卷首语 · 本文来自我同学的朋友圈，我们共同在燕园有过一段学习的时光，十三年前一别之后知道她后来落脚大洋彼岸，三四年前在毕业十周年的典礼上我们见过一次。今天看到她在朋友圈分八段贴出来的这篇文章，我给她留言：我帮你生成个帖子吧，我想会有很多家长和教育工作者获得启发。感谢我这位同学的慷慨分享！祝贺你的女儿！也祝福你们全家！

妈妈的“序言”

女儿五年级的演讲，主题是“毅力”。她先写了一个初稿，我看过后不是很满意，给了她一些修改建议。在第二稿的基础上，对于我读法学院那一段她当时年纪太小记忆不够清晰，我按事实稍做调整。关于我读书那一段，尤其是晚上吃葵花仔免得睡着那几句话，我觉得是家里的私事，公开说出来有点感觉别扭。后来一想，这是孩子记忆的一部分，我不应该因为自己的想法去影响孩子，所以只是建议她删除决定权在于她。

沿袭前两年的风格，女儿仍然是脱稿演讲。现场演讲长达九分钟多，结束后全场掌声经久不息。如以往一样，很多老师给予她很高的评价。有个老师甚至说“Sophia将来可能会成为改变世界的那部分人之一”。女儿是我们最大的骄傲和欣慰。很多老师和小朋友专门跑到女儿跟前，告诉她“你讲得真棒”。还有两个小朋友写了简短的纸条赞扬她。

这让我不由得想起美国教育的另一个特点，或者至少是私立学校教育的特点，就是注重孩子品行和情商的培养。比如，女儿的同学们大部分都非常优秀，但他们之间没有妒忌心。女儿两岁时就自发地给表演的小朋友鼓掌；三岁时有一天从幼儿园回来特别兴奋地特别自豪地告诉我她班有个小男孩可以自己读书了（后来我和别的家长提起，别的小孩子也有同样的兴奋和骄傲）；这么多年来，无论哪个小朋友无论哪方面的努力，都会得到老师们家长们同学们的赞誉。女儿去年参加拼写比赛，本以为得第一的，可却由于小失误被提前淘汰，女儿当场忍不住哭了出来。好多老师和小朋友过来安慰她，说她已经做得很棒了，还有的小朋友说“你已经进到决赛，已经很好了，我都没有进去呢”。看到这些，我心里充满了感动和欣慰，感恩女儿在这样的环境中身心健康地成长。

女儿的演讲正文

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.

毅力是我们，包括人类及动物，所共同拥有的有助于我们成功的重要特质，从通过一门考试至找到一份工作，从猎取食物到照顾幼兽。很多名人都是辛苦工作多年，因为名声不是旦夕之间可以赢得的。他们坚持不懈地努力，最终才取得成就。

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!

我认为毅力意味着要持之以恒地为达成目标而努力，无论有多艰难，无论要失败多少次。以爱迪生，灯泡的发明者为例。资料对于他失败的次数没有准确记载，但高达1000至9000次。他不断地工作了约两年才最终发明了灯泡。他夜以继日地为了这一个项目而工作。他随后为了让灯泡延长使用寿命，他尝试了6000多种型号。即使在他取得灯泡专利后，他仍然不断地持续进行调整及提高灯泡产品。他若放弃了会如何？没有阅读灯、没有舞台灯、没有圣诞灯！我们或许仍然要在家里使用蜡烛照明！

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. 

另一个例子是海伦凯勒。她在19个月大时感染疾病，致使她失去听力和视力。她的老师安妮要面对很多挑战。如何教一个听不到的人说话？如何教一个看不见的人阅读写字？安妮教了海伦一年多仍未取得大的进展，直至有一天当安妮让凉水流过海伦的手时，海伦终于知道了“水”字。海伦随后缠着安妮教她周围所有的东西。海伦最终写了十二本书，并环游世界演讲她的经历。

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.

