TED英语演讲稿：无所畏惧学无止境
thisistimferrisscirca1979a.d.agetwo.youcantellbythepowersquat,iwasaveryconfidentboy--andnotwithoutreason.ihadaverycharmingroutineatthetime,whichwastowaituntillateintheeveningwhenmyparentsweredecompressingfromaharddayswork,doingtheircrosswordpuzzles,watchingtelevision.iwouldrunintothelivingroom,jumpuponthecouch,ripthecushionsoff,throwthemonthefloor,screamatthetopofmylungsandrunoutbecauseiwastheincrediblehulk.(laughterobviously,youseetheresemblanee.andthisroutinewentonforsometime.
wheniwasseveniwenttosummercamp.myparentsfounditnecessaryforpeaceofmind.andatnooneachdaythecamperswouldgotoapond,wheretheyhadfloatingdocks.youcouldjumpofftheendintothedeepend.iwasbornpremature.iwasalwaysverysmall.myleftlunghadcollapsedwheniwasborn.andivealwayshadbuoyancyproblems.sowaterwassomethingthatscaredmetobeginwith.butiwouldgoinonoccasion.andononeparticularday,thecamperswerejumpingthroughinnertubes,theywere
divingthroughinnertubes.andithoughtthiswouldbegreat
fun.soidovethroughtheinnertube,andthebullyofthecampgrabbedmyankles.anditriedtocomeupforair,andmylowerbackhitthe
i
bottomoftheinnertube.andiwentwildeyedandthoughtiwasgoingtodie.acampcounselorfortunatelycameoverandseparatedus.fromthatpoint
onwardiwasterrifiedofswimming.that
issomethingthati
didnotgetover.myinabilitytoswimhasbeenoneofmygreatest
humiliations
andembarrassments.thatiswheni
realizedthatiwasnottheincrediblehulk.
butthereisahappyendingtothisstory.atage31--thatsmyagenow--inaugustitooktwoweekstore-examineswimming,andquestionalltheoftheobviousaspectsofswimming.andwentfromswimmingonelap--so20yards-likeadrowningmonkey,atabout200beatsperminuteheartrate--imeasuredit--togoingtomontaukonlongisland,
closetowhereigrewup,andjumpingintotheoceanandswimmingonekilometerinopenwater,gettingoutandfeelingbetterthanwheniwentin.andicameout,inmyspeedos,europeanstyle,feelingliketheincrediblehulk.
andthatswhatiwanteveryoneinheretofeellike,theincrediblehulk,attheendofthispresentation.
more
specifically」wantyoutofeellikeyourecapableofbecominganexcellentIong-distanee
swimmer,aworld-classIanguage
learner,andatangochampion.andiwouldliketosharemyart.ifi
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haveanart,itsdeconstructingthingsthatreallyscarethelivinghelloutofme.so,movingonward.
swimming,firstprinciples.firstprinciples,thisisveryimportant.ifindthatthebestresultsinlifeareoftenheldbackbyfalseconstructsanduntestedassumptions.andtheturnaroundinswimmingcamewhenwillgo
afriendofminesaid,iayearwithout
any
stimulants
--this
isa
six-double-espresso-per-daytypeofguy--ifyoucancompleteaonekilometeropen
waterrace.sothe
clock
startedticking.istartedseekingouttriathletesbecauseifoundthatlifelongswimmersoftencouldntteachwhattheydid.itriedkickboards.myfeetwouldslicethroughthewaterlikerazors,iwouldntevenmove.iwouldleavedemoralized,
staringatmyfeet.handpaddles,everything.evendidlessonswitholympians--nothinghelped.andthenchrissacca,whoisnowadearfriendmine,hadcompletedanironmanwith103degreetemperature,said,ihavetheanswertoyourprayers.andheintroducedmetotheworkofamannamedterry
laughlinwhoisthefounderoftotalimmersionswimming.thatsetmeontheroadtoexaminingbiomechanics.
soherearethenewrulesofswimming,ifanyofyouareafraidofswimming,ornotgoodatit.thefirstis,forgetabout
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kicking.verycounterintuitive.soitturnsoutthatpropulsion
isntreallytheproblem.kickingharderdoesntsolvetheproblembecausetheaverageswimmeronlytransfersaboutthreepercentoftheirenergyexpenditureintoforwardmotion.
theproblemishydrodynamics.sowhatyouwanttofocusoninsteadisallowingyourlowerbodytodraftbehindyourupperbody,muchlikeasmallcarbehindabigcaronthehighway.
andyoudothatbymaintainingahorizontalbodyposition.theonlywayyoucandothatistonotswimontopofthewater.thebodyisdenserthanwater.95percentleast,submergednaturally.
soyouendup,numberthree,notswimming,inthecaseoffreestyle,onyourstomach,asmanypeoplethink,reachingontopofthewater.butactuallyrotating
fromstreamlinedofitwouldbe,at
righttostreamlinedleft,maintainingthatfuselagepositionaslongaspossible.soletslookatsomeexamples.thisisterry.
andyoucanseethathesextendinghisrightarmbelowhisheadandfarinfront.andsohisentirebodyreallyisunderwater.thearmisextendedbelowthehead.theheadisheldinlinewiththespine,sothatyouusestrategicwaterpressuretoraiseyourlegsup--veryimportant,especiallyforpeoplewithlowerbodyfat.hereisanexampleofthestroke.
