【英文书短读】Principles（5）

“I also feared boredom and mediocrity much more than I feared failure. For me, great is better than terrible, and terrible is better than mediocre, because terrible at least gives life flavor. The high school yearbook quote my friends chose for me was from Thoreau: “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”
― Ray Dalio, Principles: Life and Work

与失败比起来，我对乏味和平庸的恐惧要严重得多。对我而言，很好的事要比糟糕的事好，而糟糕的事要比平庸的事好，因为糟糕的事至少给生活增加了滋味。在高中毕业纪念册上，我的朋友为我挑选了梭罗的一句名言：“如果一个人和同伴的步调不一致，也许因为他听到的是不同的鼓点。让他跟着他听到的音乐前行吧，不管节奏是迟缓还是激越。”

语言⛽️站～

1) mediocrity /ˌmiː.diˈɑː.krə.t̬i/ n. 平庸; 平庸之人

e.g. A goal just before half-time rescued the match from mediocrity.就在半场结束前的一记进球使这场比赛没有流于平庸。

e.g. These people are just mediocrities.这些人只是平庸之辈。

2) keep pace with 与…齐头并进（或并驾齐驱）; 与…步调一致;

e.g. Could you slow down - I can't keep pace with (= walk or run as fast as) you.您能走慢一点儿吗——我跟不上您。