Anonymous
成功生活之要诀
心灵寄语
许多人终其一生也未寻找到自己的目标，有的甚至连通向成功的第一步也不曾迈出。渴望成功的人啊，你准备好了吗？
The first requirement of effective living is that we should have some sort of aim。Generally speaking，the difference between a successful person and an unsuccessful one is that the former knows what he wants，and bends every effort towards
securing that end，while the latter has only a vague idea of what it is he is trying to do with his life。
Such a person may have daydreams in plenty，may wish vaguely to be and do this，that，and the other，but that is a vastly different thing from having a definite objective in living an all-constraining aim towards which all interest and effort are directed。
Ask half of a dozen people what their aim in life is。You will be amazed to discover how greatly most of them will be taken by surprise at the question，and how they will have considerable difficulty in answering it with any certainty。More important-ask yourself the question。What is your own dominant aim？What do you want to do and be，more than anything else in the world？Unless you can answer this question，at once in a few crisp1sentences，you have not really started on the path of successful living。
The aim need not be anything very startling like making a fortune，or establishing a nation-wide chain of business，or writing a best-seller。It may be to widen your general culture by ordered and regular reading。It may be to become as efficient as you possibly can be in your own job，even though that job is a limited one。It may be to engage in some sort of voluntary social service。It may be to lay in your own home the basis of a truly happy family。
Any one of these aims could become an engrossing2and satisfying pursuit，greatly enriching your own life，and that of the community in which you live。The human spirit is capable of almost inconceivable3triumphs。We shall save ourselves some unnecessary frustration and heart-break，if we choose an aim which is reasonably within the scope of the powers with which we have been endowed。Once the aim is fixed，we must be willing to undergo the necessary discipline，and to attain the necessary knowledge and competency to fulfill it。
Somebody once said，“Genius is 10percent inspiration and 90percent perspiration。”Many people fail to achieve their object because，while enamored4of the aim，they are less enamored of the effort required in its fulfillment。They think how lovely it would be to play like Paderewski，but they are not willing to practice long hours daily as he did。They dream of writing a bestseller or of having their name in lights，but imagine that such things can be achieved simply by thinking about them！
Whatever our aim，we need an insatiable5thirst for knowledge about it。On the tombstone of a famous scholar are the words，“He died learning。”Learned as he was，he never imagined that he knew everything that was to be known。But mere theoretical knowledge is not enough。The runner needs to know all about the science of starting，about poise6，about breathing。But he learns to run by running so，too，the artist will learn about perspective，anatomy7，color-blending and much besides，but he perfects his art by painting！
