If I Were a Freshman Again

IfIWereaFreshmanAgain如果我能再次成为大一学生ThomasArkleClark1)Itisthehabitofagetogivesageadvicetoyouth.Oneofthepastimesinwhicheveryoneperiodicallyindulgesisthepleasanthallucinationthatifheweregiventheopportunitytolivehisyouthoveragainhewoulddoitdifferentlyandmoresuccessfully.Weareallofus,eventhoughwehavenomorethanreachedmiddleage,giventoregrettingourneglectedopportunitiesandourlostyouth.Itgivesoneavirtuousfeelinginimaginationtododgeallerrorbutitisextremelydoubtfulifmanyofus,evenifwehadasecondchance,wouldavoidmanyofthepitfallsintowhichwestumbled,orfollowastraighterpaththanthatbywhichwehavesofarcome.Ifitismerelypleasantforustoconjecturewhatweshoulddoifwehadasecondtryatit,itmaybeprofitableforthosewhoareyoungertolisten.Ifonlyforesightcouldbeasaccurateasthebackwardview!1)给年轻人一些金玉良言是老人们的习惯。大家偶尔喜欢的一种娱乐就是美滋滋地幻想如果有机会再年轻一次，他会少走弯路、更加成功。尽管不过人到中年，我们都习惯于后悔曾经坐失良机、虚度青春，这让我们在想像中有一种高尚的感觉――避免所有的错误。而特别值得怀疑的是，即使有第二次机会，我们当中的许多人真的就能避免我们犯过的错误，或者少走一些我们走过的弯路。如果说猜测再给一次机会我们会怎么做对于我们只是自我安慰，对于那些听我们讲故事的年轻人可能就会获益匪浅。先见要是与后见一样准确无误该多好！WorkFewerHours事半功倍2)IfIwereafreshmanagainIshouldnotworksomanyhoursasIdid.Iputinenoughhourswithmybooksinmyhands,butIdidnotaccomplishmuch.Ihadlittleconcentration.ManystudentswhomIknew,andIwasoneofthissort,spentagreatdealoftimeingettingreadytowork.Withabookinhandtheylookoutofthewindowatthecloudsorattheprettygirlspassingalongthestreet,andallthetimetheydeceivethemselveswiththeideathattheyareworking.2)如果我能再次成为大一学生，我会少花一些时间在学习上。我手捧书本的时间是够了，可是收效却甚微，因为我有些心不在焉。我知道许多学生――我就是其中之一――把大量的时间花在做准备工作上，他们手里拿着一本书，眼睛却看着窗外的白云或者街上走过的漂亮女孩，而且从头到尾欺骗自己说自己在学习3)Manyanevening,whentheworkwasheavy,Iwoulddeterminetobeginearlyandgetitoverwith;butIcouldspendhalfanhourinarrangingmybooksandgettingmyselfseatedinacomfortablechair.AllthistimeIimaginedIwasworking.IspentasmuchtimeingoadingmyselfontodutiesthatIshouldhavelikedtoshirkoringettingreadytoworkasIdidinactuallabor.IfIwereafreshmanIshouldplanmywork,Ishouldtrytodevelopconcentration―Ishouldworkharderbutnotsolong.3)无数个傍晚，只要学习任务很重，我就会下决心早动手早完工，可是我可能会花半个小时整理书本、坐到一把舒服的椅子上，在整个过程中，我一直想像自己是在学习。对于我想逃避或者应该准备的工作，我会磨蹭半天，磨蹭的时间和工作的时间一样多。如果我能再次成为大一学生，我会做事有、学习更专心――我会更加努力但是少花时间。