Excellence is not an act, but a habit
Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits. “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny,” the maxim goes.
人的品德基本上是由习惯组成的。 俗语说；思想决定行动，行动决定习惯，习惯决定品德，品德决定命运。
Habits are powerful factors in our lives. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character and produce our effectiveness or ineffectiveness.
习惯对我们的生活有绝大的影响，因为它们是一贯的。 在不知不觉中， 经年累月影响着我们的品德，暴露出我们的本性，左右着我们的成败。
As Horace Mann, the great educator, once said, “habits are like a cable. We weave a strand of it every day and soon it cannot be broken.” I personally do not agree with the last part of his expression. I know habits can be learned and unlearned. But is also know it isn’t a quick fix. It involves a process and a tremendous commitment.
美国著名教育家曼恩曾说：“习惯就仿佛是一条缆绳，我们每天为他缠上一股新索，不要多久就会变得牢不可破。”这句话的后半段我不敢苟同，我相信习惯可以养成，也可以打破，但绝不是一蹴而就，而是需要长期的努力和无比的毅力。
Those of us who watched the lunar voyage of Apollo 11 were transfixed as we saw the first men walk on the moon and return to earth. But to get there, those astronauts literally had to break out of the tremendous gravity pull of the earth. More energy was spent in the first few minutes of lift-off, in the first few miles of travel, than was used over the next several days to travel half a million miles.
宇航员搭乘阿波罗11号太空船，首次登陆月球的刹那，的确令人叹为观止。但宇航员得先摆脱地球强大的引力，才能飞往月球。由此在刚发射的几分钟，也就是整个任务一开始的几英里之内，是最艰难的时刻，所耗的力量往往超越往后的几十万英里。
Habits, too, have tremendous gravity pull- more than most people realize or would admit. Breaking deeply imbedded habitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or selfishness that violate basic principles of human effectiveness involves more than a little willpower and a few minor changes in our lives. “Lift off” takes a tremendous effort, but once we break out of the gravity pull, our freedom takes on a whole new dimension.
习惯也是一样，它具有极大的引力，只是许多人不加注意或不肯承认了。想要革除因循苟且，缺乏耐心，吹毛求疵或自私自利等不良习性，若是缺乏意志力，不能大刀阔斧的改革，便难以实现目标。“起飞”需要极大的努力，然而一旦脱离重力的牵绊，我们便可享受前所未有的自由。
1. maxim ['mæksɪm] 座右铭
2. Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits.
人的品德基本上是由习惯组成的。
composite [kɑm'pɑzɪt] n. 组合，组成物， adj 组合而成的
composite material 复合材料
China is a great composite of various nationalities.
3. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns
因为它们是一贯的。
consistent [kən'sɪstənt] adj. 始终如一的， 坚持的， 一致的
Running is my only consistent habit.
Losing weight is her consistent slogan.
4. It involves a process and a tremendous commitment.
tremendous [trə'mɛndəs] adj. 极好的， 极大的， 惊人的
The city has taken place a tremendous change these years.
commitment [kə'mɪtmənt] n. 承诺， 保证， 承担承诺， 献身
Don't offer any commitment if you can't fulfill it.
5. Those astronauts literally had to break out of the tremendous gravity pull of the earth.
gravity ['ɡrævəti] 最喜欢的一首歌《Defying Gravity》 没听过的一定要去听哦！
5. Breaking deeply imbedded habitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or selfishness.
想要革除拖延，缺乏耐心，吹毛求疵或自私自利等顽固地不良习性。
imbedded [ɪm'bɛdId] adj 嵌入的
My whole life is imbedded in teaching English.
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