Did You Have a Tough Childhood?

Jill Ammon-Wexler

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1RT Many claim unhappy and terrible childhood experiences \

people in their adult years. But is this necessarily true? Actually, just the opposite seems to be true. Intense difficulties, hardships and major obstacles are actually often major contributors to success. It's true that difficult childhoods do leave some people wounded and disadvantaged. But for others, a tough childhood actually drives them to remarkable achievement and success!

你经历了不幸的童年吗？

吉尔·安蒙-韦克斯勒

很多人声称，童年时代的严重创伤，会对成年生活造成灾难性影响。果真如此吗？其实，事实刚好相反！重大的困难、艰辛和障碍，往往能造就成功。的确，不幸的童年会使一些人伤痕累累，处于不利的位置。但对另外一些人而言，不幸的童年反而会促使他们取得异乎寻常的成就！close

2RT In a classic book entitled Cradles of Eminence, researchers

reviewed the childhood family life of 700 of the world's most successful

people. Their goal was to identify the early experiences that

contributed to the remarkable achievements of these successful people. All of their \accomplishments. Their names are easily recognizable: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, etc.

在经典作品《伟人的摇篮》一书中，研究者们考查了全球最为突出的700名成功人士的童年生活。他们的目标是要找出哪些早期经历有助于这些成功人士取得非凡成就。他们所有的“研究对象”都是因个人成就而蜚声全球的。这些名字都广为人知：富兰克林·D·罗斯福，海伦·凯勒，温斯顿·丘吉尔，阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦，西格蒙德·弗洛伊德，等等。close

3RT What they discovered is truly fascinating! Three-quarters of these

successful people (525 of the 700) came from deeply troubled

childhoods. They had endured extreme poverty, broken homes, and even parental abuse. Over one-fourth (199 of the 700) had to deal with very serious physical handicaps such as deafness, blindness or crippled limbs. And over 80% of those who became successful writers and

playwrights had watched their own parents struggle with intense psychological dramas.

研究结果真的非常有意思！700名成功人士中，有四分之三（525名）有过极其不幸的童年。他们经历过极端的贫困，破碎的家庭，甚至父母的虐待。超过四分之一的人（700人当中有199名）有严重的生理残障如失聪、失明或肢体残障。成功的作家及剧作家中，有80％曾目睹了自己的父母经历失和的一些戏剧性场面。close

4RT Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, a former US \First Lady\

excellent example. Anna lost her parents at the age of 10, and had a very unpleasant childhood. As a young girl she was painfully aware of being very homely. And her childhood writings reveal she never had a sense of \matured, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt refused to remain \She hauled herself up by her own bootstraps and began to strive for a higher, more powerful consciousness.

安娜·埃莉诺·罗斯福，前美国“第一夫人”，就是一个极好的例子。安娜10岁时失去了双亲，童年痛苦不堪。少女时，她就痛苦地意识到自己长相平庸。她童年的习作表明，她从来没有“归属感”，觉得自己不属于任何地方或任何人。但随着她慢慢成熟，安娜·埃莉诺·罗斯福拒绝一直“处于劣势”。她依靠自己的努力，着手提高自身的觉悟。close

5RT After marrying Franklin D. Roosevelt, she ended up courageously

nursing her husband through crippling polio. Then when he was elected

to the US Presidency in the depth of the Great Depression, Mrs.

Roosevelt quickly transformed the position of First Lady. As First Lady, she became an outspoken supporter for the disadvantaged people of all races, religions and countries. At the same time, she helped her husband manage the White House and raised six children.

嫁给富兰克林·罗斯福后，她需要照料小儿麻痹性后遗症的丈夫，她一直坚强地面对。后来，他临危受命，在经济大萧条最严重时当选美国总统，罗斯福夫人迅速完成了“第一夫人”的角色转换。作为第一夫人，她公开发言支持所有被践踏的种族、宗教和国家，同时还打理着白宫，并抚育六个子女。close

6RT After her husband's death, she spent the remainder of her life as

a highly respected American spokesperson to the United Nations. At

her death, this shy, disadvantaged, homely and withdrawn young

woman had become one of the most loved and respected women of her entire generation.

