The drive to succeed and the accompanying fear of failure have held back some of the greatest creators and change agents in history. Concerned with maintaining stability and attaining conventional achievements, they have been reluctant to pursue originality. Instead of charging full steam ahead with assurance, they have been coaxed, convinced, or coerced to take a stand. While they may seem to have possessed the qualities of natural leaders, they were figuratively—and sometimes literally—lifted up by followers and peers. If a handful of people hadn’t been cajoled into taking original action, America might not exist, the civil rights movement could still be a dream, the Sistine Chapel might be bare, we might still believe the sun revolves around the earth, and the personal computer might never have been popularized.
1.accompanying：accompany本身表示陪同、伴随，这里的“accompanying fear of failure”表示对前面“the drive to succeed”跟随的状态，可以理解为“又想追求成功同时又害怕失败”。
例句：Each pack contains a book and accompanying CD.
2.agent：原动力，对事态起重要作用的人或物，someone or something that affects or changes a situation.
例句：Technological advances are the chief agents of change. 技术进步是变革的主要推动力。
3.maintaining stability and attaining conventional achievements：保持稳定并获得唾手可得的成就，这里的maitaining和attaining两个动词对仗押韵，值得注意。
4.full steam ahead：全力以赴，doing something with as much energy and effort as possible. steam原意为蒸汽，可引申为蒸汽发动机➡️动力➡️声势.
例句：With last season’s misery behind them, it’s full steam ahead for the Bears. 上一赛季惨败后，熊队现在全力以赴。
5.coaxed, convinced, or coerced：又是一组层层递进又押头韵的表达。
coax表示哄、诱导，to persuade someone to do something that they do not want to do by talking to them in a kind, gentle, and patient way. 这个词的重点在于态度-in a kind, gentle and patient way.
例句：We had to coax Alan into going to school. 我们只好哄着艾伦去上学。
convince：这个词相对比较熟悉，除了“使…信服”的含义，还有“劝服”的意思，可以与persuade做同义替换。
例句：I’ve been trying to convince Jean to come with me. 我一直在设法说服琼跟我一起去。
coerce：强制、迫使，to force someone to do something they do not want to do by threatening them.可以与force做同义替换。
例句：The rebels coerced the villagers into hiding them from the army. 叛乱者强迫村民将他们藏起来，以躲避军队。
6.possess：表示拥有、持有，是一种比较正式的说法，to have a particular quality or ability.
例句：Different workers possess different skills. 不同的工人拥有不同技能。
7.figurative：形象的，可以做比喻的，a figurative word or phrase is used in a different way from its usual meaning, to give you a particular idea or picture in your mind.
例句：He’s my son, in the figurative sense of the word. 打个比方，他就像是我的儿子。
8.a handful of：少数人，几个人，a very small number of people or things.可以与a few of等做同义替换。
例句：There were only a handful of people there. 那里只有几个人。
9.cajoled: 同样表示劝服，to gradually persuade someone to do something by being nice to them, or making promises to them.
例句：We do our best to cajole rich countries into helping. 我们尽力说服富裕国家提供援助。
10.revolve around：revolve表示旋转，与around搭配表示“围绕着…旋转”，to move in circles around something.
例句：The moon revolves around the Earth. 月亮绕着地球转。