LearntoWorkwithPeopleaboutMe闹中取静4)Ishouldlearntoworkwithpeopleaboutme.AsitwasIlivedasomewhatisolatedlife.Ididmyreadingandmystudyingalone,andthoughthereweresomeadvantagesinthismethod,therewereseriousobjections.NowImustoftenworkunderdifferentconditionsthanthosebywhichIwassurroundedincollege;thereisworktobedonewherethereisnoquiet,andIdoitwithdifficulty.AsItriedonacrowdedoceansteamertoputthesewanderingthoughtsonpaperIwasconstantlyannoyedbytheconfusionaboutmeandbythespasmodicattemptsatconversationmadebyawell-intentionedbutmisguidedyoungmanatmyside.IfIhadlearnedtoworkunderdifferentconversationsImighthaveturnedtheconversationasideasasteeproofshedstherain.Ibelieveitisagreatadvantageforayoungmantodohisworkhimself,butheshouldnotsubjecthimselftotheslaveryofdoingitalone.4)我会学会在周围有人的环境中工作。实际上，我的生活有些与世隔绝。我一个人看书，一个人学习，这种方法虽然也有一些优点，却也有着严重的缺点。现在我经常要在与大学完全不同的环境里工作，手里有活儿要干，周围却不那么安静，结果我就感到很吃力。曾经有一次在一艘拥挤的海船上，我正想把这些纷乱的思绪写下来，却不时受到一些干扰，身边一位出于好心但误入歧途的年轻人有一茬儿没一茬儿地想跟我说话。如果我学会了在不同的对话场合工作，我可能就避免了和他的谈话，就像陡屋顶让雨水滑落一样。我认为让年轻人自己做事好处不少，但是他不应该一个人死扛。TakeMoreDifficultWork知难而进5)Ishouldtakeasafreshman,ifIhadmyworktodooveragain,moreworkthatIhavenoespecialfondnessfororthatIfinddifficult.Ilikeaneasytimeaswellasanyone,andIdonotwishtogivetheimpressionthatIthinkitanerrorforastudenttofollowtheprofessionheenjoysortodotheworkhelikes.InpointoffactIbelievethatastudentshouldchoosethoselinesofworkalongwhichhistastesleadhim.Ithinkitverylikelythatthosethingswedomosteasilyweshalldobest;butIhavefoundthattrainingcomesthroughstruggle,andthatthosepeoplearedevelopedmostwhoresistmost,orwhostruggleagainstdifficultyandoppositionandovercome.Ihadknownagoodmanygeniuses,buttheygenerallyhadthemostcommonplacecareersbecausetheyneverlearnedtododifficultordisagreeablethings.5)如果重新来过，作为大一学生，我会做一些我不喜欢或者发现很难做的工作。我跟每个人一样喜欢随遇而安，我不希望给人留下这样的印象：认为学生从事自己喜欢的职业或者做他喜欢的工作是一种错误。实际上，我认为学生应该根据他的兴趣爱好选择这些工作。我认为我们做得最顺手的工作可能做得最好，但我发现训练来自斗争，反抗最厉害、迎着困难和反对上并克服障碍的人发展得最好。我认识许多天才，他们一般都从事最普通的职业，因为他们从未学会做难度很大或者不合意的事情。6)Studentscomeintomyofficeeverydaywhowanttogetoutofworkortodropasubject,ortocutaclassexercisefornobetterreasonthanthattheyfindthedutydifficultortheinstructororthesubjectdull.Muchoftheworkoflifeisnotpleasant.HalfthethingsIamforcedtododuringthebusydaysofthecollegeyearareunpleasantthingsandthingsIdislikedoing.IhavebeenforcedtolearntogivethesethingsmybestattentionwhetherIlikethemornot.IwishIhadlearnedinmyfreshmanyeartodomoresuchthings.6)每天都有学生到我的办公室来，他们想不做作业、不修一门课、或者不参加一次课堂活动，仅仅因为作业太难，因为老师或者课程让人烦。生活中许多工作都会让人烦，我在大学里就忙得要命，硬着头皮做的事情有一半是让我烦和不愿做的，不管喜欢不喜欢，我只能学习专心致志地做这些事情。真希望大一的时候我学会了多做一些这样的事情。