英語閱讀：激勵你走向成功的七本書

　　摘要：多年來，他的兩本超級暢銷書《激發心靈的潛力》(Unlimited Power，1986)和《喚醒內心的巨人》(Awaken the Giant Within，1991)，激勵了無數奮斗者。最近，這位自我提高領域的大師(他已經六十七歲)，推出了他在近20年來出版的首部重要作品《金錢：掌控游戲》。

　　Master motivator Tony Robbins, profiled in a newFortune cover story, has reached countless striversover the years with his blockbuster bestsellersUnlimited Power (1986) and Awaken the Giant Within(1991). Now the giant of the self-improvementgenre—literally, he’s six-seven—is rousing people toconquer their finances with his first major book intwo decades: Money: Master the Game (Simon& Schuster, Nov. 18). Here’s a brief history ofpersonal development literature’s greatest hits.

　　新一期《財富》雜志(Fortune)的封面人物是激勵大師托尼•羅賓斯，多年來，他的兩本超級暢銷書《激發心靈的潛力》(Unlimited Power，1986)和《喚醒內心的巨人》(Awaken the Giant Within，1991)，激勵了無數奮斗者。最近，這位自我提高領域的大師(他已經六十七歲)，推出了他在近20年來出版的首部重要作品《金錢：掌控游戲》(Money: Master the Game)【西蒙與舒斯特出版公司(Simon &Schuster)，11月18日】。現在讓我們回顧一下史上最暢銷的自我發展類圖書：

　　How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (1936)

　　《人性的弱點:如何贏得朋友并影響他人》(How to Win Friends and Influence People)，作者戴爾•卡耐基(1936年)

　　Carnegie’s classic self-help book counts people as diverse as oracular investor Warren Buffetand murder-mastermind Charles Manson among its acolytes. The book, which comprises arecipe for getting ahead, has sold more than 15 million copies since it was first published.Transcribed with help from a stenographer (at the suggestion of a Simon & Schusterexec who heard Carnegie speak), this likeability manual spawned from a popular lecture coursetaught by Carnegie. Here’s a nugget of Carnegie’s counsel: “You can't win an argument. Youcan't because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose it.”

　　這是卡耐基經典的自我幫助類著作，股神沃倫•巴菲特和殺人魔王查爾斯•曼森都是本書的信徒。書中包含一系列取得成功的秘訣，自首次出版以來已賣出超過1,500萬本。這本人際關系手冊的出版得益于一名速記員的幫助(根據一位聽過卡耐基演講的西蒙與舒斯特出版公司高管的建議)，內容取自卡耐基頗受歡迎的演講課程內容。卡耐基有一句名言：“你不可能贏得爭論。因為如果你輸了，你當然也就輸了;如果你贏了，可你還是輸了。”

　　Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (1937)

　　《思考致富》(Think and Grow Rich)，作者：拿破侖•希爾(1937年)

　　Urged by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie to research what underpins the fortunes of the world’s most powerful people, Napoleon Hill spent more than 20 years studying well-known financial front-runners. Inside he bottled “the Carnegie secret,” distilling knowledge from such captains of industry as Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller, and, of course, Carnegie. Among those influenced by Hill’s “philosophy of achievement” is boxer Ken Norton, who cited Hill as inspiration after defeating and breaking the jaw of Muhammad Ali. As an L.A. Times sportswriter once wrote of the match: “The credit belongs to a famous man of the past named Napoleon. Not the Emperor of France; this one is Napoleon Hill.”

