What Makes a Successful Life Changer?改變人生，由新年開始

⊙ By Mike Evans ⊙翻譯：思葦

What Makes a Successful Life Changer?改變人生，由新年開始

⊙ By Mike Evans ⊙翻譯：思葦

明明只是日歷翻過了一頁，為什么1月1日就是有種特別不同的味道，讓我們產生一種人生可以由此改變的新感覺？Mike是一位心理學博士，他在這方面做了不少研究，來聽聽他是怎么理解新年的奇妙魔力吧。

Well, it’s the end of one year and the beginning of another, a time of1)renewal.Maybe you’re thinking about making your life better in some small or large way. Maybe it’s a life-style change, like walking more. Maybe it’s about being more grateful for what you have, or calling your Mom more often.Maybe it’s to travel around the world. Almost half of us make a commitment to making a positive change in our lives for the New Year.You know, when I think about it, that’s pretty2)incredible.

Well, it’s difficult to say what it is3)precisely about New Years, but I think a lot of what we do is about culture. And I think New Years create a4)pocket to stop and to think, to be5)mindful, to reflect, to go public with the change, and to support others that are changing as well. This ability to reflect is the key educational skill I want my students to have: to be what we call a “reflective learner,”to see our personal strength and weaknesses,to have6)clarity about7)priorities, to balance optimism with realism, have flexibility.

Many of us, when we think of successful change, often think of big goals and use terms like motivation, willpower and selfcontrol. You have these8)attributes if you’re successful, and if you don’t, you’ll fail. Well, I kinda see the9)reverse.

I see success linked to small goals and small wins. I see more10)facilitation than motivation, more self-monitoring than selfcontrol. Willpower isn’t11)static. It kinda comes and goes. And instead of12)fending off one urge after another, these people set up their lives to13)minimize14)temptations.Science tells us, if you have a bigger bucket of popcorn, you’ll eat it. Good changers know this, and they play offense, not defense. They schedule weekly activities or games. They put out their running shoes. They cut fruitsand15)veggies and put them at the front of the16)fridge. They call and make an appointment with the trainer.

I think we’re creatures of habit. We do the same things over and over, and looking at your average week for low-hanging fruit is a great start. Can you do a little homework to change up your shopping slightly, to make that food that you17)graze on more nutritious? Can you replace your flavored drinks with18)plain old water? Can you say hi to the19)odd person you don’t know?

When I think of successful changers, I actually don’t think of the CEO laying out a large20)agenda or goals. I think more of the21)plumber or carpenter. These people come prepared with tools. They know they need to22)reframe and adapt older structures,but they also know they can build what needs to be built. Better habits, one room at a time.

And January was named by the Romans to honor Janus, the God of beginnings and23)transitions. He faces both the future and the past, and I think that is what is special about New Years: learning from the past, but pointing to a new you and saying “That’s where I want to go.” I hope this helps you get there.

這篇文章有個突出的特點：作者喜歡用上一大堆結構相近的句式，形成排比，增加語言的力度與分量。比如在第二段談到新年這個獨立空間的作用時，他列舉了“to stop and to think, to be mindful, to re fl ect, to go public with the change, and to support others…”這串不定式結構，聽起來是不是有種層層疊疊的氣勢感？你還能在文中找到其他類似的結構嗎？把這些排比結構全都劃出來，多讀幾遍，加深體會。

參考譯文

舊歲將盡，新年漸近，是時候重新開始了。你或許希望讓自己的人生在大大小小的方面變得更加美好——也許是改變一種生活方式，比如多走路；也許是對你所擁有的一切更加感恩，或者是多和媽媽通電話；也許是環游世界……我們當中近半數人會在這個時候做出承諾，希望在新的一年里給自己的生活帶來更加積極的轉變。你瞧，仔細想想，這比例還蠻厲害呢。

