生命中的挫敗 The Failure of Success 

他被三振出局達1330 次，這是大聯盟史上(Major League Baseball, MLB) ，任何球員都沒有過的差勁紀錄。可是這不是什麼我們記得的貝比魯斯 (Babe Ruth) ，他的714 個全壘打，使球迷對他被1330次三振的印象完全磨滅。  

失敗次數最多當中之一、嘗試的實驗百分之99總是不成功的人-愛迪生；我們從未認為他是一個失敗的人。  

在法國和印地安人戰爭期間，在那西迪堡，一名年輕美國軍官被法國敵軍逮捕。但喬治・華盛頓從未就此把自己定位為一個投降者，而成為美國歷史上第一位總統。  

接著是這個充滿挫敗的人生故事。1831年他生意失敗。1832 年國會選舉失利。1834 年事業再度失敗。1841年他精神崩潰。1843年他希望被他的黨提名為國會議員但沒有成功。1855年他競選參議院失敗，1858年他再度被擊敗。某些人形容他是一個沒有絕望了的失敗者。但在南北戰爭中，他領導的北方獲得勝；他宣布廢除奴隸制度，並使美國從南北長期分裂中恢復了統一；1860年，他一舉擊敗競選對手 - 大富翁、民主黨人道格拉斯；成為美國第16任總統 - 他是林肯(Abraham Lincoln)。他懂得如何接受短暫的失敗。  

人們如果能記住失敗不見得有當時看來那麼嚴重，那麼對失敗就不會那麼在意和敏感。當成功到來時，成功就像明亮的太陽，把失敗變成微不足道的朦朧斑點。  

- 譯自MacMonkies! October 17-23, 2001 

The Failure of Success   

He struck out 1330 times, a record in futility unapproached by any other player in the history of baseball. But that isn't what we remember about Babe Ruth. His 714 home runs completely obliterated the 1330 strike-outs. 

One of the failingest men who ever lived was always trying experiments that were unsuccessful. Yet we never think of Thomas A. Edison as a failure.  

During the French and Indian War, at Fort Necessity, a young American officer capitulated to the enemy. But George Washington is never thought of as the man who surrendered to the French.  

And then there's the story of a man who's life history was saturated with failure. This man failed in business in 1831. He was defeated for the state legislature in 1832. He failed again in business in 1834. He had a nervous breakdown in 1841. He hoped to receive his party's nomination for Congress but didn't in 1843. He ran for the Senate and lost in 1855. He was defeated again for senate in 1858. A hopeless loser, some people said. But Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860. He knew how to accept defeat - temporarily.  

People would feel a lot less sensitive about failure it they remember it jus doesn’t matter, except as a guidepost for oneself.  Success is a bright sun that obscures and makes ridiculously unimportment all the little shadowy fleck of failure.   

MacMonkies! October 17-23, 2001 

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