2025年12月六级第2套长篇阅读匹配原文翻译及答案

A) Projects, relationships, and jobs don't always work out as planned- and it's not always clear when to give up. We've all repeatedly heard the saying that "quitters never win," but sometimes the best decision is to cut our losses.

项目、人际关系和工作并不总是按计划进行——而且，何时该放弃也并非总是那么清晰。我们都反复听过'放弃者永远不会赢'这句老话，但有时，最好的决定恰恰是及时止损。

B) Think about that relationship you held on to even after it had run its course or the job you stayed in despite your boss making you miserable. Many of us try to hold onto the last ray of hope, thinking we can make it work, whatever "it" is. And while perseverance is generally an excellent quality, it may also incline you to over-invest in something that is no longer a good idea.

想想那些你明知已走到尽头却依然维系的关系，或是那份让你老板把你折磨得痛苦不堪你却仍坚守的工作。我们中的许多人，都会试图紧抓最后一丝希望，认为自己能让'它'（无论'它'是什么）好转起来。尽管毅力通常是一种极佳的品质，但它也可能诱使你过度投入于某个已不再是好主意的事情上。

C) As an executive coach, I work with numerous passionate and hard-working leaders who don't want to "quit." But the smartest leaders learn to discern the difference between quitting too soon and holding onto something that they shouldn't.

作为一名高管教练，我与众多充满激情、工作勤奋且不愿'放弃'的领导者共事。但最聪明的领导者懂得辨别'过早放弃'与'执着于本应放弃之事'之间的区别。

D) We are all susceptible to the sunk-cost delusion, an unconscious bias that leads us to persist in an endeavor we have already invested time, effort, or money into — even when abandoning it would be more beneficial. We realize that we can't get back the resources we've given, so we persevere — investing in a project that should be halted, staying in a relationship that should be over, or finishing a book we no longer enjoy and should put down, because we're already halfway through it. If quitting is "not your thing," you may be especially susceptible to this bias.

我们都容易受到'沉没成本错觉'的影响，这是一种无意识偏差，会促使我们在已经投入了时间、精力或金钱的事情上继续坚持——即便放弃它会带来更大的好处。我们意识到投入的资源无法收回，因此选择继续坚持——投资于本应中止的项目，维持本应结束的关系，或者读完一本不再享受却已读了一半的书。如果'放弃'不是你的风格，你可能特别容易受到这种偏见的影响。

E) The sunk-cost delusion causes us to overly worry about what we'll lose if we move on and not think enough about the costs of not moving on. To offset this bias, deliberately refocus your thinking on the gains so you can more objectively weigh the alternatives. Ask yourself: What might I gain by cutting my losses now? Will you be happier or have time for another (better) opportunity? Then ask yourself: What will it cost me to soldier on? For example, is it possible that you'll be throwing more good money after what you've already lost? Or that you won't have the energy to capitalize on other promising possibilities?

沉没成本错觉使我们过分担忧'前进'将失去什么，却未能充分思考'不前进'的代价。为了抵消这种偏见，请有意识地将思考重心转移到'收益'上，以便更客观地权衡各种选择。问问自己：现在及时止损，我可能会得到什么？你会更快乐，还是会有时间去把握另一个（更好的）机会？然后再问自己：继续坚持下去，我会付出什么代价？例如，是否可能在你已经损失的基础上，继续投入更多金钱？或者，你是否会因精力耗尽而无法把握其他有希望的机遇？

F) The illusion of control can also interfere with our best judgment, leading us to overestimate our ability to control events and attain a positive outcome. This bias gives us a sense of agency and can promote mental health. However, the bias can also result in escalating commitment to a losing course of action. Especially when combined with an "I'm not a quitter" mentality, feeling like we have more control over an event or person than we do puts us at risk of doubling down when we should pull out.

控制错觉也会干扰我们的最佳判断，导致我们高估自己控制事态和取得积极结果的能力。这种偏见给予我们一种掌控感，有益于心理健康。然而，它也可能导致我们不断加大投入，坚持一条注定失败的行动路线。尤其当这种错觉与'我不是半途而废的人'这种心态结合时，感觉自己对某件事或某个人拥有超出实际的掌控力，会在我们本应抽身撤离时，反而让我们选择加倍投入。

G) To counteract this bias, consider your situation and make a simple two-column list of what's in your control and what's not. Think rigorously. While you may be able to influence other people and various circumstances, you can't force them to change or go your way.

为了对抗这种偏见，请审视你的处境，列一个简单的两栏清单，分别写下哪些是你可以控制的，哪些是不能的。要严谨地思考。虽然你可能能够影响他人和各种环境，但你无法强迫他们改变或按照你的意愿行事。

H) Getting clear on what you can control and what you can't is essential to making a quality decision about whether to call it quits or persevere. With a written list in hand, you can ensure you focus on what you can control and better assess whether your continued efforts are worth the expense. Expending effort and emotion on things you can't control can be both draining and disempowering.

弄清楚什么是你能控制的，什么是你不能的，对于做出关于是放弃还是坚持的高质量决策至关重要。手握一份书面清单，能确保你专注于可控之事，并更好地评估你持续的付出是否值得。在不可控的事情上耗费精力和情感，既耗神又令人无力。

I) Research indicates that people link their self-identity and social status to their commitments. And because we identify with our commitments, withdrawing from one can feel like a threat to our identity or status.

研究表明，人们将他们的自我认同和社会地位与其承诺联系在一起。因为我们认同自己的承诺，所以退出某个承诺可能会让人感觉像是对自我认同或地位的威胁。

J) Take my client Ryan, a leader at a technology company. Ryan had invested two years and a lot of effort in a design project that wasn't delivering the needed outcomes, but the thought of abandoning it after all she had put in was hard to bear. As Ryan and I explored whether she should cancel the initiative she'd been leading or continue to persevere, she stated, "The thing is, I'm not a quitter." This singular, fixed sense of self was clouding her judgment and limiting her choices for action.

