Teacher’s advice
One life ends, another begins. Sometimes your whole life boils down to one insane move. --- Choice.
choice
● n. 选择；选择权
You have your choice between the two.
在这两个之中，你有选择权。
● adj. 精选的；上等的
It's a box of the choicest chocolates.
这是一盒上等巧克力。
A proverb:
Life is simple. You make choices and you don't look back.
人生很简单，做了决定就不要后悔。
In our daily life, we have many choices to make: what to eat for supper, what clothes to wear to work,what to do on weekends… At certain time in our life, we need to make more critical choices, such as which school to attend, what job to take or who to choose as husband or wife. Yes, life is a matter of choice. Seemingly, it means a choice of tangible things. But in essence, it means choosing a way of life. Making a choice is difficult, because people often want to have all the things they choose, but maybe he can't own them at the same time. There is a saying that you can't have the best of both worlds. The art of living is to know when to hold fast and when to let go. When you are to make a choice, the first thing you need to consider is what are you really want or need. If you figure it out, your choice may become simpler.
What we choose can decide our destiny to some degree. How to try best to make a clever choice? Maybe the two factors are the most significant. Firstly, we had better think about and compare the positive and negative side of the specific object and then get the one whose advantage is much more than other's or the one which is more fit for us. For example when we as an undergraduate apply for a job, we have to choose the working city and place first of all, and then decide which company we work in. We compare all kinds of factors such as economy, climate, environment and so on. In the end we choose the more comfortable climate and promising city to find a job. Secondly, we also had better observe the objective not only on short terms but on long terms. Also take looking for a job as an example, when we think about different kinds of jobs, we should not just think of the short-term salary or treatment. It is better to see the employee training and promotion so that we can learn a lot and have a promising development in the future through hard working.
To Youth
Life Is All about Choices
生活充满选择
Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I'd be twins!" He was a natural motivator.
迈克尔是一个非常讨人喜欢的家伙，他总是心情好好，说些积极向上的话。如果有人问他近况如何，他会这样回答：“如果我还能再好，我就成双胞胎了！”他生来就是个积极向上的人。
If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don't get it.You can't be positive all the time. How do you do it?"
如果哪位雇员有一天不怎么顺心，迈克尔会告诉他如何从积极的一面看待眼前的形势。他的这种方式着实让我好奇，所以有一天我找到迈克尔问：“我真弄不明白。你怎么能总是那样积极乐观？你是如何做到这一点的？”
Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself 'Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."
迈克尔回答说：“每天早晨醒来时我对自己说，‘迈克，今天你有两种选择：你可以选择心情愉快，你也可以选择心情糟糕。’我选择心情愉快。每次什么不愉快的事情发生时，我可以选择成为牺牲品，也可以选择从中吸取教训。我选择从中吸取教训。每次有什么人找我来抱怨，我可以选择接受他们的抱怨，也可以选择向他们指出生活中积极的一面。我选择指出生活中积极的一面。”
Yeah,right. It isn't that easy. I protested.Yes it is, Michael said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line is: it's your choice how you live life."I reflected on what Michael said.
“是的，没错。可并不那么容易呀。”我表示异议。“其实很容易，”迈克尔说。“生活充满选择。当你剔除一切枝节后，每一种情形都是一种选择。你选择如何应付生活中的种种情形。你选择他人会怎样影响你的情绪。你选择有个好心情或是有个坏心情。说到底：如何生活是你自己的选择。”我琢磨着迈克尔的这席话。
Soon thereafter, I left the big enterprise that I had worked in for years to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later,I heard Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling off 60 feet from a communications tower.
自那以后不久，我离开了工作数年的大企业去创建自己的公司。我们失去了联系，但当我对生活做出一种选择而非对它做出反应时，我时常想起迈克尔。几年之后，我听说迈克尔遭遇一场恶性事故，从一座通讯大楼的60英尺高处掉了下来。
After 18 hours of surgery, and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied,"If I were any better, I’d be twins. Want to see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.
在经历了18个小时的手术和数周的重症特别护理之后，迈克尔出院了，背部装有金属杆。事故发生大约半年之后，我见到了迈克尔。当我问他怎么样时，他回答如果我还能再好，我就成双胞胎了。想看看我的伤疤吗？”我拒绝看他的伤痕，但的确问了他事故发生时他是怎么想的。
The first thing that went through my mind was the wellbeing of my soon-to-born daughter, Michael replied. "Then,as I lay on the ground, I remembered I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Michael continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the operation room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Michael. "She asked me if I was allergic to anything, 'Yes,' I said. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity.' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I'm choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'."
“我首先想到的是我那即将出世的女儿的幸福生活，”迈克尔答道。“当时我躺在地上，我记起我有两种选择：我可以选择活着，也可以选择死。我选择了活着。”“你难道不害怕吗？你失去知觉了吗？”我问。迈克尔接着说，“…那些护理人员棒极了。他们不停地告诉我我会好的。但当他们把我推进手术室，我看到医生和护士脸上的表情时，我真是吓坏了，在他们的眼里，我读出了‘他是个死人。’我知道我应该采取行动。”“你采取了什么行动？”我问道。“有一位人高马大的护士大声冲我问问题，”迈克尔说。“她问我是否对什么过敏。‘是的，’我说。医生和护士都停下手中的活儿等我回答。我深吸一口气大声说出，‘万有引力。’等他们笑完后，我告诉他们，‘我选择活着。把我当活人而不是死人来做手术。”’
Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that everyday we have a choice to live fully. Attitude is everything.
