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In 1982, Steven Callahan was crossing the Atlantic alone in his sailboat when it struck something and sank. He was out of the shipping lanes and floating in a life raft, alone. His supplies were few. His chances were small. Yet when three fishermen found him seventy-six days later (the longest anyone has survived a shipwreck on a life raft alone), he was alive—much skinnier than he was when he started, but alive.
His account of how he survived is fascinating1. His ingenuity2—how he managed to catch fish, how he fixed his solar still (evaporates sea water to make fresh)—is very interesting.
But the thing that caught my eyes was how he managed to keep himself going when all hope seemed lost, when there seemed no point in continuing the struggle, when he was suffering greatly, when his life raft was punctured3 and after more than a week struggling with his weak body to fix it, it was still leaking air and wearing him out to keep pumping it up. He was starved. He was desperately dehydrated4. He was thoroughly exhausted. Giving up would have seemed the only sane5 option.
When people survive these kinds of circumstances, they do something with their minds that gives them the courage to keep going. Many people in similarly desperate circumstances give in or go mad. Something the survivors do with their thoughts helps them find the guts to carry on in spite of overwhelming odds. “I tell myself I can handle it,” wrote Callahan in his narrative. “Compared to what others have been through, I’m fortunate. I tell myself these things over and over, building up fortitude6...” I wrote that down after I read it. And I’ve told myself the same thing when my own goals seemed far off or when my problems seemed too overwhelming. And every time I’ve said it, I have always come back to my senses.
The truth is, our circumstances are only bad compared to something better. But others have been through much worse. I’ve read enough history to know you and I are lucky to be where we are, when we are, no matter how bad it seems to us compared to our fantasies. It’s a sane thought and worth thinking. So here, coming to us from the extreme edge of survival, are words that can give us strength. Whatever you’re going through, tell yourself you can handle it. Compared to what others have been through, you’re fortunate. Tell this to yourself over and over, and it will help you get through the rough spots with a little more fortitude.
1982年，史蒂文·卡拉汉独自驾驶帆船穿越大西洋时因撞到不明物而沉船。他偏离了航线，在救生筏中独自漂流。他的给养所剩无几，生还的机会渺茫。但当三个渔民在76天(船只失事后独自乘救生筏生存的最长时间)后发现他的时候，他还活着。虽然和出发时相比他已经是皮包骨头，但是他还活着。
他对自己如何逃生的描述很引人入胜。他的关于如何设法捕鱼以及如何安装他的太阳能蒸馏器（蒸馏海水获得新鲜淡水的工具）的故事听起来都那么有趣。
但是真正吸引我的是，当所有的希望看似破灭时，当继续挣扎毫无意义的时候、当痛不欲生的时候，当漂流一个多星期后还得拖着虚弱的身体修理被刺破的救生筏的时候，当不断往里充气的救生筏仍然不停漏气的时候，他仍然能够竭尽全力、勇往直前。
能够在这种情形下幸存下来的人们，总是凭着某种意志给自己勇气坚持下来。许多处于同样绝境的人不是放弃就是精神崩溃。幸存者们都有某种信念帮助他们在机会如此渺茫之时找到坚持下去的勇气。“我对自己说我能应付，”卡拉汉在他的叙事小说中写道，“和其他人的遭遇相比，我是幸运的。我一遍又一遍地对自己说要鼓起勇气。”我读过之后，把这段摘录了下来。每当我自己的目标仿佛遥不可及或问题严重至极的时候，我都这样对自己说。每每这样说，我就会重新振作起精神。
事实是，只有和一些更好的环境相比，我们的处境才会显得糟糕。但其他人的处境更糟。我读过的历史足以让我明白，不论现实与我们的梦想比起来有多么糟，我们生存在此时此地也是十分幸运的。这样的思考方式是明智而且有价值的。所以，在生死关头，有几句话可以给我们力量。无论你经历什么，告诉自己你能应付。和其他人的经历相比，你是幸运的。反复地对自己这样说，就会帮助你鼓起一些勇气来度过生活中的艰难困苦。
薛雅文 摘译自Learning English
His account of how he survived is fascinating1. His ingenuity2—how he managed to catch fish, how he fixed his solar still (evaporates sea water to make fresh)—is very interesting.