No aim can be achieved without determination。The difficulties that can be overcome，the problems that can be solved，and the success that can be achieved by the exercise of the will，are simply astonishing。Here lies one of the truly dynamic powers of the human spirit。
But coupled with the will there must be an emotional drive of imagination，too。The interest and enthusiasm with which we give ourselves to the task in hand determine to a large extent the measure of success we shall achieve。We do best those things which we love doing。
佚名
要使我们的生活更有意义，首要条件便是要有自己的目标。一般来说，成功者与失败者的区别在于，前者知道他自己的目标是什么，并竭尽全力达到最终的成功，而后者对于自己毕生要追求的目标只有一个很模糊的概念。
这种人会做一些白日梦，也许只是会模糊地想象着成为这样或者那样的人，但这与那种有着明确生活目标的人是完全不同的——那种人会将所有兴趣和精力都倾注在自己的目标上。
如果随便问几个人，他们的生活目标是什么。你会惊奇地发现，大部分人面对这个问题时是多么意外，而要他们给出明确的答案又是多么困难。更重要的是——问问自己这个问题。你自己最大的目标是什么？在这个世界上，你最想做什么，最想成为什么样的人？除非你能立即简明扼要地作出答复，要不然，你就还没有真正地开始通往成功生活的旅途。
目标不一定要多么地远大，像是成为大富豪，成立一个全国连锁的商业机构，或成为畅销书作家。你的目标可以是通过有安排、有规律的读书来拓宽自己的知识面；可以是尽己所能来提高自己的工作效率，即便它只是一项平庸的工作；也可以是从事某种社会志愿工作；还可以是使自己的家庭变成一个真正幸福温暖的小窝。
以上提及的每种目标，都可以成为引人入胜或是令人满意的追求，它们能极大地充实你的生活以及你所处的社交圈。人类的精神力量可以实现难以想象的成功。如果我们选择一个自己力所能及的目标，便可以减少一些不必要的挫败与沮丧。一旦确定了目标，我们必须经受必要的磨砺，从而获取必要的知识和能力来实现自己的目标。
有人曾经说过，“天才就是10%的灵感加90%的汗水。”许多人无法实现自己的目标，原因在于他们虽然对自己的目标怀有热情，却从来不付出应有的努力。他们幻想着自己能像帕代莱夫斯基那样弹奏钢琴该有多好，但是他们又不愿意像他那样每天长时间地练习。他们梦想成为一名畅销书作家，或者名扬天下，但是，却幻想着这样的目标单凭想象便可实现！
无论我们怀揣什么样的目标，都需要一种对相关知识无尽渴求的精神。在一位著名学者的墓志铭上，刻着这样一行字：“他一生都在学习。”他已满腹经纶，却从未觉得自己已学会了这世间的一切。但是，理论知识的学习还是不够的。赛跑运动员需要学习所有关于起跑、姿势、呼吸的知识。但是，他必须通过真正的跑步才能学会这门技能。同样，画家也要学习透视、剖析、调解以及其他理论知识，但他必须通过绘画才能使技艺日臻完美。
如果没有决心，任何目标都难以实现。人类意志的力量是惊人的，它能让我们一次又一次地克服困难，解决问题，获取成功。它正是人类的精神动力之一。
除了意志，与其相伴的还必须有想象力这种情感因素的驱动。对于现在的工作所付出的兴趣和热情，在很大程度上，决定着我们将会取得多大的成功。做自己喜欢的事情，我们会做得完美出色。
V
词汇空间
ocabulary
1.crisp adj。 干脆的，简明扼要的
2.engrossing adj。 使人全神贯注的，引人入胜的
3.inconceivable adj。 不可思议的，难以置信的
4.enamored adj。 倾心的，被迷住的
5.insatiable adj。 无法满足的，贪得无厌的
6.poise n。 体态，姿态
7.anatomy n。 解剖，解剖学
文化链接
Culture Background
1.畅销书
“畅销书”（Bestseller）一词最初起源于美国。1895年，美国《读书人》登载了十九个城市书店中最畅销的六本书的书名，这被认为是历史上第一张畅销书单。1897年，这家杂志又发表了全美“最好销的书”的书单。第一次世界大战后，“畅销书”这一称法才逐渐普及到美国以外的各国出版界。
2.志愿工作者
志愿工作者又名义工或志工，是通常不求物质报酬，出于自由意愿，付出时间及精神，工作去服务社会及他人。2001年是国际志愿工作者年。有些人会志愿去做一些具慈善性质的工作，如照顾孤寡老人、孩子、弱势社群等。有些人则会志愿做临床试验，甚至也有些人愿意在死后捐出自己的身体器官，供科学研究之用。志愿工作者常见于慈善团体、社团、政党的工作人员。
妙语拾珠
1.The difference between a successful person and an unsuccessful one is that the former knows what he wants，and bends every effort towards securing that end，while the latter has only a vague idea of what it is he is trying to do with his life。
成功者与失败者的区别在于，前者知道他自己的目标是什么，并竭尽全力达到最终的成功，而后者对于自己毕生要追求的目标只有一个很模糊的概念。
2.No aim can be achieved without determination。The difficulties that can be overcome，the problems that can be solved，and the success that can be achieved by the exercise of the will，are simply astonishing。
如果没有决心，任何目标都难以实现。人类意志的力量是惊人的，它能让我们一次又一次地克服困难，解决问题，获取成功。它正是人类的精神动力之一。