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soyoudontkick.butyoudouseasmallflick.youcanseethisistheleftextension.thenyouseehisleftleg.smallflick,andtheonlypurposeofthatistorotatehishipssohecangettotheoppositeside.andtheentrypointforhisrighthand-noticethis,hesnotreachinginfrontandcatchingthewater.
rather,heisenteringthewaterata45-degreeanglewithhisforearm,andthenpropellinghimselfbystreamlining--veryimportant.incorrect,
above,whichiswhatalmostevery
swimmingcoachwillteachyou.nottheirfault,honestly.andillgettoimplicitversusexplicitinamoment.belowiswhatmostswimmerswillfindenablesthemtodowhatidid,whichisgoingfrom21strokesper20-yardlengthto11strokesintwoworkoutswithnocoach,novideomonitoring.andnowiloveswimming.icantwaittogoswimming.illbedoingaswimminglessonlater,formyself,ifanyonewantstojoinme.
lastthing,breathing.aproblemalotofushave,certainly,whenyoureswimming.infreestyle,easiestwaytoremedythisistoturnwithbodyroll,andjusttolookatyourrecoveryhandasitentersthewater.andthatwillgetyouveryfar.thatsit.thatsreallyallyouneedtoknow.
Ianguages.materialversusmethod.i,likemanypeople,cametotheconclusionthatiwasterribleatIanguages.isuffered
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throughspanishforjuniorhigh,firstyearofhighschool,andthesumtotalofmyknowledgewasprettymuch,dondeestaelbano?andiwouldntevencatchtheresponse.asadstateofaffairs.thenitransferred
toadifferentschool
sophomoreyear,andihadachoiceofotherIanguages.mostofmyfriendsweretakingjapanese.soithought
whynot
punishmyself?illdojapanese.sixmonthslaterihadthechaneetogotojapan.myteachersassuredme,theysaid,dontworry.youllhavejapaneseIanguageclasseseverydaytohelpyoucope.itwillbeanamazingexperienee.
myfirst
overseasexperieneeinfact.somyparentsencouragedmetodoit.ileft.
iarrivedintokyo.amazing.icouldntbelieveiwasontheothersideoftheworld.imetmyhostfamily.thingswentquitewellithink,allthingsconsidered.myfirstevening,beforemyfirstdayofschool,isaidtomymother,verypolitely,pleasewakemeupateighta.m.so,(japanesebutididntsay(japanese.isaid,(japanese.prettyclose.butisaid,pleaserapemeateighta.m.(laughteryouveneverseenamoreconfusedjapanesewoman.(laughter
iwalkedintoschool.andateachercameuptomeandhandedmeapieceofpaper.icouldntreadanyofit-hieroglyphics,itcouldhavebeen--becauseitwaskanji,chinesecharactersadapted
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intothejapaneseIanguage.askedhimwhatthissaid.andhegoes,ahh,okayokay,eehto,worldhistory,ehh,calculus,traditionaljapanese.andsoon.andsoitcametomeinwaves.therehadbeensomethinglostintranslation.thejapaneseclasseswerenotjapaneseinstructionclasses,perse.theywerethenormalhighschoolcurriculumforjapanesestudents--theother4,999studentsintheschool,whowerejapanese,besidestheamerican.andthatsprettymuchmyresponse.(laughter
andthatsetmeonthispanicdrivensearchforthe
method
perfectIanguage
.
itriedeverything.iwenttopossiblecd.
kinokuniya.itriedeverypossiblebook,every
nothingworkeduntilifoundthis.thisisthejoyokanji.thisisatabletrather,oraposterofthe1,945common-usecharactersasdeterminedbytheministryofeducationin1981.manyofthepublicationsinjapanlimitthemselvestothesecharacters,tofacilitateliteracy--somearerequiredto.andthisbecamemyholygrail,myrosettastone.
assoonasifocusedonthismaterial,itookoff.iendedupbeingabletoreadasahishinbu,asahinewspaper,aboutsixmonthslater--soatotalof11monthslater--andwentfromjapaneseitojapanesevi.endedupdoingtranslationworkatage16whenireturnedtotheu.s.,andhavecontinuedto
applythismaterialovermethodapproachtoclosetoadozenIan
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guagesnow.someonewhowasterribleatIanguages,andatanygiventime,speak,readandwritefiveorsix.thisbringsustothepoint,whichis,itsoftentimeswhatyoudo,nothowyoudoit,thatisthedeterminingfactor.thisisthediffereneebetweenbeingeffective--doingtherightthings--andbeingefficient--doingthingswellwhetherornottheyreimportant.
youcanalsodothiswithgrammar.icameupwiththesesixsentencesaftermuchexperimentation.
havinganative
speakerallowyoutodeconstructtheirgrammar,bytranslatingthesesentencesintopast,present,future,subject,object,verb,placementofindirect,
willshowyoudirectobjects,
genderandsoforth.fromthatpoint,youcanthen,ifyouwantto,acquiremultipleIanguages,alternatethemsothereisno
interferenee.wecantalkaboutthatifanyoneininterested.andnowiloveIanguages.
soballroomdancing,implicitversusexplicit--veryimportant.youmightlookatmeandsay,thatguymustbeaballroomdancer.butno,youdbewrongbecausemybodyisverypoorlydesignedformostthings--prettywelldesignedforliftingheavyrocksperhaps.iusedtobemuchbigger,muchmoremuscular.andsoiendedupwalkinglikethis.ilookedalotlikeanorangutan,ourclosecousins,ortheincrediblehulk.notverygoodforballroom
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