雙語散文:精神的枷鎖
精神的枷鎖
Most people are like the circus elephant. Have you ever seen an elephant in an indoor arena tied to a little wooden stake? That huge creature can pick up two thousand pounds with its trunk, yet it calmly stays tied. Why?
When that elephant was just a baby, and not very strong, it was tied by a huge chain to an iron stake that could not be moved. Regardless of how hard it tried, it could not break the chain and run free. After a while it just gave up. Now, even though it is strong, it never attempts to break free. The “imprint” is permanent. “I can't! I can't!” it says.
There are millions of people who behave like this circus creature. They have been tied and told “You'll never make it,” so many times they finally call it quits. They may have dreams, but the “imprinting” keeps pulling them back.
大多數人都像馬戲團裏的大象。你曾看過一頭大象被拴在室內舞臺的一根小木樁上嗎？那頭龐然大物能用它的長鼻子挑起2000磅的重物，卻平靜地甘於被綁縛。爲什麼呢？
大象幼年時，身子骨還不甚強壯，就被一根巨大的鐵鏈拴在牢牢固定的鐵樁上。不管它花多大的氣力，都無法掙斷鐵鏈，獲得自由。經過一段時間的嘗試，它便放棄了。如今，它強壯了，卻也不再試着去爭取自由了。這個“鉻印”是永久的。“我不能！我不能！”它訴說着。
大象幼年時，身子骨還不甚強壯，就被一根巨大的鐵鏈拴在牢牢固定的鐵樁上。不管它花多大的氣力，都無法掙斷鐵鏈，獲得自由。經過一段時間的嘗試，它便放棄了。如今，它強壯了，卻也不再試着去爭取自由了。這個“鉻印”是永久的。“我不能！我不能！”它訴說着。
1. circus 馬戲團，如：
The fascinations of the circus are endless.
馬戲表演非常吸引人.
The circus manager snapped his whip.
馬戲團主管把鞭子抽得很響.
2. stake 賭注,獎金，如：
He drove a stake into the ground.
他向地裏打了一根樁子。
His reputation was at stake.
他面臨身敗名裂的危險。
3. imprint 刻上記號
A remnant or trace of an organism of a past geologic age, such as a skeleton or leaf imprint, embedded and preserved in the earth's crust.
化石埋置並保存於地層中的古生物遺體、遺物和其生活遺址，如骨骸、葉子的印痕等
Her face bore the deep imprint of suffering.
她的臉上帶著受過苦難的深深的痕跡.
4. permanent 永久的,持久的
He's been temping for over a year now and wants a permanent job.
他做臨時工作已一年多了, 想找個固定的工作.
I'm not a permanent employee; I'm working here on a fixed-term contract.
我並不是永久僱員，而是根據定期合同在此工作的。
