人生不设限·让我大开眼界的潜水经验
In the fall of 2009 I tried something that I'd once been told was way too dangerous for me: I went scuba diving in the ocean. As you probably can guess, I had a blast. It was like flying but with softer landings. I'd tried to scuba about three years earlier, but the instructor would only let me paddle around the pool in scuba gear. I think he was more worried about his insurance than my safety. He was afraid he'd have to explain why that strange guy named Nick was carried off by a shark looking for a bite-size bloke.
我这次的指导员菲利普心胸比较开阔，他在南美洲的哥伦比亚外海一个小岛上担任潜水指导员。我应当地一个豪华度假村主人的邀请，前去演讲。当我出现在潜水课上时，菲利普只问了我一句：“你会游泳吗?”
This time my instructor, Felipe, had a more open mind. He is the dive instructor on a little island off Colombia, South America. I'd been invited to speak there by the owners of the gorgeous Punta Faro Resort on tiny Mucura Island, a national park, just off Cartagena. Felipe's only question to me when I showed up for a scuba lesson was "Can you swim?"
一旦证明了我的适水性，菲利普就给我上了一堂度假村式的潜水速成课。我们设计了几种肢体语言，如此一来，我就可以在水中通过移动肩膀或头，来跟菲利普沟通，让他知道我什么时候需要帮忙。然后，他带我到离岸边不远的水里进行测试。我们在那里练习了一下，试用水中沟通法，也检查了装备。
Once I proved seaworthy, Felipe gave me a quick resort scuba course. We worked out some sign language so I could communicate with him under water: by moving my shoulders or my head, I could let him know I needed help. Then he took me out for a test run just off the beach, where we practiced a bit, tried our underwater signals, and checked the equipment.
“好了，我想你已经准备好了。”菲利普说。
"Okay, I think you're ready for the reef." he said.
他穿着蛙鞋，抓着我的腰，和我一起潜到礁岩区，我看到五彩缤纷、令人目眩神迷的海洋生物。接着菲利普让我自己去探索礁岩，他则浮在上方，只有在一条大约一公尺半的海鳗从珊瑚礁的缝隙中冒出来时，才出马救了我一次。我在某个地方读过这种肉食性鳗鱼的牙齿被细菌包裹，很恶心的，所以就跟菲利普打暗号，请他来把我扔到友善一点的海域去，我可不想变成“力克生鱼片”。
Felipe gripped me around the waist and, using his fl ippers, swam with me down to the reef surrounded by a dazzling rainbow of marine life. Then he let me go, floating above me while I explored the reef. He had to rescue me only once when a five-foot-long moray eel popped out of a crevice in the coral. I'd read that these carnivorous eels have nasty teeth covered with bacteria, so I signaled Felipe to tow me to a friendlier section of the reef. I didn't want to become Nick sushi.
这次的经验让我大开眼界。你可能会怀疑我有必要冒这种荒谬可笑的风险吗?当然有，因为踏出舒适区会带来伸展与成长的可能性。你的人生一定也有什么是你想冒险一试的吧?我鼓励你去做，去试水深，让生命更上一层楼——即使你想做的事是在水面下。跟海豚一起游泳、与老鹰一起飞翔、爬山、勘探深穴都可以。跟力克一样可笑吧。
The experience opened my eyes to a whole new world. You may wonder whether it was worth the ridiculous risk. Undoubtedly, yes! Stepping out of your place of comfort opens the possibility for stretching and growing. Surely there is some daring move you've wanted to dive into? I encourage you to do it, test the waters, and take your life to a new level, even if it is under water. Swim with the dolphins. Soar with the eagles. Climb a mountain. Spelunk a cave! Be ridic like Nick!
现在请注意，可笑的冒险跟愚蠢式的冒险是不同的。愚蠢式的冒险是指那种光想就很疯狂的事，你不该冒那种会让你失去比得到更多的风险。而可笑的冒险则是指那些看起来很疯狂，但事实上并没有那么危险的事，只要：
Now, there is a difference between ridiculous risk and just plain stupid risk. Stupid risks are just that, too crazy to contemplate. You should never take a risk in which you could lose more than you could win. Ridiculous risk, however, is taking a chance that looks or sounds crazier than it really is because:
1.你已作好准备;
1. You've prepared yourself.
2.你已尽量减低风险;
2. You have reduced the risk as much as possible.
3.如果出了差错，你有备案。
3. You have a backup plan if things go wrong.
