My life tips for graduates: embrace your ignorance
給畢業(yè)生的小建議：正視你的無知
During my last year at university, I panicked. I realised that I was about to be sent into the world almost entirely ignorant. (Commenters, please fill in own joke here.) I had half-absorbed a few tiny bits of western history, and I'd read and then mostly forgotten some German novels and poems. I knew nothing about science. I hadn't the faintest idea[1] how the world worked. I wasn't even entirely sure what interest rates were.
大學(xué)最后一年车遂，我感到彷徨不安。我意識(shí)到自己就要近乎一無所知地被送入這個(gè)世界。（各位網(wǎng)友，歡迎在此補(bǔ)充你們自己的笑話。）我略懂西方歷史的一點(diǎn)皮毛在抛，讀過一些德國的小說和詩歌，不過也忘得差不多了。我對(duì)科學(xué)一無所知授翻。我對(duì)世界如何運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)毫無頭緒。我甚至不是很確定利率是什么東西孙咪。
[1]not have the faintest idea: used to emphasize that you do not know something 根本不知道
"Is she going to stay?" "I haven't the faintest idea."
“她要留下來嗎堪唐？我一點(diǎn)兒也不知道◆岬福”
Shortly before graduating, I confessed my anxieties to a high-powered thirtysomething at a dinner in London. “Don't worry,” he said. “I knew nothing when I graduated either, so I've just kept learning. Now my employer is paying for me to study Arabic.” That same evening, I resolved to pursue a project of life-long learning. Twenty-five years on, I'm still ignorant, but still at it.
臨畢業(yè)前淮菠，我在倫敦與一位三十幾歲的成功人士共進(jìn)晚餐時(shí)向他袒露了我的焦慮』缈埃“別擔(dān)心合陵。”他說：“我畢業(yè)的時(shí)候也什么都不懂逞力，于是我就繼續(xù)學(xué)習(xí)∈锕眩現(xiàn)在我老板還花錢送我去學(xué)阿拉伯語】苡”那天晚上我做了個(gè)決定：我要展開一個(gè)終生學(xué)習(xí)計(jì)劃举庶。二十五年過去了，我依然無知揩抡，但仍在學(xué)習(xí)户侥。
Because I graduated in Britain, I missed out on the traditional American commencement ceremony[畢業(yè)典禮] at which a middle-aged bore[2] intones[3], “You can be whatever you want to be.” Instead, a middle-aged bore droned[4] on at us in Latin for an hour. But if any American university is still looking for a middle-aged-bore speaker this commencement season, here's what I'd tell the graduates:
由于我畢業(yè)于英國，所以我無緣于傳統(tǒng)的美國畢業(yè)典禮：一個(gè)絮絮叨叨的中年人緩慢而莊重的說峦嗤，“你能成為你想成為的任何人蕊唐。”我畢業(yè)時(shí)是一個(gè)絮絮叨叨的中年人用拉丁語對(duì)我們嘮叨了一個(gè)鐘頭烁设。但如果有哪所美國大學(xué)還在為這個(gè)畢業(yè)典禮季尋找一個(gè)絮絮叨叨的中年演講者替梨，以下是我想對(duì)畢業(yè)生們說的話：
[2]bore: someone who talks too much about boring subjects 令人討厭的人钓试，也可以指使人厭煩的事（或情況）(an activity or situation that is annoying or unpleasant)
Ironing is such a bore.
熨燙衣服真煩人。
[3]intone: to say something slowly and seriously in a voice that does not rise or fall much（以平直的語調(diào)）緩慢而嚴(yán)肅地說
"Let us pray," the priest intoned to his congregation.
“我們禱告吧副瀑，”牧師緩慢而莊重地對(duì)會(huì)眾說道弓熏。
[4]drone on: to talk for a long time in a boring way 喋喋不休，無休止地談?wù)?/p>
He was droning on (and on) about his operation.
他在喋喋不休地講他的手術(shù)糠睡。
After graduating, I decided to find out what interest rates were, so I began reading a newspaper I'd never opened before: the Financial Times. I kept going, hoping I'd eventually learn the thing I most wanted to know: why some people and countries were rich and others poor. In 1994, trying to accelerate the learning process, I joined the FT. I thought that after a few years I'd know enough to go on and do something more useful than journalism, but it never happened.
畢業(yè)后挽鞠，我決定搞清楚利率是怎么回事，于是我開始讀一份我從來沒翻開過的報(bào)紙：英國《金融時(shí)報(bào)》狈孔。我堅(jiān)持讀它信认，希望最終能弄清自己最想知道的一件事：為什么有些人和國家富，而有些人和國家窮均抽？1994年嫁赏，為了加快這一學(xué)習(xí)進(jìn)程，我加入了英國《金融時(shí)報(bào)》到忽。我那時(shí)想橄教，要不了幾年我就懂得多到可以走人，然后做點(diǎn)比記者更有用的事兒喘漏，然而這一幕從未發(fā)生過护蝶。
Like me back then, you are graduating almost entirely ignorant. This isn't your fault. Your most fecund[5] educational years were aged nought[6] to three, when your brain was fairly porous[7], but the opportunity was probably wasted. You then spent each school day surrounded by up to 30 other people, each with their own problems and ability levels. Since high school, you've been additionally handicapped[8] by hormones, smartphones and early-morning starts.
