Once a young man asked the wise man, Socrates, the secret to success.
曾经有一个年轻人向智者苏格拉底请教成功的秘诀.
Socrates patiently listened to the man's question and told him to meet him near the river the next morning for the answer.
苏格拉底耐心地听完年轻人的问题后,
告诉他第二天早晨到河边找他,
给他答案.
The next morning Socrates asked the young man to walk with him towards the river.
第二天早晨,
苏格拉底让年轻人跟他一起走向河里.
As they went in the river the water got up to their neck.
当他们走进河里时,
水渐渐淹到了他们的脖子.
But to the young man's surprise,
Socrates ducked him into the water.
但令年轻人惊讶的是,
苏格拉底突然把他按进了水里.
The young man struggled to get out of the water,
but Socrates was strong and kept him there until the boy started turning blue.
年轻人挣扎着想从水里出来,
但苏格拉底很强壮,
把他一直按在水里,
直到年轻人开始脸色发青.
Socrates pulled the man's head out of the water.
苏格拉底才把年轻人的头从水里拉出来.
The young man gasps and took a deep breath of air.
年轻人大口喘气,
深吸了一口气.
Socrates asked,
'What did you want the most when your head was in the water?
The young man replied, Air.
苏格拉底问:当你的头在水里时, 你最想要的是什么?
年轻人回答:"空气."
Socrates said,
That is the secret to success.
苏格拉底说:这就是成功的秘诀.
When you want success as badly as you wanted the air while you were in the water,
then you will get it.
当你渴望成功就像渴望空气一样强烈时,
你就会得到它.
There is no other secret.
没有其他秘诀.
Moral:A burning desire is the starting point of all accomplishment.
寓意:强烈的愿望是一切成就的起点.
Just like a small fire cannot give much heat, a weak desire cannot produce great results.
就像小火无法产生太多热量一样, 微弱的愿望也无法产生伟大的结果.
