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And if you change your mind-from pessimism to optimism -you can change your life

如果你改变想法--从悲观变为乐观--你就可以改变自己的生活

1. Do you see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty? Do you keep your eye upon the doughnut, not upon the hole? Suddenly these cliches are scientific questions, as researchers scrutinize the power of positive thinking.

1. 你看酒杯是装了半杯酒而不是半杯没装酒吗？你的眼睛就是盯着炸面圈而不是它中间的孔吗？当研究者们仔细观察(scrutinize)积极思维的作用时，这些陈词滥调(cliche)突然间成了科学问题。

2. A fast-growing body of research-104 studies so far, involving some 15,000 people-is proving that optimism can help you to be happier, healthier and more successful. Pessimism leads, by contrast, to hopelessness, sickness and failure, and is linked to depression, loneliness and painful shyness. "If we could teach people to think more positively," says psychologist Craig A. Anderson of Rice University in Houston, "it would be like inoculating them against these mental ills."

2. 迅速增长的（fast-growing）大量研究工作--迄今已有104项研究项目，涉及15，000人--证明乐观可以使你更快乐、更健康、更成功。与此相反(by contrast)，悲观则导致(lead to + n.)绝望、疾病以及失败，它与沮丧孤独、令人痛苦的腼腆密切相关，休斯顿赖斯大学的心理学家Craig·A·Anderson说：“如果我们能够教会人们更积极地思考，那就像为他们注射了预防这些心理疾病的疫苗。”

3."Your abilities count," explains psychologist Michael F. Scheier of Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, "but the belief that you can succeed affects whether or not you will." In part, that's because optimists and pessimists deal with the same challenges and disappointments in very different ways.

3. “你的能力固然重要(count，偏意，vi.有重要意义)。”匹兹堡的卡内基-梅隆大学的心理学家迈克尔·F·沙伊尔说，“但你成功的信念影响（affect）到你是否(whether or not)真能成功。”在某种程度上(in part)，这是由于乐观者和悲观者以截然不同的方式（in very different ways）对待(deal with)同样的挑战和失望。

4. Take for example your job. In a major study, psychologist Martin E. P. Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania and colleague Peter Schulman surveyed sales representatives at the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.. They found that the positive thinkers among long-time representatives sold 37 percent more insurance than did the negative thinkers. Of newly hired representatives, optimists sold 20 percent more.

4. 以你的工作为例。宾夕法尼亚大学的心理学家马丁·E·P·塞利格曼与同事彼得·舒尔曼在一项重要研究中调查了大都市人寿保险公司的推销员(sales representative n. 商品经销代理; 营业代表)，他们发现工龄较长的推销员中的积极思考者比消极思考着要多推销37%的保险额，在新雇佣的推销员中，乐观主义者则多销了20%。

5. Impressed, the company hired 100 people who had failed the standard industry test but had scored high on optimism. These people, who might never have been hired, sold 10 percent more insurance than did the average representative.

5. 公司受到了启发，便雇佣(hire)了100名虽未通过标准企业测试但态度乐观一项得分很高的人。这些本来可能根本不会被雇佣的人售出的保险额比推销员的平均销售额高出10%。

6. How did they do it? The secret to an optimist's success, according to Seligman, is in his "explanatory style". When things go wrong the pessimist tends to blame himself. "I'm not good at this," he says. "I always fail." The optimist looks for other explanations. He blames the weather, the phone connection, even the other person. That customer was in a bad mood, he thinks. When things go right, the optimist takes credit while me pessimist thinks success is due to luck.

6. 他们是如何做的呢？据塞利格曼说，乐观主义者成功的秘诀就在于他的“解释方式”(explanatory style)，出了问题之后，悲观主义者倾向于自责。他说：“我不善于做这种事，我总是失败。”乐观主义者则寻找漏洞，他责怪天气、抱怨电话线路、或者甚至责怪对方。他认为，是那个客户当时情绪不好(be in a mood)。当一切顺利时，乐观主义者把一切功劳都归于自己(take credit while me)而悲观主义者只把成功视为侥幸。

7. Craig Anderson had a group of students phone strangers and ask them to donate blood to the Red Cross. When they failed on the first call or two, pessimists said, "I can't do this." Optimists told themselves, "I need to try a different approach."

7. 克雷格·安德森让一组学生给陌生人打电话，请他们为红十字会(the Red Cross)献血（to donate bolld）。当他们的第一个、二个电话未能得到对方的同意时，悲观者说：“我干这是不行。”乐观主义者则对自己说：“我需要试试另一种方法。"

8. Negative or positive, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. "If people feel hopeless," says Anderson, "they don't bother to acquire the skills they need to succeed."

