Bounce

1. 外教领读

2. 英文原文

If you’re not convinced you’ll win a competition, you won’t be able to put in your maximum performance.

Right before a competition, top athletes go to great lengths to convince themselves that they will win. This is true even if the athlete in question has just suffered a string of defeats.

To an external observer, this kind of conviction may seem irrational. But in fact the point of this conviction is not its veracity.

You see, in a competition, even the slightest shadow of a doubt in your ability to win will make you more likely to fail. This is because doubts make you nervous and can cause your muscles to quiver or tighten, which could cause a golfer to miss a crucial putt or a gymnast to lose his balance.

Doubts will also distract you when you should be concentrating on your performance. Thus, for example, a football player riddled with doubts will be less likely to spot important cues and signals from teammates.

Finally, doubts can also cause you to be so nervous that your mind “draws a blank,” meaning that you temporarily forget something crucial. This phenomenon is familiar to many people in, for example, public speaking.

To perform optimally, you must first get into the right mindset, because your mind can greatly influence your physical state. A good example of this is the placebo effect, where people experience an improvement in health that cannot be explained by the medical procedure they underwent. For example, when severely injured soldiers were injected with saline solution, their pain subsided as long as they thought they were getting morphine.

For top athletes, the mere belief that they are in unbeatable form focuses their mind and allows their body to perform better. It improves their concentration, helps them remain calm under stress and enhance their motor control.

3. 单词解析

1.convince  [kənˈvɪns]  说服、使相信 v.

I'd convinced myself (that) I was right.

我确信自己是正确的。

2.put in sth 〔以某种方式〕做某事〔尤指戏剧﹑电影﹑比赛等中的表现〕

He put in a brilliant performance .

他（在比赛中）表现出众。

3.maximum  [ˈmæksɪməm]  最大量 n；最大的 adj.

4.go to great lengths  竭尽全力、不遗余力

He would go to any lengths to fulfill his ambition.

他会想尽一切办法去实现他的抱负。

5.in question  正被讨论的，所提到的

Where were you during the evening in question?

咱们所说的那天晚上你在哪儿？

6.suffer  [ˈsʌfər] v.

①生病

Suffer from disease 生病

Suffer from ill health 身体不好

②遭受、吃苦头

I hate to see animals suffering.

我不忍心看动物受苦。

7.string  [strɪŋ]  n.

①线，细绳

Her key hung on a string around her neck.

她的钥匙穿了根绳子挂在脖子上。

②一连串、一系列

a string of pearls 一串珍珠

8.defeat  [dɪˈfiːt]  失败 n.

They finally had to  admit defeat.

他们最后只得认输。

9.external  [ɪkˈstɜːrnl]  外在的 adj.

the external walls of the building 建筑物的外墙

For external use only〔药物上写〕仅供外用

10.observer  [əbˈzɜːrvər]  观察者 n.

an observer of nature 观察大自然的人

11.conviction  [kənˈvɪkʃn]  坚定的信仰、坚信

I have a deep conviction that marriage is for life.

我深信婚姻是一辈子的事。

12.irrational  [ɪˈræʃənl]  不合理的；荒谬的 adj.

He’s becoming increasingly irrational.

他变得越来越不可理喻了。

Irrational fear 莫名/不合理的恐惧

13.rational （想法、决定）荒谬不合理的、（人）不理性的

make a rational decision 作出合理的决定

Man is a rational animal.

人类是理性动物。

14.veracity  [vəˈræsəti]  真实性，准确性 n.

15.slight  [slaɪt]  轻微的、少量的 adj.

I woke up with a slight headache.

我醒来时有点头痛。

16.shadow  [ˈʃædoʊ]

①影子 n.

He followed his mother around all day like a shadow.

他像影子一样整天跟着他母亲。

② shadow of 一丝，一丁点

A shadow of a smile一丝微笑

17.quiver  [ˈkwɪvər]  （常指因寒冷、生气、害怕、激动而）颤抖 v

His voice was quivering with rage.

