能跑那就走，如果你不能走那就爬，無論如何，你都一定要堅持往前。”馬丁路德金。

Perseverance is being strong when you feel weak. Perseverance is working hard when you feel tired. Perseverance is the strength to keep on going. We all have it in us; we just have to use it. Thank you!

毅力是當你感覺脆弱時讓你堅強。毅力是當你疲倦時讓你堅持。毅力是讓你持續(xù)前行的力量。我們每一個人都有，我們只是需要多用。謝謝大家！