Unit-11-On-Becoming-a-Better-Student課文翻譯綜合教程三

Unit11OnBecomingaBetterStudent(abridged)DonnaFarhiSchuster1Asstudentsweexpectagreatdealfromourteachers.Weexpectthemtobeenthusiastic.Weexpectthemreliable.Wemayevenhaveexpectationsthattheybeendlessrepositoriesofskillandknowledgefromwhichwemaypartakeatwill.2AsateacherIhavecometofeelweightedbytheseexpectationsandhavebeguntoseethatitisreallynotpossibletoteach.Allthewordsandtheoriesandtechniquesareofnousetostudentswhohaveyettoopenthemselveswithreceptivityandtotakeituponthemselvestopractice.SoinasenseIhavegivenuptryingto“teach,”forI’vecometobelievethatthegreatestthingIcanoffermystudentsistohelpthemlearnhowtofindthemselvesthroughtheirowninvestigation.3Manyfactorscometogethertomakeafinestudent.Findsomeoneyouthinkisextraordinary,andyouwillfindmany,ifnotall,ofthefollowingqualities.Peoplewholearnagreatdealinwhatseemslikeaveryshorttimeembodythesequalities.4CuriositySuchpeoplearetremendouslycurious.Thewholeworldisofinteresttothem,andtheyobservewhatothersdonot.NobelPrize-winnerphysicianAlbert-Gyorgyiputitwellwhenhesaid,“Discoveryconsistsoflookingatthesamethingaseveryoneelseandthinkingsomethingdifferent.”Withthiscuriositycomesan“investigativespirit”;thelearningisnotsomuchtheacquisitionofinformationasitisaninvestigation—aquestioning,aturningoveroftheobjectofstudytoseeallsidesandfacets.Itisnotknowinginthesenseofhavingarigidopinion,buttheabilitytolookagainatanothertime,inadifferentlight,asGyorgyisuggests,andtoformanewunderstandingbasedonthatobservation.5DisciplineAnydiscipline—butespeciallythosewithgreatsubtletyandcomplexity,likeyogaort’aichi—canbealifelongpursuit.Persistence,consistency,anddisciplinearerequired.Withoutthese,ourlearningisbutforthwithoutsubstance.Therearenoshortcuts.Thefruitoftheseseeminglydryqualities(whichweprefertoadmireinothers)isthesatisfactionofhavingtastedthefullnessofcompletion,orthethrillofmeetingadifficultchallengewithsuccess.Perhaps,though,ourcultureisinneedofredefiningwhatitmeanstostudy.Ifwecanlookatourchosendisciplineorcraftasanongoingprocessratherthanasadiscreteaccomplishment,thepotentialforlearningcanbeinfinite.Withthisattitudewemayfindourselvestreatingeventhemostmundanediscoverywithwide-eyedwonderandjoy.6Risk-TakingWhyisit,then,thatsofewpeopleliveuptotheirtruepotential?Beyondthewell-pavedroadsandsecurestructuresweusuallybuildforourselvesliedemons,unsurefooting—andunfeltpleasures.Tobeastudentistotakerisks.Yetmosteducationdiscouragespeoplefromventuringfarenoughtotakeriskstomakemistakes.“Childrenenterschoolasquestionmarksandleaveasperiods,”observeseducatorNeilPostman.Whatkindofpunctuationmarkdoyourepresent?Doyoufindyourselflookingfortidyanswersthatgiveyouafeelingofsecurity?Bylearningtofindtheonerightanswer,wemayhaverelinquishedourabilitytofindotheranswersandsolutions.Welearn,then,nottoputourselvesintosituationswherewemightfail,becausefailurehastremendoussocialstigma.Whenwetrydifferentapproachesanddothingsthathavenoprecedenceinourexperience,wewillsurelymakemistakes.Acreativepersonusesthese“failure”assteppingstones.7InitiativeCanwebegin,then,toseethatourteachersareguidesonourjourney,butthatthejourneyitselfisourownresponsibility?Thereisnothingquitesosatisfyingasundergoingadifficultprocessandafterlonghardworkdiscoveringthetruenatureofthatprocess.Itcouldbeassimpleasthrowingaperfectpot,orascomplexasformulatinganewtheoryofphysics.Thesatisfactionwefeelwillbedirectlyproportionaltoamountofworkwedobyourselvestoachieveourgoal.Successfulstudentsdonotexpecttobespoon-fed,buttaketheirowninitiative.Wantinganswersfrommyteacherhasoftenbeenawayformetoavoidtakingtheinitiativetodiscovermyownanswersthroughmyownpractice.8EnthusiasmTolearn,then,istoopenoneself.JimSpira,directoroftheInstituteforEducationalTherapyinBerkeley,California,askshisstudentstopreparethemselvestolearninthisway:“Dropyourpriorknowledge…[and]attempttograspthenewframeworkinitsowncontext.Thestudentcomplains,‘ButIknowwhatisimportant.’Ifwhatyouknowisimportant,thenitshouldbetherewhenyoufinishthecourse.Ifyoucontinually‘holdontoit,’thenyou’llonlyseewhatispresentedintermsoftheoldknowledge/frameworkandneverreallygrowinnewways.”9Finally,asweeachadvanceonourownuniquejourney,letusliveeachdayasbeginners.Being“advanced”hasitsownpitfalls—amongthemcomplacencyandpushingorforcing.Togodeepermaymeantobestill,toprogressmorepatiently,ortodevotemoretimetootherareasofourlivesasyetgreenandimmature.AsF.M.Alexander,oftheAlexandertechnique,oncesaidtohisstudentsastheystrainedandlabored,“Giveuptryingtoohard,butnevergiveup.”7. 主動進取這樣的話，我們就能將老師視為我們旅程中的導游，而旅程本身則是自己的責任所在了吧？在經(jīng)歷了艱難的過程、長期辛苦的工作之后發(fā)現(xiàn)那個過程的真正本質(zhì)，是最令人滿足的。這工作可能很簡單，比如在陶輪上制出一個完整的陶罐；也可能很復雜，如提出一套物理學理論。為達到目標所付出的努力越多，所體會到的滿足感也就會越強。成功的學生不希望填鴨式教育，而是會主動進取。希望從老師那里得到答案是我常用的逃避伎倆，這樣我就不必主動通過練習為自己找到答案。8. 熱忱這么說來，學習其實就是打開心扉。加州伯克萊教育治療學院院長吉姆·斯皮拉要求學生用這種方式學習：“忘記你們已有的知識……嘗試去領(lǐng)會新環(huán)境中的觀點。學生抱怨說，‘但我知道什么是重要的啊?！悄阋呀?jīng)掌握的知識很重要，那么課程結(jié)束時它應(yīng)該還在那。要是你一直‘抓住它不放’，那么只會看到已有知識/觀點的表述，而永遠不會在新的方面有所長進。9. 最后，既然我們每個人的旅程都獨一無二，就讓我們每天像新手上路一樣活著吧。處于“先進高級”階段有它自己的陷阱——其中包括自得自滿、一意孤行或咄咄逼人。繼續(xù)深入可能意味著停滯不前，意味著更加耐心地向前走，或者意味著往我們?nèi)松星酀蜕胁怀墒斓钠渌I(lǐng)域投入更多的時間。正如創(chuàng)立了亞歷山大技法的F.M.亞歷山大曾對過分努力的學生所說，“放棄過分努力，但永遠不要放棄?！?0. 優(yōu)秀學