他气得声音都打战了。

18.tighten  [ˈtaɪtn]  拧紧、变紧 v.

Tighten the screws firmly.

把螺丝拧紧。

19.golfer  [ˈɡɑːlfər]  高尔夫球手 n.

20.crucial  [ˈkruːʃl]  重要的 adj.

He wasn't there  at the crucial moment.

紧要关头他却不在那里。

21.putt  [pʌt]  （高尔夫球的）推球入洞 n.

22.gymnast  [ˈdʒɪmnæst]  体操运动员 n.

23.riddle  [ˈrɪdl]

①字谜 n.

See if you can solve this riddle .

看看你能不能猜出这个谜语。

②be riddled with sth  充满；充斥（不好的东西）

Her typing was slow and riddled with mistakes.

她打字很慢而且错误百出。

24.thus  [ðʌs]  因此 n. （正式英语=so）

25.spot  [spɑːt]  发现，看见 v.

I finally spotted my friend in the crowd.

我终于在人群中看见了我的朋友。

26.cue  [kjuː]  暗示、提示 n.

They started washing up, so that was our cue to leave the party.

他们开始洗刷碗碟了，这就是暗示我们该离开聚会了。

27.draw a blank  未能答复；毫无结果

He asked me for my phone number and I drew a blank - I just couldn't remember it.

他向我要电话号码可我却没能给他——我把号码给忘了。

I’ve completely drawn a blank.

我完全想不起来了。（该例句来自VOA）

28.temporarily  [ˌtempəˈrerəli]  临时地 adv.

I’m living with my parents, but it’s only temporary.

我和父母住在一起，但这只是暂时的。

29.optimal  [ˈɑːptɪməl]  最佳的；最理想的 adj.

=optimum

The optimum childbearing age 最佳生育年龄

30.placebo  [pləˈsiːboʊ]  安慰剂，无效对照物（测试新药药效） n.

placebo effect  安慰剂效应（无药效但感觉有效）

31.procedure  [prəˈsiːdʒər]

①程序，手续；

What’s the procedure for applying for a visa?

申请签证需要怎样的手续？

②手术n.

32.severe  [sɪˈvɪr]  严厉的 adj.

She’s suffering from severe depression.

她患有严重的抑郁症。

His injuries are severe.

他的伤很重。

33.inject  [ɪnˈdʒekt]  注入；注射

Chemicals are injected into the fruit to reduce decay.

水果注入了化学药品以防腐坏。

Traditional handbag makers are injecting more fun into their designs. 传统的手袋制作者在他们的设计中注入了更多有趣的元素。

A market building can inject new life into an area.

市场大楼能给一个地区增添生气。

34.saline  [ˈseɪliːn]  含盐的 adj.

35.solution  [səˈluːʃn]  n.

①解决方案

The best solution would be for them to separate.

最好的解决方法是他们分开。

②溶液

a weak sugar solution 淡淡的糖溶液

36.saline solution  生理盐水

37.subside  [səbˈsaɪd]  平息，减弱 v.

I took an aspirin and the pain gradually subsided.

我服了一片阿司匹林，疼痛逐渐缓解了。

38.morphine  [ˈmɔːrfiːn]  吗啡 n.

39.mere  [mɪr]  仅仅的 adj.

He’s a mere child.

他只是个孩子。

The  mere thought of  eating made him feel sick.

他一想到吃饭就觉得恶心。

People became excited at the mere mention of his name.

一提到他的名字人们就激动起来。

40.unbeatable  [ʌnˈbiːtəbl]  不能超越的，无与伦比的 adj.

carpets at unbeatable prices 价格最优惠的地毯

41.enhance  [ɪnˈhæns]  提高；加强 v.

Good lighting will enhance any room.

良好的照明能给房间增色不少。

42.motor control 神经运动控制（研究人的神经系统如何控制肢体完成各种运动）