by Traci E. Langston

景一 选译

If you want to do something， go for it—youve got nothing to lose.                                                                                   —Louis Tomlinson

My palms1 were sweating. I was sure I could hear my heart pounding2. This was the worst. Why did I even think I could do this？ I thought I was completely out of my mind. I hated feeling this way， but I had to do what I was about to do. I found a small bit of my inner strength and opened my mouth.

“Excuse me. I was just wondering. Would it be possible to maybe get that table over there by the window instead？” I asked. My voice sounded hollow3 and strange to me， as if a stranger from afar had asked the question instead of me. I waited.

“No， Im sorry， but that table is reserved4，” the waitress replied kindly as she led me into the dining area.

As I followed her to my table， I realized that the earth had not opened up and swallowed5 me. I had not passed out or died of humiliation6. No one in the restaurant was laughing at my asking for a table by the window. I had asked and been told “no”. That was all. Nothing more.

For someone like me， who is always shy and lack of confidence， asking for a different table was a huge challenge. But Ive started doing it on a regular basis because of a simple piece of advice my mother told me， “The worst they can say is ‘no.”

And so， I have learned to actually ask for what I want. Ive learned to reach for my dreams and make efforts to achieve my goals. Ive auditioned7 for plays. I got a job that I wanted. Ive even gotten prices reduced on a huge number of goods. Because I asked. Because my mom was right.

Sure， I have been turned down. I cant say I have never been embarrassed. I have been， but I keep trying. I will continue to ask for what I want out of life and from other people. What could happen？ The worst they can say is “no”.

如果你想做什么事，就放手去做吧。你没什么可以失去的。                                                 ——路易斯·汤姆林森

我的手心出汗了。我确信我能听到自己的心跳。这是最糟糕的。为什么我认为自己能做到？我觉得自己完全疯了。我讨厌这种感觉，但我必须做要做的事情。我在内心找到了一点的力量，开了口。

“对不起。我只是想知道。我们能不能换成那边靠窗的桌子？”我问。我的声音听起来空洞而怪异，就像是一个来自远方的陌生人代替我问了这个问题。我等着对方的回答。

“抱歉，不能，那张桌子被预订了。”服务员引我进就餐区时亲切地回答道。

跟着她来到我的桌边时，我意识到地面并没有张开大嘴吞没我。我没有昏过去，也没有因丢脸而死。餐馆里没有人嘲笑我要靠窗的桌子。我已經问过了，然后被告知“不能”，仅此而已，没别的了。

对于我这样一个总是害羞、缺乏自信的人来说，要求换个桌子是一个巨大的挑战。但我已经开始经常这么做了，因为我母亲给了我一个简单的建议：“最糟糕的情况不过是他们说‘不。”

所以，我学会了开口问我想要的东西。我学会了伸手去追寻梦想和努力去实现我的目标。我已经参加过试镜了。我找到了我想要的工作。我甚至以更低的价格买到了很多商品。因为我开口问了。因为我母亲是对的。

当然，我被拒绝过。我不能说从来没觉得尴尬过，但我一直在努力。我会继续向生活和其他人开口问我想要的东西。会发生什么呢？最糟糕的情况不过是他们说“不”。