Unit 3译文.doc

Do you want a better life? According to the author of the following article, the solution is easy. Simply change the way you look at yourself - and you will change the way you live. Improving your self-image is your key to living a better life. Your Key to a Better Life by Maxwell Maltz The most important psychological of this century is the discovery of the self-image. Whether we realize it or not, each of us carries about with us a mental blueprint or picture of ourselves. It may be vague and ill-defined to our conscious gaze. In fact, it may not be consciously recognizable at all. But it is there, complete down to the last detail. This self-image is our own conception of the sort of person I am. It has been built up from our own beliefs about ourselves. But most of these beliefs about ourselves have unconsciously been formed from our past experiences, our successes and failures, our humiliations, our triumphs, and the way other people have reacted to us, especially in early childhood. From all these we mentally construct a self, (or a picture of a self). Once an idea or a belief about ourselves goes into this picture it becomes true, as far as we personally are concerned. We do not question its validity, but proceed to act upon it just as if it were true. 生活更美好的关键 本世纪最重要的心理学发现就是“自我意象”。不管我们意识到与否，我们每个人的脑子里都有一幅自我“蓝图”或自我画像。在我们有意识的凝视之下，它也许是模糊不清的；事实上，我们也许根本无法有意识地去认识它。但它确实是存在的，每一个细节都完整无缺。这一自我意象就是“我是怎样一种人”的自我概念。它建立在我们的自我信念之上。但是，这些自我信念大部分是根据我们过去的经历，我们的成功和失败、我们的羞辱、我们的胜利以及他人对我们的反应，特别是根据童年时期的种种经历在不知不觉中形成的。根据所以这些以往的经历，我们便在自己的脑子里形成了一个“自我”（或一幅自我画像）。就我们个人而言，一旦关于我们自己的某种想法或信念进入这幅画像，它就变成了“真实的”。我们从不怀疑它是否可信，而是根据它去行动，就好像它是真的一样。 This self-image becomes a golden key to living a better life because of two important discoveries:由于以下两项重要发现，这一自我意象便成了开启美好生活之门的金钥匙：??? 1. All your actions, feelings, behavior -- even your abilities -- are always consistent with this self-image.你的一切行动、感情、举止、甚至你的才能，都始终与这一自我意象一致：??? In short, you will act like the sort of person you conceive yourself to be.