丈夫去世后，她就一直作为美国在联合国的发言人，极其受人尊重，直到生命结束。她辞世时，这位年轻时一度腼腆羞涩、身处困境、长相平平、性格内向的女性，已成为她那一代人中最受爱戴的女性之一。close

7RT Why did this happen? Eleanor Roosevelt made a personal choice

to lift herself beyond her perceived \limitations\

unyielding courage, tempered by remarkable self-control and self-discipline.

事情为什么会变成这样呢？埃莉诺·罗斯福做出了自己的选择，要用自己的力量超越想象中的“局限”。她非凡的自控和自律造就了坚强不屈的勇气。close

8RT Obstacles and hardships do NOT have to lead to failure. Scientific

evidence has proven that \

either plants or animals. Where there is no challenge, obstacle or

hardship, growth and development is often limited. Biologists refer to this as the \

障碍和困难未必一定会导致失败！科学证据表明，“安逸”并不一定总是优势，动植物都是如此。没有挑战、障碍或困难，成长和发展常常会受到限制。生物学家称之为“逆境原则”。close

9RT Consider Lou Gehrig: Lou was such a clumsy kid that the boys in

his neighborhood wouldn't let him play on their baseball team. But he tapped into his resources of inner courage and determination. Lou Gehrig is today listed in the baseball \Hall of Fame\greatest ball players of all time.

试看卢·格里克：卢小时候笨手笨脚，附近的男孩都不让他参加自己的棒球队，但他转而找到内在的勇气和决心。如今，卢·格里克名列棒球“名人堂”，被视为有史以来最伟大的球类运动员之一。close

10RT Then there was Woodrow Wilson, who couldn't read until he was

ten years old. Wilson went on in his life to become the twenty-eighth

President of the United States. Thomas Edison was deaf. Booker T. Washington was born in slavery, and a \club foot\Lord Byron. The famous writer Robert Louis Stevenson had tuberculosis. Alexander Pope had a hunchback. Yet each of these individuals became famous historic figures in spite of their handicaps.

还有伍德罗·威尔逊，十岁才开始识字。威尔逊后来成了美国第二十八任总统。托马斯·爱迪生是聋子。布克·T·华盛顿生而为奴，拜伦爵士天生足部畸形。著名作家罗伯特·路易斯·史蒂文森身患结核病。亚历山大·蒲柏是驼背。但尽管残疾在身，这些人每一个都青史留名。close

11RT Helen Keller, who could not hear or see, transformed an entire

nation when she graduated with honors from college. She is still a

source of inspiration for millions. Then there's Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven began to lose his hearing in his 20s, and was completely deaf by 50. Yet he created some of the world's most beautiful music. Beethoven was once overheard shouting at the top of his voice, \take life by the throat!\

海伦·凯勒，既聋又盲，以优异成绩从大学毕业时，举国轰动。数以百万计人至今仍视她为灵感的源泉。还有路德维希·凡·贝多芬。贝多芬二十多岁时听力就开始下降，50岁时完全失聪，但他创造了世界上最美妙的音乐。有人曾听见贝多芬高喊，“我要扼住命运的咽喉！”close

12RT Your attitude toward any perceived personal \

determines its impact on your life. This IS your life! Why not make it all

it can be? To become all we can be, we MUST stop making excuses. Use

any personal adversity or perceived limitations to do what Beethoven did: Grab life by the throat! And this is a good day to take action to claim more of your true potential. Get past your \stuff\and fire yourself up! If not now, when?

不管你有任何“残障”，它对你生活的影响将取决于你的态度。这就是你的生活！为什么不尽自己所能呢？要发掘我们的全部潜力，我们就不能再编造借口。面对任何逆境或想象中的局限，以贝多芬为榜样：攫住命运的咽喉！今天就是一个好日子，开始行动，实现更多真正的潜能。忘记“旧事”，我的朋友，让自己振奋起来！此时不动，更待何时？close