以我的客户瑞安为例，她是一家科技公司的领导者。瑞安在一个设计项目上投入了两年时间和大量精力，但该项目并未取得预期的成果，然而，想到要放弃她已经付出的一切，这让她难以接受。当我和瑞安探讨是否应该取消她一直主导的这个项目，还是继续坚持下去时，她说道：'问题是，我不是一个半途而废的人。'这种单一、固化的自我认知蒙蔽了她的判断，限制了她的行动选择。

K) Our self-concept and identity are mental concepts that influence our behavior. If you strongly identify as not being a quitter, you can end up staying stuck in a course of action due to your narrow and rigid self-concept. To overcome this kind of internal obstacle, recall your other positive traits and personality characteristics. Ask yourself: What additional strengths do I have (or aspire to have) that would be helpful to employ here? For example, when I asked Ryan what other positive qualities from her personality she needed to leverage for decision making, she replied, "Discernment and bravery."

我们的自我概念和身份认同是影响我们行为的心理观念。如果你强烈地将自己定义为'不是放弃者'，最终可能会因为这种狭隘而僵化的自我概念而困于某条行动路线中。为了克服这种内在障碍，请回想你其他的积极特质和性格特征。问自己：我还有什么额外的优势（或希望拥有什么优势）可以在这里发挥作用？例如，当我问瑞安，她需要运用性格中的哪些其他积极品质来做决策时，她回答说：'审慎与勇气。'

L) Now, examine your situation through the lens of each of these facets of yourself. What does the discerning part of you say? The brave part? Considering your decision through these different characteristics will enable you to see that you have more choices. It's also helpful to seek external sources of information, rather than relying solely on your thinking and instincts. But it's important to think through whose opinions you solicit.

现在，通过你自身的这些不同方面来审视你的处境。你内心审慎的部分会说什么？勇敢的部分又会怎么说？通过这些不同的特质来考量你的决策，将使你看到自己拥有更多选择。寻求外部信息来源，而不是仅仅依赖你自己的思考和直觉，也是有帮助的。但重要的是要仔细考虑该征求谁的意见。

M) Ideally, seek out people who are less invested in your decision than you are. If you're considering whether to shut down your entrepreneurial venture, for instance, reach out to other founders as opposed to just your business partner. Similarly, if you're looking for love advice, ask someone removed from the ups and downs of your relationship instead of relying only on your best friend. In all cases, I recommend describing your situation and following up with a question like: "How would you manage this situation?"

理想情况下，寻找那些对你的决策投入程度低于你的人。例如，如果你正在考虑是否关闭你的创业公司，去联系其他创始人，而不仅仅是你的商业伙伴。同样，如果你正在寻求情感建议，问问一个与你恋爱关系起伏无关的人，而不是只依赖你最好的朋友。在所有情况下，我都建议描述你的情况，然后提出一个类似这样的问题：'你会如何处理这种情况？'

N) Alternately, you could also seek out hard data that illuminates your real chance of success in whatever endeavor you are contemplating. Sticking with the example of the entrepreneurial venture, numbers are your best friend. Use them to remove yourself from the love you have for this idea and consider your burn rate relative to growth plan, industry growth rates, and other factors that predict start-up success. External sources of information can help you see angles and possibilities you might not have considered.

或者，你也可以寻找能够揭示你在所考虑的任何努力中真实成功概率的硬数据。继续以创业公司为例，数字是你最好的朋友。用它们来让你跳出对这个想法的热爱，从消耗率相对于增长计划、行业增长率以及其他预测创业成功的因素的角度来考虑。外部信息来源可以帮助你看到自己可能未曾考虑过的角度和可能性。

O) When something that seemed so promising at the start doesn't turn out the way we imagined, we can become overly self-critical. Nobody likes to feel that they've made a poor decision, especially if making intelligent decisions is a quality you hold in high esteem. The most effective strategy here is to give yourself a break. Practicing self-compassion increases your resilience, emotional intelligence, compassion toward others, and can boost your performance as well as help you develop a growth mindset.

当某个起初看似充满希望的事情并未如我们想象般发展时，我们可能会变得过度自责。没有人喜欢感觉自己做出了糟糕的决定，尤其是当你高度重视'做出明智决策'这一品质时。此时最有效的策略是放过自己。练习自我关怀可以增强你的韧性、情商、对他人的同情心，并能提升你的表现，同时也有助于你培养成长型心态。

P) Instead of deliberating and criticizing yourself, focus instead on what you can learn from this situation. For example, Ryan recognized she had developed various new skills and leadership capabilities from leading the design project. And despite ultimately deciding to drop it, she was still happy she had tried and grateful for what the experience taught her.

与其反复斟酌和批评自己，不如专注于你能从这种情况中学到什么。例如，瑞安认识到，通过领导这个设计项目，她发展了多种新技能和领导能力。尽管最终决定放弃它，她仍然为自己尝试过而感到高兴，并对这段经历教会她的东西心存感激。

Q) Undeniably, perseverance can help us succeed. But for your wellbeing, it's important to learn how to distinguish quitting too soon and clinging to a losing course of action. While letting go can be difficult, it will free up your time, energy, and mental space to imagine new possibilities and pursue new opportunities.

不可否认，毅力可以帮助我们成功。但为了你的福祉，学会区分'过早放弃'和'执着于一条失败的行动路线'非常重要。虽然放手可能很困难，但它将为你的时间、精力和思维空间腾出余地，去想象新的可能性，追求新的机遇。