很難說清新年到底有何特別之處，但在我看來，我們的行為大部分源自文化因素的影響。新年營造出這么一個獨立空間，讓我們可以停下來斟酌一下，留心周圍，多加思考，公開表達想要改變的決心，并且對同樣在追求改變的其他人給予支持。我很希望我的學生能夠掌握這種思考能力：成為一個“思考型學習者”，看到自己的優勢和劣勢，知道哪些事情是優先項，在樂觀精神與現實主義之間找到平衡點，以及靈活處事，隨機應變。

我們在思考何謂“成功轉變”這個問題時，許多人想到的往往是各種宏圖大志，還喜歡用動力、意志力、自控力之類的大詞。如果你取得了成功，你肯定具備上述幾個特點；如果你沒有這些特點，你就會失敗。喔，我的看法恰恰相反。

在我看來，成功應該和各種小目標、小進步連在一起。我覺得助力比動力更重要，自我監督比自我控制更重要。意志力并不是靜態的，可以說總有高低起伏。成功改變自己的人不會拼命阻擋一個又一個的欲望，而是規劃好自己的生活，盡量減少這些誘惑帶來的影響。科學研究表明，如果你買了大桶的爆米花，你就會將它吃得一干二凈。能夠改變自己的人很明白這個道理，他們會主動出擊，而不是被動防守。他們會每周安排時間搞搞活動，打打比賽。他們會將跑鞋拿出來，把蔬菜水果都切好，放在冰箱最外面。他們會給教練打電話，約好健身時間。

我們是一種習慣性動物，總是不斷重復地做著同樣的事情——所以，將平常一周的事情當作稍微努力就能夠得著的成果，就是一個好的開始。你能提前做點“功課”，稍微改變一下購物方向，讓攝入的食物更有營養嗎？你能將調味飲料換成白開水嗎？你能和隨便一個陌生人打聲招呼嗎？

當我想到那些成功的改變者，浮現在我腦海里的形象并不是攤開一張巨大的日程表，或者列舉各種遠大目標的公司高管，而更像是水管工或者木匠這類人。這些人帶著工具有備而來，深知他們需要重新建構，還要適應舊有體系——但工人們也知道，他們總能把要做的事情一一做到。養成更好的習慣，一次改造一個“房間”。

羅馬人將一月命名為“January”，是為了紀念門神雅努斯。這位雙面神掌管著開端和變化，一張臉看著過去，另一張臉面向未來。我想，這正是新年的特別之處——你要從過去中吸取教訓，但也要指著一個嶄新的自己說：“那就是我的目標。”希望我這番話對你的前行有所幫助吧。

1) renewal [r??nju??l] n. 更新，重新開始

2) incredible [?n?kred?b（?）l] adj. 難以置信的，不可思議的

3) precisely [pr??sa?sl?] adv. 確切地，明確地

4) pocket [?p?k?t] n. 一小片，一小塊

5) mindful [?ma?ndf?l] adj. 留心的，注意的

6) clarity [?kl?r?t?] n. 清楚，明晰

7) priority [pra???r?t?] n. 優先，優先考慮的事

8) attribute [??tr?bju?t] n. 性質，屬性

9) reverse [r??vз?s] n. 相反，反轉

10) facilitation [f??s?l??te???n] n. 幫助，促進

11) static [?st?t?k] adj. 靜止的，靜態的

12) fend off 擋開

13) minimize [?m?n?ma?z] v. 減到最少，使最小化

14) temptation [temp?te??（?）n] n. 誘惑，引誘

15) veggie [?ved??] n. 蔬菜，vegetable的口語用法

16) fridge [fr?d?] n. 冰箱，refrigerator的口語用法

17) graze [ɡre?z] v. 以……為食

18) plain [ple?n] adj. 淡的，純的

19) odd [?d] adj. 不固定的，各種各樣的

20) agenda [??d?end?] n. 議程，日程表

21) plumber [?pl?m?（r）] n. 管子工，水管工

22) reframe [r??fre?m] v. 再構造，重新制訂

23) transition [tr?n?z??（?）n] n. 轉變，變化