But the thing that caught my eyes was how he managed to keep himself going when all hope seemed lost, when there seemed no point in continuing the struggle, when he was suffering greatly, when his life raft was punctured3 and after more than a week struggling with his weak body to fix it, it was still leaking air and wearing him out to keep pumping it up. He was starved. He was desperately dehydrated4. He was thoroughly exhausted. Giving up would have seemed the only sane5 option.
When people survive these kinds of circumstances, they do something with their minds that gives them the courage to keep going. Many people in similarly desperate circumstances give in or go mad. Something the survivors do with their thoughts helps them find the guts to carry on in spite of overwhelming odds. “I tell myself I can handle it,” wrote Callahan in his narrative. “Compared to what others have been through, I’m fortunate. I tell myself these things over and over, building up fortitude6...” I wrote that down after I read it. And I’ve told myself the same thing when my own goals seemed far off or when my problems seemed too overwhelming. And every time I’ve said it, I have always come back to my senses.
The truth is, our circumstances are only bad compared to something better. But others have been through much worse. I’ve read enough history to know you and I are lucky to be where we are, when we are, no matter how bad it seems to us compared to our fantasies. It’s a sane thought and worth thinking. So here, coming to us from the extreme edge of survival, are words that can give us strength. Whatever you’re going through, tell yourself you can handle it. Compared to what others have been through, you’re fortunate. Tell this to yourself over and over, and it will help you get through the rough spots with a little more fortitude.
1982年，史蒂文·卡拉汉独自驾驶帆船穿越大西洋时因撞到不明物而沉船。他偏离了航线，在救生筏中独自漂流。他的给养所剩无几，生还的机会渺茫。但当三个渔民在76天(船只失事后独自乘救生筏生存的最长时间)后发现他的时候，他还活着。虽然和出发时相比他已经是皮包骨头，但是他还活着。
他对自己如何逃生的描述很引人入胜。他的关于如何设法捕鱼以及如何安装他的太阳能蒸馏器（蒸馏海水获得新鲜淡水的工具）的故事听起来都那么有趣。
但是真正吸引我的是，当所有的希望看似破灭时，当继续挣扎毫无意义的时候、当痛不欲生的时候，当漂流一个多星期后还得拖着虚弱的身体修理被刺破的救生筏的时候，当不断往里充气的救生筏仍然不停漏气的时候，他仍然能够竭尽全力、勇往直前。
能够在这种情形下幸存下来的人们，总是凭着某种意志给自己勇气坚持下来。许多处于同样绝境的人不是放弃就是精神崩溃。幸存者们都有某种信念帮助他们在机会如此渺茫之时找到坚持下去的勇气。“我对自己说我能应付，”卡拉汉在他的叙事小说中写道，“和其他人的遭遇相比，我是幸运的。我一遍又一遍地对自己说要鼓起勇气。”我读过之后，把这段摘录了下来。每当我自己的目标仿佛遥不可及或问题严重至极的时候，我都这样对自己说。每每这样说，我就会重新振作起精神。
事实是，只有和一些更好的环境相比，我们的处境才会显得糟糕。但其他人的处境更糟。我读过的历史足以让我明白，不论现实与我们的梦想比起来有多么糟，我们生存在此时此地也是十分幸运的。这样的思考方式是明智而且有价值的。所以，在生死关头，有几句话可以给我们力量。无论你经历什么，告诉自己你能应付。和其他人的经历相比，你是幸运的。反复地对自己这样说，就会帮助你鼓起一些勇气来度过生活中的艰难困苦。
薛雅文 摘译自Learning English