IhaveafriendnamedMontyRobertswhoownsahorseranchinSanYsidro.Hehasletmeusehishousetoputonfund-raisingeventstoraisemoneyforyouthatriskprograms.ThelasttimeIwasthereheintroducedmebysaying,“IwanttotellyouwhyIletJackusemyhouse.Itallgoesbacktoastoryaboutayoungmanwhowasthesonofanitineranthorsetrainerwhowouldgofromstabletostable,racetracktoracetrack,farmtofarmandranchtoranch,traininghorses.Asaresult,theboy’shighschoolcareerwascontinuallyinterrupted.Whenhewasasenior,hewasaskedtowriteapaperaboutwhathewantedtobeanddowhenhegrewup.”“Thatnighthewroteaseven-pagepaperdescribinghisgoalofsomedayowningahorseranch.Hewroteabouthisdreamingreatdetailandheevendrewadiagramofa200-acreranch,showingthelocationofallthebuildings,thestablesandthetrack.Thenhedrewadetailedfloorplanfora4,000-square-foothousethatwouldsitona200-acredreamranch.”“Heputagreatdealofhisheartintotheprojectandthenextdayhehandeditintohisteacher.Twodayslaterhereceivedhispaperback.OnthefrontpagewasalargeredFwithanotethatread,‘Seemeafterclass.’”“Theboywiththedreamwenttoseetheteacherafterclassandasked,‘WhydidIreceiveanF?’”“Theteachersaid,‘Thisisanunrealisticdreamforayoungboylikeyou.Youhavenomoney.Youcomefromanitinerantfamily.Youhavenoresources.Owningahorseranchrequiresalotofmoney.Youhavetobuytheland.Youhavetopayfortheoriginalbreedingstockandlateryou’llhavetopaylargestudfees.There’snowayyoucouldeverdoit.’Thentheteacheradded,‘Ifyouwillrewritethispaperwithamorerealisticgoal,Iwillreconsideryourgrade.’”“Theboywenthomeandthoughtaboutitlongandhard.Heaskedhisfatherwhatheshoulddo.Hisfathersaid,‘Look,son,youhavetomakeupyourownmindonthis.However,Ithinkitisaveryimportantdecisionforyou.’”“Finally,aftersittingwithitforaweek,theboyturnedinthesamepaper,makingnochangesatall.Hestated,‘YoucankeeptheFandI’llkeepmydream.’”Montythenturnedtotheassembledgroupandsaid,“Itellyouthisstorybecauseyouaresittinginmy4,000-square-foothouseinthemiddleofmy200-acrehorseranch.Istillhavethatschoolpaperframedoverthefireplace.”Headded,“Thebestpartofthestoryisthattwosummersagothatsameschoolteacherbrought30kidstocampoutonmyranchforaweek.”Whentheteacherwasleaving,hesaid,‘Look,Monty,Icantellyouthisnow.WhenIwasyourteacher,Iwassomethingofadreamstealer.DuringthoseyearsIstolealotofkids’dreams.Fortunatelyyouhadenoughgumptionnottogiveuponyours.’”Don’tletanyonestealyourdreams.Followyourheart,nomatterwhat.参考译文:我有个朋友叫蒙提·罗伯兹，他在圣思多罗有座牧马场。我常借用他宽敞的住宅举办募款活动，以便为帮助青少年的计划筹备基金。上次活动时，他在致辞中提到：“我让杰克借用住宅是有原因的。这故事跟一个小男孩有关，他的父亲是位马术师，他从小就必须跟着父亲东奔西跑，男孩的求学过程并不顺利。高中时，有次老师叫全班同学写报告，题目是长大后的志愿。那晚他洋洋洒洒地写了七张纸，描述他的伟大志愿，那就是想拥有一座属于自己的牧马农场，并且仔细画了一张200亩农场的设计图，上面标有马厩、跑道等的位置，然后在这一大片农场中央，还要建造一栋占地4,000平方英尺的巨宅。他花了好大心血把报告完成，第二天交给了老师。两天后他拿回了报告，第一页上打了一个又红又大的F，旁边还写了一行字：下课后来见我。脑中充满幻想的他下课后带着报告去找老师：‘为什么给我不及格?’”“老师回答道：‘你年纪轻轻，不要老做白日梦。你没钱，没家庭背景，什么都没有。盖座农场可是个花钱的大工程；你要花钱买地、花钱买纯种马匹、花钱照顾它们。你别太好高骛远了。他接着又说：‘如果你肯重写一个比较不离谱的志愿，我会重新给你打分。这男孩回家后反复思量了好几次，然后征询父亲的意见。父亲只是告诉他：‘儿子，这是非常重要的决定，你必须自己拿定主意。再三考虑好几天后，他决定原稿交回，一个字都不改。他告诉老师：‘即使不及格，我也不愿放弃梦想。蒙提此时向众人表示：“我提起这故事，是因为各位现在就坐在200亩农场内，占地4,000平方英尺的豪华住宅。那份高中时写的报告我至今还留着。他顿了一下又说：“有意思的是，两年前的夏天，那位老师带了30个学生来我农场露营一星期。离开之前，他对我说：‘蒙提，说来有些惭愧。你读高中时，我曾泼过你冷水。这些年来，我也对不少学生说过相同的话。幸亏你有这个毅力坚持自己的梦想。不论做什么事，相信你自己，别让别人的一句话将你击倒。
连丽花2019-12-21 20:23:32