中英双语美文21：我想改变世界

I Wanted to Change the World

我想改变世界

By Byron Pulsifer

——拜伦·普尔西弗

Change is one of the tough choices in life. How many times have you wanted to help someone else change their ways only to find that they keep moving on in the same direction and with the same behaviours and attitudes? You can present as manyrational arguments as you want but still the same old.

改变是人生中一个艰难的抉择。你有过多少次想要帮助别人改变他们的生活方式，但最后往往发现他们依旧保持一贯的行为方式和生活态度，沿着过去的生活轨迹继续前行?只要你愿意，你可以举出各式理性的依据，但是一切仍然是老样子。

rational adj. 合理的；理性的 n. 有理数

Take for example, a colleague at work who keeps doing the same job over and over again despite the need to adopt new ways, or more efficient ways to get the job done. What is the reason for this lack of adaptation?

举个例子，尽管一项工作需要采取新的或者更有效的方式来完成，一个职员却总是反复采用相同的工作方式。如何解释这种适应性的缺乏?

One reason may be that they are too set in a comfort zone because that is the way that has always worked for them and they know it cold. To ask them to adopt a new method of working requires them to move out of their comfort zone, and to take a risk that they might not be able to adopt the new procedure without making a mistake.

一种原因或许是他们太习惯于这个舒适区了，因为这就是他们一贯的工作方式，而且他们十分了解这种方式。如果想让他们采用一种新的工作方式，就需要他们走出舒适区，而且要冒一定的风险。因为他们或许不能在不犯错的情况下采用新的工作方式。

For several years, I worked in the social justice area and spoke to many hundreds if inmates in provincial prisons, and to inmates on their way to federal penitentiary. During these hundreds of conversations, one theme began to show over and over again. That theme was this: there was nothing I could say or do that would help them to change their life simply because they did not want to.

我在社会司法领域工作过几年，同成百上千的关押在省监狱或者即将转入联邦监狱的罪犯交谈过。在这么多次的谈话中，有一个主题反复出现：我不知道要说什么或者是做什么来帮助他们改变他们的人生，因为他们不想改变。

To make any kind of change, one has to have the will and determination to do it. There is only one who can do it and that is the person who is in charge of their own destiny.

不管是做何种改变，一个人首先必须有这种想要改变的愿望和决心。只有一个人可以做到，那个人就是掌控他们自己命运的人。

destiny n. 命运，定数，天命

The same applies to addicts of any sort. An addict can be sent to a detox centre but upon release, the only decision to get involved again with the addictive substance is the person.

同样的道理也适用于各种瘾君子。吸毒者可以被送到排毒中心。但是一旦被释放，能决定再次沾染毒品的只有他自己。

Each person has a choice; the choice to do as one may wish and as one wants remains with the individual. If a person sees no benefit to change, they will not change.

每个人都有自己的选择。这个按照一个人的意愿而做出的选择只属于那个人。如果一个人觉得改变不会给自己带来好处，那么他就不会选择改变。

Several years ago, I experienced a similar challenge with one of my staff members. There was a real need to change the way we conducted our service and I desperately needed everyone on board. Part of the issue with this particular person wasn’t that she did not understand the need to change, nor was it that she did not have the experience and knowledge to change.

几年前，我经历了一次类似的挑战。这次经历与我的一名工作人员有关。当时，我们开展服务的方式确实需要改变。我特别需要所有人都能参与这种改变。这个员工的问题既不是她不理解改变的必要性，也不是她没有改变所需要的经验和知识。

It was really a matter that she did not want to adapt because she had always done it the old way and saw no benefit to doing their particular service in a new way. So, my challenge was to find a special benefit to her so she would decide that to change would be of special benefit to her. In the end, I was able to speak privately with this staff member and outline a special benefit to her that would satisfy her to want to change.

她不想改变是因为她一直按照老方式工作，而且并没有看到新的工作方式给她带来的好处。所以，对我的挑战就是要找到特别的好处给她，这样她就会认识到改变对于她是有特殊的好处的。最后，我私下里跟她谈了一次，并把她愿意为之改变的好处讲给她听。

If you want to help someone change, they must first want to change. If they do not want to change it is the same thing as leading a horse to water. You can get the horse there but you can’t make them drink. The story below, which was written by an Unknown Monk, in 1100 A.D., reflects we can only change ourselves.

如果你想帮助别人改变，前提是他们想改变。如果他们不想改变，这就如同强马饮水。牵马到河易，强马饮水难。下面这个故事是一个不知名的僧侣在公元1100年写的。故事反映的道理是，我们只能改变我们自己。

When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.

当我年轻的时候，我想改变世界。但我发现改变世界很难，因此我试着去改变我的国家。当我发现我也改变不了国家的时候，我开始想着要改变我居住的小镇。我也没能改变小镇。年纪大一些了，我尝试改变我的家人。

Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.”

现在，我已然是一位老人。我才意识到我所能改变的只有我自己。我突然觉得如果很久之前就改变自己，我就可以影响到我的家人。我的家人和我就可以影响我的镇子。他们的影响力就可以改变国家，那样的话，我就真正改变了世界。