就像當(dāng)初的我一樣，你們幾乎一無所知就要畢業(yè)了翩迈。這不是你們的錯(cuò)持灰。你們的最佳受教年齡是0到3歲，這個(gè)時(shí)候你們的大腦就像海綿一樣负饲，但這一機(jī)會(huì)多半都被浪費(fèi)了堤魁。然后你們上學(xué)的每一天都要被多達(dá)30個(gè)人包圍著，他們每個(gè)人都有自己的問題返十，每個(gè)人的能力水平也不同妥泉。上了高中后，你還會(huì)遇到荷爾蒙洞坑、智能手機(jī)和早起的妨礙盲链。
[5]fecund ['fek?nd]
1) able to produce a lot of children, crops, etc.生殖力旺盛的；多產(chǎn)的
2) producing new and useful things, especially ideas 有發(fā)明創(chuàng)造力的迟杂；（尤指）能提出新穎想法的
a fecund imagination
豐富的想象力
fecund soil
肥沃的土壤
[6]nought (英式) naught (美式)
表示（數(shù)字）0刽沾；零(the number 0 or zero)
[7]porous ['p??r?s]
1) Something that is porous has many small holes, so liquid or air can pass through, especially slowly. 多孔的；能滲漏的
2) not protected enough to stop people going through 多漏洞的排拷，松懈的
[8]handicap: to make something more difficult to do 阻礙
Rescue efforts have been handicapped by rough seas and hurricane-force winds.
救援工作受到了大浪和颶風(fēng)的阻礙侧漓。
昨天學(xué)的
impede / hinder
還記得嗎？
If you are graduating in a vocational or technical subject, then whatever you learnt is going out of date as I speak. Nor will you learn much more if you enter the ‘real world’ of business, because business isn't the real world. Like any other activity, it's just a compartment of it. At best, you might improve your people skills and learn some time- and place-restricted pieces of knowledge, such as how to market pallets in the US right now.
如果你念了個(gè)職業(yè)或技術(shù)專業(yè)监氢，那么無論你學(xué)到什么知識(shí)布蔗，我發(fā)言的時(shí)候它們就要過時(shí)了藤违。就算你進(jìn)入職場(chǎng)的‘現(xiàn)實(shí)世界’，你也不會(huì)學(xué)到更多東西纵揍，因?yàn)槟遣坏扔诂F(xiàn)實(shí)世界纺弊。像其他任何活動(dòng)一樣，它只是現(xiàn)實(shí)世界的一部分骡男。充其量，你可能會(huì)提高待人接物的能力傍睹，學(xué)到一些受限于時(shí)間和地域的碎片化知識(shí)隔盛，例如：現(xiàn)在怎么在美國營銷運(yùn)貨板？
In short, you're going to have to keep learning all your life. Here are a few tips:
總之拾稳，你們終生都要堅(jiān)持學(xué)習(xí)吮炕。以下是幾個(gè)小建議：
○ Just shut up and listen. Whenever you think, ‘I know about that’, you don't. When you hear yourself saying something you've said before, don't bother. When someone worthwhile tells you something about North Korea, don't sit there waiting till you can interrupt with your one factoid[9] about North Korea. Pre-rehearsed anecdotes will keep you dumb.
閉嘴好好聽。每當(dāng)你覺得‘這個(gè)我知道’的時(shí)候访得，你其實(shí)不知道龙亲。如果你發(fā)覺自己要說的話以前已經(jīng)說過了，那就別再說了悍抑。當(dāng)一個(gè)重要的人告訴你一些關(guān)于朝鮮的事情時(shí)鳄炉，不要坐在那兒等著用你知道的一個(gè)朝鮮小段子插話。提前排練這些段子會(huì)讓你保持緘默搜骡。
[9]factoid: an interesting piece of information 有趣消息拂盯；趣聞
下一句的anecdote也是這個(gè)含義，（尤指關(guān)于某人的）趣聞记靡，軼事(a short, often funny story, especially about something someone has done)
○ Also avoid all house-price talk, route talk, diet talk, name-dropping[10] and current-affairs clichés. Over a lifetime, this can save you years.
還要避開一切有關(guān)房價(jià)谈竿、路線、減肥的談話摸吠，不要炫耀自己認(rèn)識(shí)的名人空凸，也不要對(duì)時(shí)事發(fā)表一些陳詞濫調(diào)的看法。終你一生寸痢，這條可以幫你省出好幾年時(shí)間呀洲。
[10]name-dropping:the act of talking about famous people that you have met, often pretending that you know them better than you really do, in order to appear more important and special 提及相識(shí)的名人（以抬高身價(jià)）
Her constant name-dropping is very irritating.