8. 无论是消极还是积极的看法，都是一种本身会成为事实的语言。安德森说：“如果人们感到没有希望，他们就不会费事去获得成功所需的技能。”

9. A sense of control, according to Anderson, is the litmus test for success. The optimist feels in control of his own life. If things are going badly, he acts quickly, looking for solutions, forming a new plan of action, and reaching out for advice. The pessimist feels like a toy of fate and moves slowly. He doesn't seek advice, since he assumes nothing can be done.

9. 据安德森看来，有无控制感是成功的试金石(the litmus test)，乐观者能够掌握自己的命运。如果事情不顺利，他立刻做出反应，寻找解决办法，制定新的行动计划，并且主动寻求（reach out）忠告。悲观者则感到自己只能由命运摆布(like a toy of fate)，行动拖拉。既然认为毫无办法(nothing can be done)，他便不去寻求忠告。

10. Optimists may think they are better than the facts would justify-and sometimes that's what keeps them alive. Dr. Sandra Levy of the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute studied women with advanced breast cancer. For the women who were generally optimistic, there was a longer disease-free interval, the best predictor of survival. In a pilot study of women in the early stages of breast cancer, Dr. Levy found the disease recurred sooner among the pessimists.

10. 乐观主义者也许认为自己比事实能够证明的要强--有时正是这一点使他们充满生机(alive)。匹兹堡肿瘤研究所的桑德拉·利维博士对患乳腺癌的妇女进行了研究。对那些通常持乐观态度的妇女说，两次发病间隔的时间比较长，而这是生存下去的好预兆(the best predictor )。在一次对早期乳腺癌妇女的小规模试验性研究中，利维博士发现这一疾病在悲观病人身上复发更早。

11. Optimism won't cure the incurable, but it may prevent illness. In a long-term study, researchers examined the health histories of a group of Harvard graduates, all of whom were in the top half of their class and in fine physical condition. Yet some were positive thinkers, and some negative. Twenty years later, there were more middle-age diseases among the pessimists than the optimists.

11.乐观态度不会使不治之症（the incurable）痊愈，却有可能预防疾病。在一项长期研究中，研究人员跟踪观察了一组哈佛大学毕业生的健康史(the health history)。所有这些人(all of whom)都是班上较好的学生并且健康状况良好。他们之中有的是积极思考者(positive thinkers)，有的是消极思考者(negative thinkers)。20年后，悲观者中病的人数耍比乐观者多。(悲观者比乐观者有很多的中年疾病)

12. Many studies suggest that the pessimist's feeling of helplessness undermines the body's natural defenses,the immune system. Dr Christopher Peterson of the University of Michigan has found that the pessimist doesn't take good care of himself. Feeling passive and unable to dodge life's blows, he expects ill health and other misfortunes, no matter what he does. He eats unhealthy food, avoids exercise, ignores the doctor, and has another drink.

12. 许多研究显示，悲观者的无助感会损害（undermine）人体的自然防御体系(the body’s natural defenses)，叫免疫系统。密执安大学的克电斯托弗·彼德森博士发现悲观主义者不能很好地照顾自己。他消极被动，不会避开（dodge）生活中的打击，无论做什么(no matter what he does)都会担心(expect,vt.认为（某事）会发生)身体不好或其它灾难降临。他吃着不利于健康的营养价值低的食品，逃避体育锻炼，不听医生的劝告，总是要再贪一杯。

13. Most people are a mix of optimism and pessimism, but are inclined in one direction or the other. It is a pattern of thinking learned "at your mother's knee," says Seligman. It grows out of thousands of cautions or encouragements, negative statements, or positive ones. Too many "don'ts" and warnings of danger can make a child feel incompetent, fearful-and pessimistic.

13. 在多数人身上，乐观主义和悲观主义兼而有之，但总是更倾向于(incline)其中之一。塞利格曼说，这是一种所谓“早在母亲膝下”就开始形成的思维模式(a pattern of thinking)，来自(grow out of)千万次警告(cautions)或鼓励，肯定的或否定的话语(statements)。过多的“不许”及危险警告会使一个孩子感到无能(incompetent)、恐惧以及悲观。

14. As they grow, children experience small triumphs, such as learning to tie shoelaces. Parents can help turn these successes into a sense of control, and that breeds optimism.

14. 随着年龄的增长，儿童会体味到许多小小的成就感（triumphs），如学会系鞋带(to tie shoelaces)等。家长可以促使这类成功转变成控制感，从而培养出乐观主义。

15. Pessimism is a hard habit to break-but it can be done. In a series of studies, Dr. Carol Dweck of the University of Illinois has been working with children in the early grades of school. As she helps students to change the explanations for their failures-from "I must be dumb" to "I didn't study hard enough" -their academic performance improves.

