Hsieh Kun

I came to appreciate Hsieh's never-say-die optimism.1 “At first， I tried to hold a pen in my mouth. But I couldn’t control it，” Hsieh recalls. “Finally， after trying over and over again， I learned to write my own name.” I could imagine the confidence in his eyes. At that moment， Hsieh not only wrote his name. He also wrote his hope for a better future.

　　Learning to paint was even more difficult. At first， every brushstroke he made caused deep cuts in his mouth. It was incredibly2 painful. But Hsieh didn't let the pain discourage3 him. 　“Instead， I held the paintbrush even tighter，” Hsieh explained in a firm voice. “I knew if I gave up， it would not only be the end of my painting， but also the end of my struggle for a better life.” For Hsieh， quitting isn’t an option.4 No matter what the obstacle5 is， Hsieh always manages to find the bright side of a situation. 　“If you choose to face a problem，” Hsieh says， “You already have a fifty percent chance of winning. What we have is always more than what we've lost.”

　　我对于谢坤山那股永不灰心的乐观感佩不已。

　　“刚开始，我试着用嘴巴含住笔，但我没办法操控它，”他回忆着：“经过不断的练习之后，我终于学会了写自己的名字。”我可以想像他当时眼中含有的自信；那时的他写下的不只是一个名字，更为将来写下无限希望。 学画更是比写字难上千百倍。刚开始，每画下一笔，便在口中留下一道深深的伤痕，痛苦程度不是他人所能想像。但是，谢坤山并未因此放弃作画。“相反地，我将画笔咬得更紧了，”谢坤山坚定地说道：“我知道一旦放弃，结束的不仅是我的酷画生涯；为了让自己活得更好所做的努力，也都白费了。”对于谢坤山而言，他是绝对不会选择放弃的。 不论遭遇什么样的阻碍，谢坤山总能看见事情好的一面。他说：“如果选择去面对问题，那么你已经有了一半的成功机会。我们所拥有的总是比失去的还要多”

　　1. optimism n. the feeling that sth. will improve 乐观 People were filled with optimism as the economy became stronger. 经济景气的时候，人们的心中充满乐观。

　　2. incredibly adv. extremely 非常 Mt. Everest， the highest mountain in the world， is incredibly difficult to climb. 攀登世界第一高峰圣母峰是一件极为困难的事。

　　3. discourage v. to make sb. not want to do sth. 阻止 The bad weather discouraged us from going out. 气候恶劣让我们不想外出。

　　4. option n. a choice 选择 Your options include traveling by plane， train， or automobile. 你可以选择搭飞机、火车或开车。

　　5. obstacle n. sb./sth. that prevents sb./sth from doing sth. 阻碍 Laziness is one obstacle to success in school and at work. 不论在学校或工作上，惰性是导致无法成功的阻碍。

　　对话：to be continued ……manage to 有办法做到 A： Rex locked his keys inside his apartment today. B： Really？ How did he manage to get back inside？ A： 今天雷克斯把他的钥匙锁在屋里了。 B： 是喔？那他是怎么回到屋里的？

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