Bounce

1. 外教领读

2. 英文原文

If you want to excel, 10,000 hours of training will take you much further than your natural abilities.

Mozart is considered by many to have been the greatest composer who ever lived. Traditionally, most people would assume outstanding achievements like his are due to natural abilities, or even divine inspiration or fate. This assumption holds especially true for child prodigies like Mozart who already had the world mesmerized with his musical talent at the age of six.

But looking more closely at the phenomenon of child prodigies, we find that in fact they had to practice for thousands of hours before showing their so-called prodigious talent. In fact, scientists studying the phenomenon have found that typically a prodigy’s training begins at a very early age and that they compress endless hours of practice into their young lives.

For example, when the six-year-old Mozart toured Europe to display his precocious piano skills, he had already undergone 3,500 hours of musical training. If you compare this to other pianists who have practiced for as long, Mozart’s performance wasn’t all that exceptional.

It seems then, that outstanding abilities come from vast amounts of rigorous practice rather than natural talents.

This is illustrated by a study of young violinists’ concerts, where the only factor directly linked to the students’ level of achievement was the amount of time they had spent practicing seriously: while the star performers had practiced for an average of 10,000 hours, the least skilled students only had 4,000 hours under their belts. What’s even more telling is that there were no exceptions: all of the best-performing students had devoted great efforts to practicing, and all of the students who had practiced for 10,000 hours belonged to the best-performing group.

It seems that no prodigious talent can exist without thorough practice.

3. 单词解析

1.excel  [ɪkˈsel] 超过；擅长 （in/at sth.）v.

As a child he excelled at music and art. 他小时候擅长音乐和美术。

2.further  [ˈfɜːrðər] 更远、较远

3.Mozart  [ˈmoʊtsɑːrt]  莫扎特

4.composer  [kəmˈpoʊzər]  作曲家 n.

5.assume  [əˈsuːm]  假设 v.

I didn’t see your car, so I assumed you’d gone out.

我没有看见你的汽车，所以我以为你出去了。

Don't always  assume the worst.

别总往最坏处想。

6.divine  [dɪˈvaɪn] 神的，老天爷的adj

divine power/love/will

上帝的力量；上帝的慈爱；天意

7.inspiration  [ˌɪnspəˈreɪʃn] 灵感、启示 n.

The golden autumn light provided the inspiration for the painting.

秋天金色的阳光给这幅画的创作带来了灵感。

He had a sudden flash of inspiration .

他突然灵感闪现。

divine inspiration

神的启示

8.fate  [feɪt] 命运、天命、运数 n.

When we met again by chance in Paris, I felt it must be fate.

当我们再度在巴黎偶遇时，我觉得这一定是天意了。

Fate has brought us together.

天意让我们相聚。

9.assumption  [əˈsʌmpʃn] 假定 n.

People make a lot of assumptions about me.

人们对我作出种种推测。

10.hold true 站得住脚、正确有效

11.prodigy  [ˈprɑːdədʒi]  神通 n.

Mozart was a musical prodigy.

莫扎特是音乐神童。

12.mesmerize  [ˈmezməraɪz] 吸引、使着迷 v.

The first time I saw Diana I was mesmerized by her beauty.

我第一次见到戴安娜就被她的美貌迷住了。

13.phenomenon  [fəˈnɑːmɪnən] 现象 n.

the growing phenomenon of telecommuting

逐渐增多的远程办公现象

14.so-called 所谓的

one of his so-called friends

他一个所谓的朋友

15.prodigious  [prəˈdɪdʒəs] 巨大的、惊人的 adj.

a prodigious achievement/memory/talent

惊人的成就╱记忆力╱才华

16.typically  [ˈtɪpɪkli] 典型地，一般情况地 adv.

17.compress  [kəmˈpres] 压缩、精简 v.

The course compresses two year's training into six intensive months.

这项课程把两年的培训内容压缩成6个月的强化训练。

18.tour  [tʊr] 巡演 v.

The play will be performed first in the capital, and will then tour the rest of the country.

这出戏将在首都首演，然后到国内其他地方巡回演出。

19.display  [dɪˈspleɪ]展示 v.

The exhibition gives local artists an opportunity to display their work.

这次展览为当地艺术家提供了展示自己作品的机会。

20.precocious  [prɪˈkoʊʃəs] 早熟的，发育过早的adj.

a precocious child 早熟的孩子

a precocious age 年纪轻轻

sexually precocious 性早熟

21.undergo  [ˌʌndərˈɡoʊ] 经历；忍受 v.

Some children  undergo a  complete  transformation  when they become teenagers.

一些儿童进入少年期会完全变成另一个人。

22.pianist  [ˈpiːənɪst] 钢琴家

23.exceptional  [ɪkˈsepʃənl] 非凡的、卓越的 adj.

exceptional talent

非凡的才能

24.vast  [væst] 广阔的；巨大的 adj.

vast amounts/sums of money.一大笔钱

25.rigorous  [ˈrɪɡərəs] 严格的，严厉的 adj

rigorous standards 严格标准。

26.illustrate  [ˈɪləstreɪt] 举例说明 v.

To illustrate my point  , let me tell you a little story.

为了说明我的观点，让我来给你们讲个小故事。

27.violinist  [ˌvaɪəˈlɪnɪst] 小提琴家 n.

violin  [ˌvaɪəˈlɪn] 小提琴 n.

28.star    [stɑːr] 最佳者 n.

a star student

最优秀的学生

29.average  [ˈævərɪdʒ] 平均数 n.

I expect to spend an average of $50 to $60 on a meal in a restaurant.

我去饭店吃饭，一般一顿饭也就想花50到60英镑。

30.have sth. under your belt 已经获得某物

She already has a couple of good wins under her belt.

她已将几项冠军收入囊中。

31.telling  [ˈtelɪŋ] 有力的、能说明问题的 adj.

a telling argument

有力的论据

32.devote  [dɪˈvoʊt] 致力于，奉献于 v.

He left the Senate to devote more time to his family.为了能有更多时间陪伴家人，他离开了参议院。

33.thorough  [ˈθɜːroʊ] 深入细致的、一丝不苟的 adj.