06 A Lesson of Life生活的一课
“Everything happens for the best，”my mother said whenever l faced disappointment.“If you carry on,one day something good will happen. And you'll realize that it wouldn't have happened if not for that previous disappointment.”
“一切都会好的。”每当我遇到挫折时，母亲就会说：“如果你坚持下去，总要一天会有好事发生。如果没有以前的挫折，就不会有现在的一切。”
Mother was right,as l discovered after graduating from college in 1932，I had decided to try for a job in radio,then work my way up to sports announcer. l hitchhiked to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station—and got turned down every time.In one studio,a kind lady told me that big stations couldn't risk hiring an inexperienced person.“Go out in the sticks and find a small station that'll give you a chance，”she said.I thumbed home to Dixon,lllinois.
母亲是对的，发现这个是在1932年，我刚从大学毕业。我已决定试着在电台找个事儿做，然后争取做体育节目的播音员。我搭便车到了芝加哥，挨个电台地敲门推销自己——但每次都被拒绝了。在一个播音室里，一位好心的女士告诉我，大的广播电台是不会冒险雇用没经验的新手的。我搭车回到我的家乡，那是伊利诺伊州的迪克森。
While there were no radio—announcing jobs in Dixon,my father said Montgomery Ward had opened a store and wanted a local athlete to manage its sports department. Since Dixon was where l had played high school football,l applied.The job sounded just right for me.But l wasn't hired.
在迪克森当时还没有电台播音员这样的工作，父亲说，蒙哥马利·沃德开了一家新商店，想雇请一个本地的运动员管理店里的体育部。我中学时曾在迪克森打过橄榄球，出于这个原因我去申请了这份工作。工作听起来挺适合我的，但是我没被聘用。
My disappointment must have shown.“Everything happens for the best.”Mom reminded me. Dad offered me the car to hunt job.I tried WOC Radio in Davenport,lowa.The program director,a wonderful Scotsman named Peter MacArthur told me they had already hired an announcer.
我的沮丧心情一定表现出来了。母亲提醒我：“一切都会好的！”爸爸给我买了一辆汽车找工作用。我试着到爱荷华州达文波特的WOC电台去求职。那里的电台节目总监是一个很棒的苏格兰人，名叫彼得·麦克阿瑟，他告诉我他们已经雇到播音员了。
As l left his office,my frustration boiled over. l asked aloud，“How can a fellow get to be a sports announcer if he can't get a job in a radio station.”I was waiting for the elevator when l heard MacArthur calling，“What was that you said about sports?Do you know anything about football?”Then he stood me before a microphone and asked me broadcast an imaginary game.
离开他办公室时，我的挫折感达到了极点。我大声地说：“一个连在电台都找不到工作的家伙又怎么能成为体育节目的播音员呢？”等电梯时，我听到麦克阿瑟喊道：“你说什么体育？你懂橄榄球吗？”接着他让我站到麦克风前面，请我解说一场想象中的比赛。
On my way home,as l have many times since,l thought of my mother's words，“If you carry on,one day something good will happen. Something wouldn't have happened if not for that previous disappointment.”
在回家的路上——以后也有很多次的，我思考着母亲的那句话：“如果你坚持下去，总要一天会有好事发生。如果没有以前的挫折，就不会有现在的一切。”
I often wonder what direction my life might have taken if l'd not gotten the job at Montgomery Ward.
我常想，如果当年我得到蒙哥马利·沃德的那份工作，我的人生之路又会怎样走呢？
hitchhike[ˈhɪtʃhaɪk]v.搭便车
例 Two men hitchhike towards Los Angeles a 1937 photo.
1937年，两个想搭便车到洛杉矶的男人。
studio[ˈstjuːdiəʊ]n.工作室；演播室；画室；电影制片厂
例 The studio is midway between his aunt’s old home and his cottage.
工作室就在从他姑姑的老宅到他的小屋的途中。
thumb[θʌm]v.以拇指拨弄；做搭车手势；笨拙地摆弄；翻阅
例 It may interest you to know that a boy answering Rory’s description thumbed a ride to Howth.
你或许会对这个消息感兴趣，有个和罗里描述的一模一样的小男孩搭便车到了霍斯。
athlete[ˈæθliːt]n.运动员，体育家；身强力壮的人
例 I was no athlete.
我根本不是当运动员的料。
announcer[əˈnaʊnsə（r）]n.广播员；宣告者
例 A radio announcer may have an audience of millions.
一个广播员可能拥有数百万名听众。
frustration[frʌˈstreɪʃn]n.挫折；失败；挫败；失意
例 Sometimes frustration and anger can boil over into direct and violent action.
有时挫折和愤怒会以直接的暴力形式爆发出来。
fellow[ˈfeləʊ]n.家伙；朋友；同事；会员
例 He stood out in terms of competence from all his fellows.
他在能力上远远胜过其他同事。
imaginary[ɪˈmædʒɪnəri]adj.想象的；虚构的，假想的
例 Lots of children have imaginary friends.
许多孩子都会凭空想象一些朋友。
①Mother was right,as l discovered after graduating from college in 1932，I had decided to try for a job in radio,then work my way up to sports announcer.
work one's way up to努力成为/做到……
例 He has worked his way up from junior clerk to managing director.
他从初级职员升到总经理。
②While there were no radio—announcing jobs in Dixon,my father said Montgomery Ward had opened a store and wanted a local athlete to manage its sports department.
通常情况下while和when的意思一样：“当……时候”，但while在该句话中为连词，意为“然而”。
例 The two ministers have yet to meet,but may do so while in New York.
两位部长尚未会面，但可能会在纽约碰头。
The first two services are free,while the third costs£35. 00.
前两项服务免费，但是第三项服务要花35英镑。
③I was waiting for the elevator when l heard MacArthur calling，“What was that you said about sports?Do you know anything about football?”
when引导时间状语从句，表示“当……的时候”，when既可以指时间段，也可指时间点，从句中既可用延续性动词，也可用非延续性动词，且动作既可和主句的动作同时发生，又可在主句的动作之前或之后发生。
例 When the decision was read out Mrs.Gardner thanked the judges.
判决书宣读完，加德纳夫人向法官们表示感谢。
例 When the wind blows,all the doors rattle.
只要风一吹，这门就吱嘎作响。
1.The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.
世界上对勇气的最大考验是忍受失败而不丧失信心。
2.A man's best friends are his ten fingers.
人最好的朋友是自己的十个手指。
3.Only they who fulfill their duties in everyday matters will fulfill them on great occasions.
只有在日常生活中尽责的人才会在重大时刻尽责。
4.The reason why a great man is great is that he resolves to be a great man.
伟人之所以伟大，是因为他立志要成为伟大的人。
5.Suffering is the most powerful teacher of life.
苦难是人生最伟大的老师。
6.Death comes to all,but great achievements raise a monument which shall endure until the sun grows old.
死亡无人能免，但非凡的成就会树起一座纪念碑，它将一直立到太阳冷却之时。
7.The world is like a mirror：Frown at it and it frowns at you；smile,and it smiles too.
世界犹如一面镜子：朝它皱眉它就朝你皱眉，朝它微笑它也朝你微笑。
8.There's only one corner of the universe you can be sure of improving,and that's your own self.
这个宇宙中只有一个角落你肯定可以改进，那就是你自己。
9.One never lose anything by politeness.
讲礼貌不吃亏。
10.The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at a time.
做许多事情的捷径就是一次只做一件事。