　　拿破侖•希爾受美國鋼鐵大王安德魯•卡內基鼓勵，對是什么支撐著全世界最有權勢者的財富進行調查，他用20多年時間研究了最知名的富翁。他在書中總結了多位行業領袖的經歷，包括托馬斯•愛迪生、亨利•福特、約翰•D•洛克菲勒和卡內基，破解了“卡內基的致富秘訣”。受希爾“成功哲學”影響的名人包括肯•諾頓，他在擊敗默罕默德•阿里并擊碎他的下巴后，表示自己受到了希爾的啟發。一位《洛杉磯時報》(L.A. Times)的體育記者曾這樣描述這場比賽：“諾頓的勝利要歸功于一位已故的名人拿破侖。他并非法國的皇帝;他是拿破侖•希爾。”

　　The Power of Positive Thinking by NormanVincent Peale (1952)

　　《積極思考的力量》(The Power of PositiveThinking)，作者：諾曼•文森特•皮爾(1952年)

　　Turn that frown upside-down: In the relentlesslyupbeat world of post-World War II America, whereeverything seemed like it was on the rise and alwayswould be, Peale optimistically codified simpleprocedures for “mastering the problems of everyday living.” Don’t be defeated, he counsels.The book “is written with the sole objective of helping the reader achieve a happy, satisfying,and worthwhile life.”

　　不要眉頭緊鎖：二戰后的美國一片繁榮，一切似乎都蒸蒸日上，并且會一直持續下去，皮爾樂觀地編寫出一套旨在“解決日常生活難題”的簡單程序。他忠告讀者：不要被擊敗。這本書“只有一個目的：幫助讀者獲得幸福美滿、有價值的生活。”

　　I’m OK—You’re OK by Thomas Anthony Harris(1969)

　　《我好!你也好!》(I’m OK—You’re OK)，作者：托馬斯•安東尼•哈里斯(1969年)

　　In the 1950s, psychiatrist Eric Berne expanded onFreud’s theories of psychoanalysis to develop hisown system of diagnosis and therapy calledTransactional Analysis. Rather than speculatingabout the unconscious mind to explain human behavior, Berne schematized social interactions—aka his “transactions.” Harris, one of Berne’s close disciples, took Berne’s ideas and ran withthem, promoting the methodology in his pop-psych paragon I’m OK—You’re OK. Harris’ bookbecame even more influential than Berne’s own and has made a host of pop cultural cameos,including in sitcoms like The Odd Couple, Taxi, and Seinfeld. The child, a transactional analystmight say, surpassed the parent.

　　上世紀50年代，精神病學專家埃里克•伯恩進一步闡述了佛洛依德的精神分析理論，并形成了自己的診斷與治療體系：交互分析(Transactional Analysis)。伯恩并非通過推測潛意識來解釋人類行為，而是將社會互動系統化——也就是他的“交互”。伯恩的愛徒哈里斯繼承了他的理論，并將其付諸實踐，在其大眾心理學經典作品《我好!你也好》中宣傳了交互分析方法。哈里斯的圖書在影響力方面甚至超越了伯恩的作品，并曾在許多流行文化作品中出現，包括情景喜劇《單身公寓》(The Odd Couple)、《出租車》(Taxi)和《宋飛正傳》(Seinfeld)。按照交互分析師的說法，伯恩可謂青出于藍而勝于藍。

　　The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey (1989)

　　《高效能人士的七個習慣》(The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)，作者史蒂芬•R•柯維(1989年)

　　Managerial magician Stephen Covey became a much sought-after exec-whisperer after publishing his seven-maxim wisdom. Offering sharp saws like Be Proactive (Habit No. 1), Think Win-Win (No. 4), and, well, Sharpen the Saw (No. 7), the book delivers succinct, memorable advice. Covey, a onetime teacher at Brigham Young University’s School of Management and co-founder of its Department of Organizational Behavior, eventually set up a consulting business to market his insights. While Covey’s axioms may come as no surprise to some, it’s the book’s digestible structure that wins him converts—including former President Bill Clinton, who once invited Covey to Camp David for personal guidance.

