武汉理工大学 笪景行 供稿

We all see and hear aboutextraordinary(非凡的；卓越的)people around us and wonder why we can’t be more like them.In fact,it’s not the big things but the small things that make someone extraordinary.

我们都看到过或听说过周围那些卓越的人，并且会想为什么自己不能和他们一样。实际上，人并不是因为大事而优秀，而是因为小事才变得卓越。

Here are some of the small things extraordinary people do every day:

下面的几件小事是卓越的人每天都会做的。

1.They are open to criticism.他们乐于接受批评。

You can’t always be right.Learn to support your ideas or decisions with reason.Your decisions might invite criticism,but you will also get a chance to improve.

你不可能每次都对。学着用理性来支持你的想法或决定。你的决策可能会引发批评，但是你却得到了提高的机会。

2.They admit their mistakes.他们都承认错误。

My friend’s boss made a huge mistake.Instead ofdefending(辩护)his idea and carrying on as if nothing happened,he apologized.It’s OK to admit you were wrong.You will get not only the respect of others,but alsocredibility(信用).

我朋友的老板犯了个大错。他没有为自己的想法辩护，没装作什么也没有发生，而是道歉了。承认自己做错了没什么大不了。你不仅会获得他人的尊敬，也会赢得信誉。

3.They aregenerous(慷慨的)withcompliments(赞美).他们毫不吝啬赞美之词。

It hurts when your efforts are not recognized.So every chance you get to praise someone,do it.A compliment can have a positive impact on the lives of other people.Your families and your friends will love you for it.

当你的努力不被承认时你会受到打击。所以，当你有机会赞扬他人时，一定要赞扬。赞美能对他人的生活产生积极的影响。你的家人和好友也会喜欢你这样做。

4.They aresensitive(敏感的)to others.他们对他人都很敏感。

Think about a time you complimented someone but he or she changed the topic.Maybe he or she was uncomfortable.But you still were not happy,were you?Similarly,when you feelawkward(尴尬的)receiving a compliment or an award,remain in control and give the person in front of you a polite smile and thank him or her.Don’t make the moment unhappy.

想想你正赞美对方而对方却改变了话题的时候。也许你的赞美令他/她感觉不舒服。但是你会觉得不痛快，对吧？同样地，当你收到赞美之词或奖品时，如果感到尴尬，可以克制自己，给你面前的人报以礼貌的微笑并谢谢他/她。不要让那一刻变得不愉快。

5.They ask for help.他们寻求帮助。

When you need help,don’t bearrogant(自大的)or shy.If you’re lost on the road,it is fine to ask for directions.Everyone needs a little help sometime.When you ask for help,you’re letting people know you’re not a superman and you’re willing to listen.It shows you could become a great leader someday.

当你需要帮助时，不要自大，也别害羞。如果你迷路了，就去问问别人该怎么走。每个人都会在某一时刻需要帮助。当你寻求帮助时，你会让人知道你不是个超人,你愿意倾听。这表明有一天你也可能成为伟大的领导。

6.They apologize when needed.他们该道歉的时候就道歉。

We all make mistakes,but what makes a person big is when he is ready to apologize.Don’t try to hide behind excuses,such as“I didn’t mean to say it,it just happened.”Don’t try to shift blame.Just come right out and say you’re sorry.

我们都会犯错，但优秀的人勇于道歉。不要试图找借口说“我不是这个意思”之类的话。不要试图推卸责任，直接说你错了。

7.They are willing to learn.他们乐于学习。

When you don’t understand how something works,let an expert show you.When you let someone teach you something,you are telling the person that you respect their talent,time and that you believe what he is talking about.Always be willing to learn,because there is no way else to know everything.

当你不清楚事情的原理时，让专家给你解释。当你让别人教你东西时，你是在告诉别人你尊敬他的天赋、时间，你相信他的话。永远要乐于学习，因为这是认识世间万物的唯一途径。

8.They are helpful.他们乐于助人。

Neverhesitate(犹豫)to help someone.It’s fairly simple but it goes a long way.Don’t be afraid of making promise.The key is not to soundpatronizing(自命为恩人的；要人领情的).Offer in a way that feelsmutually beneficial(互利互惠的).

能助人时别犹豫。这个说起来容易做起来难。不要害怕承诺。关键要注意不要以恩人自居。用一种互惠互利的方式去帮助他人。

9.They areexpressive(富于表现力的).他们愿意表达自己。

They are notbottled up(抑制，压抑强烈的感情)but speak out how they feel.They praise people who are good and point out what people do wrong.This is applied to every aspect of their lives.

他们不把话憋在肚子里，而是把感觉说出来。好的人就去表扬，做错了的就指出来。这种方式适用于生活的方方面面。

10.They’re in charge of theiremotions(情绪).他们能控制自己的情绪。

Sometimes it is very important to keep silent.Especially when you’re angry and you don’t want to end up saying things you didn’t really mean to.What you should do is to control your emotions,think back to what happened,and then come to a decision about how to deal with it.Before you say anything,consider other’s feelings.Never berash(轻率的；鲁莽的)with words or actions.

有时保持沉默是非常重要的，尤其是当你生气，但不想说一些让别人误会的话时。你应该做的是控制自己的情感，想想发生过的事情，然后决定如何处理。在说话之前，考虑他人的感受。不要轻率说话或行动。