双语对照 ● From Dreamers to Doers　与其做梦不如行动

From Dreamers to Doers　与其做梦不如行动

◎ Allison Burgess

Most potential entrepreneurs dream of breakthrough businesses all their lives and never get started. On the other hand, those who have listened to their intuition often wish they took the plunge earlier.

世界上很多人都有成为创业家的潜力，可惜他们一生都在蹉跎中度过了，从未实现自己的创业梦想。另一方面，那些听从了直觉的企业家也常常感叹自己没有早点放手一搏。

When surveyed, entrepreneurs[50]say 29 is the ideal age to start a business. The average age that entrepreneurs actually start a business is 35. They wish they’d started earlier.

调查结果显示，企业家们认为29岁是创业的理想年龄。然而，企业家真正开始创业的平均年龄却是35岁。他们都希望自己能早点开始创业。

There’s no perfect age to start living your dreams. Being too young or too old is no excuse. The perfect time to start is right now.

其实根本没有所谓的实现梦想的理想年龄。年纪太小或太大都不是理由。最佳时机就是立刻开始。

These people did.

这些企业家就是这样做的。

Nola Ochs—the Energizer Student

诺拉·奥克斯——不安分的学生

1972. Nola Ochs is widowed on her wheat farm in the town of Jetmore, Kansas (population 1000). She tends to her farm with the help of her children. In 1978, she realizes she wants more from life. Age 68, she signs up for a tennis class at the nearest community college.

1972年，诺拉·奥克斯独自一人居住在堪萨斯州杰特摩尔镇（人口1000）一个种植小麦的农场上。她在子女的帮助下照管农场。1978年，她意识到自己的生活应该是丰富多彩的。68岁时，她到最邻近的社区大学报名参加了一个网球班。

Years pass. Nola works full-time on her farm and occasionally drives into town to attend a class. After ten years studying everything from agribusiness to the Bible, she’s told that she is one class away from an associate’s degree. All she must do is complete college algebra[51].

多年后，诺拉全身心投入到农场上，只是偶尔开车到镇上上课。10年间，从农业综合业到圣经，她学了一样又一样。拿大专学位的话，她只剩代数一门课程未学完。她要做的就是修完大学代数。

With an associate’s degree she is pleased but not fulfilled. College algebra will not be the end of her scholarly career. Several years later she decides to make the two- hour trek to Fort Hays State University. Enrolling at age 94, she lacks only 30 class hours to earn a bachelor’s degree. In May 2007, at 95, she becomes the world’s oldest college graduate.

获得大专学位，她很高兴，但不满足。学完代数这门课并不意味着她的学涯就此结束。多年后，她决定花两小时开车到富特海斯州立大学上课。入学时，她已经94岁了。她还差30个课程才能获得学士学位。2007年的5月，95岁的她成为了世界上最年长的大学毕业生。

Is it time to sit back and enjoy the framed diploma on the farmhouse wall? Not yet. She’s started a Masters Degree.

她是不是应该坐下欣赏挂在农舍墙上的那张裱起来的文凭呢？还是不行。她又开始攻读硕士学位了。

Cliff Burgess—the Marathon Man

克里夫·伯吉斯——参加马拉松的老汉

1993. Cliff Burgess is 55. He’s tired of his potbelly and vows to start walking.

1993年，克里夫·伯吉斯55岁。他厌倦了自己的啤酒肚，于是决定开始散步。

Cliff hits the pavement in his suburban Texas town. A walk around the block turns into twice around the block. Walking feels good, but he knows he can pick up some speed. The weight starts to come off as he signs up for 5km and 10km races. In less than a year, he enters in the San Antonio marathon thinking of it as a training run in preparation for his first marathon—42km (26.2 miles). He feels good during the race, and he crosses the finish line faster than expected.

克里夫看上了德州小镇郊外的那条柏油马路。在街区行走一圈慢慢变成了两圈。散步让他觉得很舒服，可他知道自己应该走得更快一些。体重开始减少了，他报名参加了5公里和10公里的赛跑。不到一年时间，他进入了圣·安东尼奥马拉松队。他把平时跑步当作是自己首次参加马拉松比赛——42公里（26.2英里）的赛前训练。比赛时，他感觉良好，冲过终点的速度比他预想的还要快。

Averaging 15 marathons[52]per year, he completes his 100th marathon six years later at the age of 62.

他平均每年参加15场马拉松比赛。6年后，62岁的他跑完了100场马拉松赛。

Reaching 100 marathons isn’t the final goal. His running gives him an excuse to travel the world to add to his marathon list. He finds himself in Finland, France, Romania, China, Argentina, Brazil, 25 other countries, and nearly all of the 50 states of the USA in a record 15 years.

跑完100场马拉松赛并非他的终极目标。他的长跑经历让他有了充分的理由，把跑遍全世界列入自己的马拉松计划中。15年来，他发现自己的马拉松参赛记录遍布芬兰、法国、罗马尼亚、中国、阿尔及利亚、巴西等25个国家，还几乎跑遍了了美国50个州。

At age 70, he’s at Marathon #226 and counting. One of his finest highlights is qualifying multiple times for the runner’s dream: a bib number in the Boston Marathon. In April 2009, he will travel to Boston, Massachusetts for the fourth time to take part yet again in all the running glory.

70岁时，他总计参加了226场马拉松赛。他最引以自豪的一样东西，就是多次取得赛跑者梦寐以求的参赛资格——他拿到了波士顿马拉松赛的参赛选手编号。2009年4月，他将第四次到马萨诸塞州的波士顿参赛，一展自己的长跑辉煌。

“Nothing happens unless first we dream.”

“除非我们梦想在先，否则只能一事无成。”

~ Carl Sandburg

——卡尔·桑德伯格

Action summary

行动总结

● Make your goal known. Travel one step at a time.

● 明确你的目标，一步一个脚印。

● Keep your dream alive. Long-term goals exist because they take a long time.

● 让你的梦想永远充满活力。长期的目标需要长时间的努力。

● Success and determination are intimate siblings. Talent is merely success’s distant cousin.

● 成功和决心是最亲的兄弟姐妹。天赋只是成功的远房亲戚。

美丽语录

There’s never a perfect age to live your dreams. The perfect age is right now.

根本没有所谓的实现梦想的理想年龄。最佳时机就是立刻开始。

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