7)JustyesterdayasIwassittingatthebreakfasttabletalkingtoayoungfreshman,inwhomIhavearathervitalinterest,astonextyear'scourse,IsuggestedasubjectwhichIthoughtgoodforhimtotake."Isiteasy?"washisfirstquestion,andwhenIansweredinthenegativehisinterestwaned.Intheworldinwhichwemustintimeworktherearefeweasyroads,fewsnapcourses.Weshallbeforcedtodoagreatmanyhardthings.IfIwereafreshmanIshouldlearntodosuchthingsearly.7)就在昨天，我还在早饭桌上和一个我非常感兴趣的大一学生就下一年的课程进行过讨论，我建议他修一门我认为对他有好处的课程。“那门课容易吗？”这是他提的第一个问题，当我回答说不容易时，他马上就开始打退堂鼓了。在这个世界上，我们最终都得工作，可容易走的路太少，容易读的课程不多，我们不得不做许多难做的工作。如果我是大一学生，我会早学会做这样的事情。BecomeAReadySpeaker能说会道8)Likeagreatmanypeople,IsupposeIamnotnowdoingtheworkthatasacollegestudentIplannedtodo.Iaminnosenseafatalist,butIamconvincedthatmenhavetheirworkchosenforthemquiteasoftenastheythemselveschooseit.IfIhadsupposedthatIshouldbecalledupontospeakonthemostunforeseenoccasionsanduponthemostunfamiliartopics,IshouldhavegivenmyselfwhileincollegethepracticewhichIbelieveisthemethodeveryonemustemployifheistobecomeareadyspeaker.Ihavelearnedthat,soonerorlater,everyintelligentmaniscalleduponpubliclytoexpresshisideas,andnomatterhowabundantthesethoughtsmaybe,hewillsuffermuchpainandhavelittlesuccessunlesshehashadprettyregularandpersistentpractice.8)和许多人一样，我想我现在做的工作并不是我读大学时计划做的。我决不是个听天由命的人，但我相信人的工作一半是自己选择的，一半是别人替你选择的。如果我早知道我会被邀请在最无法预测的场合就最不熟悉的话题发表演讲，我就该在读大学的时候做一些练习，我相信要想成为出色的演讲者就得使用这种方法。我发现每一位智者迟早都会被要求公开发表意见，无论他的思想可能有多么丰富，除非他训练有素并持之以恒，否则他会痛苦不堪、难以取胜。9)Iranacrossanoldclassmatelastspring,anengineerofnolittlerepute,whomIhadnotmetsincethedayofourgraduation."Howwouldyouchangeyourcourse,"Isaidtohim,expectingthathewouldlongformoremathematics,"ifyouhaditalltodooveragain?"9)去年春天，我偶然碰到一位老同学，他是位名气不小的工程师，毕业之后我们就没有见过面。“你会怎样更改你的课程，”我问他，期待他会说想学更多的数学，“如果你有机会重上一次大学？”10)"IshouldlearntowriteandIshouldlearntospeak,"heanswered,"andIshouldbeginasafreshman.AsitwasIavoidedeveryopportunitytodoeither,withtheideathatonlyministersandlawyershaveneedofsuchpractice,andIsufferforiteveryday.Myboyistobeanengineer,butIamgoingtoseethathedoesnotmakethemistakethatImade."10)“我会学会写作，学会演讲，”他回答说，“而且我会从大一开始，实际上，这两件事我都刻意回避过，心想只有神父和律师需要这样的训练，而我现在每天都因此而受罪。我儿子想成为一名工程师，我准备把把关不让他重复我犯过的错误。”11)WhenIamcalleduponunexpectedlytospeak,andmykneesshake,andmyvoicefalters,andthewordthatIlongforcomeswithdifficulty,orfailstocomeatall,Iagreewithmyclassmate,andIfeelsurethatifIwereafreshmanagainIshouldlearntospeakcorrectlyandwithoutnotes.11)当我突如其来接到演讲邀请、双膝发抖、声音发颤、想用的词半天才出来或者干脆不出来的时候，我同意我同学的看法，并且我敢肯定如果我能再次成为大一学生，我会学会出口成章并且不用带演讲稿。