　　這部管理學經典之作出版后，管理學大師史蒂芬•柯維成了極受歡迎的高管導師。書中為讀者提供了簡潔但令人記憶深刻的建議，如積極主動(習慣1)、雙贏思維(習慣4)和不斷更新(習慣7)。柯維曾任楊百翰大學(Brigham Young University)管理學院講師，也是該校組織行為學系的聯合創始人，他后來成立了自己的咨詢公司，宣傳自己的理論。柯維的理論雖然對有些人而言并不新鮮，但本書易于理解的結構卻為他贏得了大批擁護者，美國前總統比爾•克林頓曾邀請柯維前往戴維營對他進行個人指導。

　　Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield andMark Victor Hansen (1993)

　　《心靈雞湯》(Chicken Soup for the Soul)，作者：杰克•坎菲爾德與馬克•維克多•漢森(1993年)

　　Conceived of as a collection of 101 inspiring storiesmore than two decades ago, the book begat a mega-franchise. Motivational speakers Canfield and Hansentook on the original project after their audiencemembers solicited them to compile anecdotes from their talks. Snowballing into more than 250titles and selling more than 110 million copies in the U.S. and Canada, the series has become afixture of bookshelves across the world. Sold in 2008 to three new owners, the franchise hasnot lost steam. It has since launched a YouTube Channel and comfort food lines for both petsand humans.

　　20年前構想本書時，作者只是希望編撰一本由101篇鼓舞人心的故事組成的合集，未曾想“心靈雞湯”最終演變為一個巨大的特許經營品牌。勵志演講家坎菲爾德與漢森當初著手這個項目的原因是，有聽眾請求他們將演講中提到的故事編輯成冊。如今，該圖書系列已經超過250種，在美國與加拿大的總銷量超過1.1億本，在世界其他國家也大受歡迎。2008年，該圖書的特許經營權被出售，但其熱度不減，先后推出一個YouTube頻道，以及針對寵物和人類的安慰食品系列。

　　The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (2006)

　　《秘密》(The Secret)，作者：朗達•拜恩(2006年)

　　Echoing the language of Hill and “the Carnegiesecret,” Byrne produced a Da Vinci Code-esque videodocumentary claiming to reveal life-changingarcana in 2006. Her book of the same name quicklyfollowed, receiving a major popularity boost fromThe Oprah Winfrey Show. Byrne’s premise is based on the “law of attraction”: positive thinkingbegets positive results. Cosmic magnetism and will power bring health, wealth, and happiness,Byrne says. She cites Einstein, Edison, and Galileo as famous possessors of this secretknowledge. Building on her own success, Byrne has continued to spread the word in soulfulsequels such as The Power and The Magic.

　　2006年，拜恩制作了一部類似《達芬奇密碼》(Da Vinci Code)的視頻紀錄片，與希爾和“卡內基致富秘訣”使用的語言遙相呼應。這部紀錄片聲稱解開了能夠改變生活的奧秘。她很快便推出了同名圖書，并因《奧普拉脫口秀》(Oprah Winfrey Show)的大力推薦而暢銷一時。拜恩的理論基于“吸引力法則”：積極的思考會帶來積極的結果。拜恩表示，宇宙吸引力和意志力能夠帶來健康、財富和幸福。她認為愛因斯坦、愛迪生和伽利略等都掌握了這一奧秘。借助這本書大獲成功的東風，拜恩隨后又推出觸動靈魂的續篇《力量》(The Power)和《魔力》(The Magic)，繼續宣傳自己的理論。

　　以書為伴

　　A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps; for there is a companionship of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best company， whether it be of books or of men.

　　通常看一個讀些什么書就可知道他的為人，就像看他同什么人交往就可知道他的為人一樣，因為有人以人為伴，也有人以書為伴。無論是書友還是朋友，我們都應該以最好的為伴。

　　A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the same today that it always was， and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth， and comforting and consoling us in age.

　　好書就像是你最好的朋友。它始終不渝，過去如此，現在如此，將來也永遠不變。它是最有耐心，最令人愉悅的伴侶。在我們窮愁潦倒，臨危遭難時，它也不會拋棄我們，對我們總是一如既往地親切。在我們年輕時，好書陶冶我們的性情，增長我們的知識;到我們年老時，它又給我們以慰藉和勉勵。