在这个故事里，我觉得安妮比海伦更有毅力。她倾注了耐心，下定决心教海伦读书、写字和说话。她努力达成了她的目标。若没有她，海伦可能永远学不会与人沟通，她亦将不会给世界带来影响。

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，我妈妈是一个非常有毅力的人。她先是一个注册会计师，然后她决定去读法学院。她当时需要白天在洛杉矶市中心工作，晚上去法学院上课，还要养育一个孩子---我！我当时只有三岁，但我仍然记得当我爸爸有工作时，我得和妈妈一起在法学院上课的情景。作为一个非全职学生，我妈妈要学习四年才能取得学位。当她最终毕业时，她是全年级成绩最好的学生之一！然后她要参加加州律师资格考试，这被誉为全美最难的考试之一。许多美国本土的法学院学生要考三四次才能通过。英语不是我妈妈的母语。但是她仍然不畏艰难。她想“我已经付出了很多努力，我的家人亦为此做出很多牺牲，我不想再考一次，我这次一定要过”。她夜以继日地学习了十周。她会每天晚上和我说过晚安后，再下楼学习，她需要吃葵花子让自己保持清醒，因为咖啡已经不起任何作用。她偶尔会趴着桌子上睡着了。

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.

我记得当妈妈最终在网上查到她通过考试的时候，全家都非常高兴和骄傲。我觉得妈妈是最骄傲的。毕竟是她设定了目标，并在付出了努力和不懈地坚持后，最终得以达成。

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.

动物也非常有毅力，有时甚至高于人类。每年冬天，三文鱼要游两千多英里——从旧金山到芝加哥的距离——回到它们的出生地。这个漫长的旅途极具特色。首先，它们是从下游逆流而上，因为水流不断地把它们冲回去。其次，它们要面对各种各样的捕猎者，如熊、狼、人类。最后，它们整个行程不吃任何东西。

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.

当三文鱼终于游回它们的出生地后，它们开始产卵。已经万分疲惫的妈妈们不会离开产卵地，直至生命的尽头或虚弱到被流水冲走。三文鱼持之以恒，终于达成了目标，即使付出了高昂的代价——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发生在今年。Brain Boosters是Mr. Gately（女儿的数学老师）编制的由孩子们课余自选要不要做的智力数学题或拼词题。老师最初只做了十套，后来有小朋友做完了十套，他就又编制了十一至十七套。我一听到这些，我就决定要做完所有十七套。说是一回事儿，做是另一回事儿。但我做到了。我迷上了做这些题。我在每天放学后和周末花了大量的时间做题。我非常享受做题的乐趣。我创纪录仅于十月第二周即完成了第十套，开始做第十一套。最难的是综合数独题，是有五套相连的数独组成的。

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.

在做题期间，我经常会做到十点钟以便第二天可以交给老师。我甚至在做第十六套题里的综合数独时一直做到十一点。我终于可以在本周完成第十七套了！我努力以达成我的目标。

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.

下面是关于毅力的五个步骤。首先，我们要设定目标，并确保这个目标值得为此付出毅力。努力实现有意义的目标是有毅力，努力实现无价值的目标是固执。

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，想清楚你在追求目标的过程中可能错失的，确保你愿意付出代价。一旦决定了，就要义无反顾。比如，我曾经放弃了参加聚会以完成一套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，付诸行动。老子，生活在两千多年前的中国的哲学家，曾说过“千里之行，始于足下”。我可以任意幻想我完成了第十七套题，但是我必须从第一套题开始逐步完成至第十七套题。

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，按照你自己舒适的步伐和节奏来。记住有句老话“慢行稳健才能赢”。

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，持续前行。只有你足够努力，你最终总是会达成目标。不要思虑过度。坚持一步一步往前走，你总会到终点。

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.

我认为毅力就好比爬山。先计划行程，并确保你愿意为之努力。然后开始，不要过度催促自己，看看周围，累了就休息一下。最后，坚持往上爬。终于你可以到达目的地。你可以环顾四周获取你的奖励：美丽的城市风光、或森林、或海洋、或山周围的任何风景。

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.

你第一次尝试可能不会达成目标。没关系，这在每个人身上都会发生。只要持续前行。“如果你不能飞那就跑，如果你不能跑那就走，如果你不能走那就爬，无论如何，你都一定要坚持往前。”马丁路德金。

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!

毅力是当你感觉脆弱时让你坚强。毅力是当你疲倦时让你坚持。毅力是让你持续前行的力量。我们每一个人都有，我们只是需要多用。谢谢大家！