迈克尔活了下来，这要感谢他那些医生的医术，但也要归功于他那令人赞叹的态度。我从他那里学到了我们每天都可以选择充实地活着。态度决定一切。
Wordsand Expressions：
1) natural[ˈnætʃrəl]adj. 自然的；物质的；天生的；不做作的
It's difficult to look natural when you're feelingnervous.
当你紧张的时候，就很难显得轻松自然。
2) motivator['məʊtɪveɪtə]n. 动力；激励因素
Money is a good motivator.
钱是一个很大的动力。
3) mood[muːd] n. 情绪，语气；心境；气氛
I'm just not in the mood for a party tonight.
我今晚就是没心情参加聚会。
4) victim['vɪktɪm]n. 受害人；牺牲品；牺牲者
The victim received head injuries from which she dieda week later.
受害人头部受伤，一周后死亡。
5) complain[kəm'pleɪn] v. 抱怨；控诉；诉说
Residents are complaining because traffic in the areahas increased.
由于这个地区的交通流量有所增加，居民都在抱怨。
6) point out指出，指明
They kept standing up to take pictures and pointthings out to each other.
他们不停地站起来照相，还相互指些东西给对方看。
7) protest[prəˈtest]v. 抗议；断言
Students took to the streets to protest against thedecision.
学生们走上街头，抗议这项决定。
8) junk[dʒʌŋk]n. 垃圾，废物；舢板
I've cleared out all that old junk in the attic.
我把阁楼里所有的废旧杂物都清除干净了。
9) affect[ə'fekt]v. 影响；感染
Your opinion will not affect my decision.
你的意见不会影响我的决定。
10) reflect on仔细考虑，思考；反省
When cracks appear in friendships, we should reflecton ourselves about what has gone wrong.
当友情出现了裂痕, 我们一定要反省一下究竟是哪里出错了。
11) thereafter[ðeər'ɑːftə] adv. 其后；从那时以后
She married at 17 and gave birth to her first childshortly thereafter.
她17岁结婚，之后不久便生了第一个孩子。
12) enterprise['entəpraɪz] n. 企业；事业；进取心；事业心
The enterprise has been put under localadministration.
这个企业已划归地方管理。
13) be involved in 包括……中，被卷入……中；涉及到……
He is still involved in voluntary work promoting localenterprise.
他仍从事志愿工作推动当地创业。
14) surgery['sɜːdʒərɪ]n. 外科；外科手术；手术室；诊疗室
He will require surgery on his left knee.
他的左膝需要做手术。
15) intensive care重病特别护理
She needed intensive care for several days.
她需要几天的特别护理。
16) release[rɪ'liːs]v. 释放；发射；让与；允许发表
Firefighters took two hours to release the driver fromthe wreckage.
消防队员花了两个小时将司机从汽车残骸中救出来。
17) rod[rɒd]n. 棒；惩罚；枝条；权力
The walls are reinforced with steel rods.
墙体都用钢筋加固。
18) scar[skɑː]n. 创伤；伤痕
(过去式 scarred过去分词scarred现在分词 scarring)
His years in prison have left deep scars.
他在狱中的岁月给他留下了深深的创伤。
19) decline[dɪ'klaɪn]v. 谢绝；婉拒；下降；衰落
The number of tourists to the resort declined by 10%last year.
去年到这个胜地旅游的人数减少了10%。
20) wellbeing n. 幸福；福利；安乐
Emotional states define people's internal feeling ofhealth and wellbeing.
情感状态决定人们内心对健康和幸福的感受。
21) paramedic [,pærə'medɪk] n. 护理人员；伞兵军医；伞降医务人员
We intend to have a paramedic on every ambulancewithin the next three years.
我们计划在今后的3年内在每辆救护车里配备一名护理人员。
22) burly['bɜːlɪ]adj. 结实的；率直的；粗鲁的
Gaston was big, burly, and brilliant, with a deep,strong voice and a commanding manner.
加森高大魁梧，才华横溢，说起话来声音浑厚深沉，看上去很有威严。
23) allergic[ə'lɜːdʒɪk]adj. 对…过敏的；对…极讨厌的
You could see he was allergic to housework.
你可以看出他很讨厌做家务。
24) yell[jel]v. 大叫，叫喊；喊叫着说
She yelled at the child to get down from the wall.
她喊着让小孩从墙上下来。
25) gravity[ˈgrævətɪ]n. 重力，地心引力；严重性；庄严
I don't think you realise the gravity of thesituation.
我认为你没有意识到形势的严重性。
26) attitude['ætɪtjuːd] n. 态度；看法；意见；姿势
I don't like her judgemental attitude.
我不喜欢她的苛刻态度。
★扩展
更多详情解析请参见推荐论文（电影《阿凡达》中的生态思想内涵）
