[英语阅读]弱点还是优势

Weakness or Strength?

弱点还是优势

Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take, for example, the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.

有时你最大的弱点能过变成你最大的优势。例如，在下面这个故事中，一个十岁的男孩在一次严重的交通事故中失去了左臂，然而他仍不顾一切的决心要学习柔道。

The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn’t understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move.

这个男孩开始跟一位日本的柔道老教练练习。男孩学的很好，但在三个月的训练中，教练只教给他一个动作，这使他很难理解老师的用意。

“Sensei,” the boy finally said, “Shouldn’t I be learning more moves?”

“老师，”男孩终于忍不住问道：“我难道不应该学习更多的动作吗？”

“This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know,” the sensei replied.

“这是你所知道的唯一的动作，但这恰恰是唯一一个你需要知道的动作，”老师回答道。

Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.

男孩不太明白这句话的意思，但他相信自己的老师，于是就继续练习。

Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.

几个月后，老师带男孩去参加第一次比赛。令男孩吃惊的是他居然轻松的赢了前两场。第三场显然要困难得多，但过了一会，他的对手就变得不耐烦而且冲动，男孩灵巧的利用他唯一的那个招式赢得了比赛。人们对他的胜利感到惊愕。于是，男孩顺利地进入了决赛。

This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.

这次他的对手高大强壮，而且经验更丰富。只过了一会，男孩就显得有点力不从心。考虑到他可能受伤，裁判叫了暂停。当他正要中止比赛时，男孩的老师出面干涉了。

“No,” the sensei insisted, “Let him continue.”

“不，”老师坚持说，“让他继续。”

Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.

比赛很快重新开始了，他的对手犯了一个关键性的错误，他疏忽防守。很快，男孩就用他那唯一的一招制住了对手。男孩赢得了比赛，他成了冠军。

On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.

在回家的路上，男孩和老师一起回顾每场比赛上的每个动作。男孩终于鼓起勇气问出了他心里一直存在的疑问。

“Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?”

“老师，我为什么能仅仅凭借着一个招式就赢得了冠军呢？”

“You won for two reasons,” the sensei answered. “First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grasp your left arm.”

“你取胜有两点原因，”老师回答道，“其一，你几乎已经完全掌握了柔道中最难的一个抛摔动作。其二，现在所知道的对这招的唯一的抵御方法就是你的对手要抓住你的左臂。”

The boy’s biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.

男孩最大的弱点反而成了他最大的优势。