Weakness or Strength
是弱项还是强项
Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take, for example, the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in adevastating car accident.
The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn’t understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move.
“Sensei,” the boy finally said, “shouldn’t I be learning more moves?”
“This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know,” the sensei replied.
Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training. Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first twomatches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent becameimpatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.
This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.
“No,” the sensei insisted, “Let him continue.”
Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake; he dropped his guard.Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was thechampion.
On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boysummoned up the courage to ask what was really on his mind.
“Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?”
“You won for two reasons,” the sensei answered. “First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent tograsp your left arm.”
The boy’s biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.
译文
有时，你的弱项能变成你的强项。一个10岁小男孩的故事就是这样一个例子。小男孩在一次悲惨的车祸中失去了左臂，尽管这样，但他还要决心学习柔道。
男孩开始跟着一个年长的柔道大师学习。男孩学得非常棒，但他不明白，训练3个月了，老师却只教给他一个动作。
“老师，”男孩终于说道，“我不该学习更多的招数吗？”
“你只知道这一招，但这也是你需要知道的唯一一招。”
男孩虽然相当不解，但他相信老师，于是继续训练着。几个月后，老师带着男孩去参加他的第一次比赛。男孩自己也感到惊讶，他居然轻而易举地赢了前两场比赛。第三场比赛更加艰难，但过了一会儿，对手就沉不住气了，向他猛冲过去；男孩非常敏捷地用他学过的那招赢得了比赛。男孩对自己的成功感到不可思议，他就这样进入了决赛。
这次，他的对手更高、更强，也更有经验。很快，男孩就招架不住了。裁判担心男孩可能会受伤，就叫了暂停。当他正要停止比赛时，那位老师阻止了他。
“不，”老师坚持道。“让他继续比下去。”
比赛继续进行不久，他的对手就犯了一个致命的错误：他放松了警惕。男孩立刻用那一招将他扳倒。他赢得了比赛，成了冠军。
在回家的路上，男孩和他的老师回顾了每场比赛里的每个动作。男孩鼓起勇气问老师他心中的不解。
“老师，我是怎么一招制胜，赢得比赛的？”
“你能获胜有两个原因，”老师答道，“首先，你已经基本掌握了柔道里最难的一个动作。其次，对付那个动作的唯一防御方法就是对手要抓住你的左臂。”
男孩最大的弱项成了他最大的强项。
拓展训练
阅读下面的短文，在标有序号的空白处填入一个恰当的词，或填入括号中所给单词的正确形式。
Once, one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo, regardless of the fact _1______he had lost his left arm in a terrible car accident.
The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn’t _2__________why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move.
“Sensei,” the boy finally said, “shouldn’t I be learning more moves?”
“This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know,” the sensei replied.
Not quite understanding, __3______believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.
Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament.
_4_________(surprise) himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy skillfully used the one _5_________his master taught him to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.
This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared_6_____________(beat). Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.
“No,” the sensei insisted, “Let him _7________.”
Soon his opponent made a big mistake; he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.
On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy gathered the courage to ask _8_________ was really on his mind.
“Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?”
“You won_9_________ two reasons,” the sensei answered. “First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grasp your _10_________ arm.”
The boy’s biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.
答案：that; understand; but; Surprising; move; to be beaten; continue; what; for; left.