15. 悲观是一种很难克服的习惯，但并非不能克服。在一系列具有重大突破的研究中，伊利诺大学的卡罗尔·德韦克博士对小学低年级儿童做了一些工作。在她帮助那些屡屡出错的困难学生改变他们对失败原因的解释时--从“我准是很笨”变成“我学习还不够努力”--他们的学习成绩(academic performance)也提高了。

16. Pittsburgh's Dr. Levy wondered if turning patients into optimists would lengthen their lives. In a pilot study, two groups of colon-cancer patients were given the same medical treatment, but some were also given psychological help to encourage optimism. Results showed that this worked. Now a major study is planned to determine whether this psychological change can alter the course of the disease.

16. 匹兹堡的利维博士想知道把病人变成乐观主义者是否会延长他们的生命。在一次试验性研究中，两组结肠癌病人受到了同样方式的治疗。但其中一些人还得到了鼓励乐观态度的心理帮助。试验结果表明这一作法有一定的效果。现在已在计划实施一项重大研究(a major study)以确定(to determine)这一心理变化是否会改变病情进展。

17. So, if you're a pessimist, there's reason for optimism. You can change. Here's how, says Steve Hollon, a psychologist at Vanderbilt University:

17. 因此，如果你是个悲观主义者，你完全有理由乐观起来。你能改变自己。以下就是范德比尔特大学的心理学家史蒂夫·霍朗指出的方法：

18. Pay careful attention to your thoughts when bad things happen. Write down the first thing that comes to mind, without any changes or corrections.

18. 当糟糕的事情发生时，仔细留意（pay careful attention to）你的想法，写下你头脑中最先出现的想法，不要改变或者更正它。

19. Now try an experiment. Do something that's contrary to any negative reactions. Let's say something has gone wrong at work. Do you think, I hate my job, but I could never get a better one? Act as if that weren't so. Send out resumes. Go to interviews. Look into training and check job information.

19. 现在来做个试验，做一和消极应对相反的事情。比如说，你的工作有些问题（something has gone wrong at work），你是不是在想：“我恨我的工作，但是我找不到一个更好的。”采取一些行动，就好像事实并非如你想的那样。(Act as if that weren’t so.)寄出简历(resume)，参加面试，浏览查找培训和工作的信息。

20. Keep track of what happens. Were your first thoughts right or wrong? "If your thoughts are holding your back, change them," says Hollon. "It's trial and error, not guarantees, but give yourself a chance."

20. 看看然后发生了什么，你最初的想法是对的还是错的。“如果你的想法正在阻止(hold back)你前行，那就改变它。”霍朗说，“这是个反复尝试(trial and error)的过程，未必有成功的保证，但是会给你一个机会。”

21. Positive thinking leads to positive action-and reaction. What you expect from the world, the evidence suggests, is what you're likely to get.

21. 积极的思想导致（lead to）积极的行动和反应。证据表明，你对外界期望些什么，你就很可能得到什么。

课后习题

课后练习：

1．Do you see the glass as half-full ____ half-empty?

A. rather than B. other than C. as D. instead

2. Pessimism leads, ____, to hopelessness, sickness and failure

A. by contact B. by contrast C. by contrary D. by compare

3. "If we could teach people to think more positively," says psychologist Craig A. Anderson of Rice University in Houston, "it would be like ____ them against these mental ills."

A. including B. calculating C. inoculating D. circulating

4. In part, that's because optimists and pessimists ____ the same challenges and disappointments in very different ways.

A. deal with B. handle with C. dealing D. coping with

5. Of newly ____ representatives, optimist sold 20 percent more.

A. hire B. hiring C. hired D. to hire

6.____, the company hired 100 people who had failed the standard industry test but had scored high on optimism.

A. Impression B. Impressing C. Impressed D. Having impressed

7. These people, ____, sold 10 percent more insurance than did the average representative.

A. who never have been hired B. who might have been hired

C. who have never been hiredD. who might never have been hired

8. Craig Anderson had a group of students ____strangers and ask them to donate blood to the Red Cross.

A. to phone B. phone C. phoning D. phoned

9. Many studies suggest that the pessimist's feeling of helplessness ____ the body's natural defenses, the immune system.

A. understands B. mines C. undertakes D. undermines

10. Too many "don'ts" and warnings of danger can make a child feel incompetent, fearful-and____.

A. optimistic B. positive C. pessimistic D. pessimism

答案: 1A 2B 3C 4A 5C 6C 7D 8B 9D 10C

补充练习：

1. Most people are a mix of optimism and pessimism, but are ____ in one direction or the other.

A increasedB declinedC inclinedD induced