她不停炫耀自己認(rèn)識(shí)的名人，真是讓人受不了轿腺。
○ Listen hardest to people younger than you. They are ignorant and generally have lowly jobs, but their fragments of knowledge will be more cutting-edge than yours. If you're ever tempted to kid yourself that your knowledge will hold good over time, listen to aged relatives recite the race theories they picked up in the 1940s.
努力去聽歲數(shù)比你小的人說話两嘴。他們無知，職位通常也不高族壳，但他們的知識(shí)碎片要比你的先進(jìn)憔辫。如果你曾企圖欺騙自己，以為你的知識(shí)儲(chǔ)備經(jīng)得住時(shí)間考驗(yàn)仿荆，就去聽聽那些上了年紀(jì)的親戚大聊他們?cè)?0世紀(jì)40年代學(xué)到的種族理論贰您。
○ If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room.
如果你是房間里最聰明的人坏平，你就進(jìn)錯(cuò)了房間。
○ If you have a theory that explains everything, bin it. As the economist Esther Duflo told my colleague John Gapper about theorists: ‘If I can predict what you are going to think of pretty much any problem, it is likely that you will be wrong on stuff.’
如果你有套理論能解釋一切事锦亦，拋棄它舶替。正如經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家埃絲特?迪弗洛(Esther Duflo)曾對(duì)我同事約翰?加普(John Gapper)這樣評(píng)論理論家：‘如果我能預(yù)料到你對(duì)幾乎任何事情的看法，那么很可能你的看法是錯(cuò)的杠园」说桑’
○ When you meet someone who likes pontificating[11], you might pick up his tiny bit of expertise, if he has any. You'll probably never have a productive conversation with him, and he won't have learnt much from other people, so best to avoid.
當(dāng)你遇到一個(gè)自命不凡的人，你或許能學(xué)到他的一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)專業(yè)知識(shí)——如果他有的話抛蚁。你可能永遠(yuǎn)無法與他進(jìn)行富有成效的對(duì)話陈醒，他也不會(huì)從其他人身上學(xué)到多少東西，所以最好避免與這樣的人對(duì)話瞧甩。
[11]pontificate: to speak or write and give your opinion about something as if you knew everything about it and as if only your opinion was correct 自以為是地發(fā)表意見钉跷；發(fā)表武斷的意見
I think it should be illegal for non-parents to pontificate on/about parenting.
我認(rèn)為沒有做過父母的人是沒有資格自以為是地大談特談為人父母之道的。
○ When you discover you were wrong about something, don't fight it. Treasure the moment: you've learnt something.
當(dāng)你發(fā)現(xiàn)自己在某件事上錯(cuò)了肚逸，你就認(rèn)了爷辙。珍惜這一刻，你學(xué)到了東西朦促。
○ Don't let conflicts derail[12] your working life. Frequent changes of career will stop you from increasing your competence in one particular field. If you have to work with somebody irritating, deal with it. If you find lots of people irritating, then you're the problem.
不要讓沖突破壞你的職業(yè)生涯膝晾。頻繁轉(zhuǎn)行會(huì)阻礙你在某個(gè)領(lǐng)域提高自己的能力。如果你不得不與受不了的人共事务冕，想辦法解決玷犹。如果你發(fā)現(xiàn)好多人你都受不了，那就是你有問題洒疚。
[12]derail: to prevent a plan or process from succeeding 阻撓
Renewed fighting threatens to derail the peace talks.
重燃的戰(zhàn)火對(duì)和談構(gòu)成了威脅歹颓。
○ Even if you become an expert, you'll still be pretty ignorant. What experts know about any topic is always infinitely less than what they don't know.
即使你成為一名專家，你依然相當(dāng)無知油湖。對(duì)于任何話題巍扛，專家們不知道的總是比他們知道的多得多。
○ Obviously, you can't be whatever you want to be. The trick is to work out what you should be.
顯然乏德，你不能成為你想成為的任何人撤奸。關(guān)鍵是要弄清楚你應(yīng)該成為什么人。
Last year, at a dinner in London, a high-powered fiftysomething came up and asked, “Do you remember me?” Of course I did. I hadn't seen him for 25 years, but he had been the thirtysomething who introduced me to life-long learning. He taught me more than university did.
去年喊括，在倫敦的一次晚宴上胧瓜，一位五十多歲的成功人士過來問我：“你還記得我嗎？”我當(dāng)然記得郑什。我雖然有25年沒見過他了府喳，但他正是那個(gè)建議我終生學(xué)習(xí)的成功人士，當(dāng)年他三十多歲蘑拯。他教給我的東西比大學(xué)教我的還多钝满。
