When I heard that story, it started to shift a little bit the way that I worked too, and this idea already saved me once.
这个故事潜移默化地改变了我的工作方式,这一转变已经拯救了我一次,这个故事潜移默化地改变了我的工作方式,这一转变已经拯救了我一次。
It saved me when I was in the middle of writing "Eat, Pray, Love,"
那是在写《美食、祈祷、爱》的时候,
and I fell into one of those sort of pits of despair that we all fall into when we're working on something
我陷入了一个焦虑绝望的无底洞那种不断努力却毫无灵感的绝望低潮状态。
and it's not coming and you start to think this is going to be a disaster,
然后你渐渐觉得这部作品将成为一个彻底的失败,
the worst book ever written. Not just bad, but the worst book ever written.
成为有史以来最烂的一本书,不仅是烂,而且是彻底的糟糕透顶。
And I started to think I should just dump this project. But then I remembered Tom talking to the open air and I tried it.
我开始觉得我应该放弃写这本书,这时我想起了汤姆对着天空喊话的事情,然后我试了试。
So I just lifted my face up from the manuscript and I directed my comments to an empty corner of the room.
我从手稿中抬起头,转向房间中的一个空角落。
And I said aloud, "Listen you, thing, you and I both know that if this book isn't brilliant that is not entirely my fault, right?
然后大声宣布道:“你这个家伙,给我听着” ,“咱俩都知道,如果这本书不怎么样,那可不是我一个人的错,不是吗?”
Because you can see that I am putting everything I have into this, I don't have any more than this.
“因为你可以看到,我已经为之倾尽全力毫无保留了”。
If you want it to be better, you've got to show up and do your part of the deal.
“你若是想要这本书更好一些,现在轮到你出面,做你那部分工作了”。
But if you don't do that, you know what, the hell with it.
“你要是不来帮忙,那就见你的鬼去吧”。
I'm going to keep writing anyway because that's my job.
“我还是会继续写下去的,因为这是我的工作”。
And I would please like the record to reflect today that I showed up for my part of the job."
我希望今天的历史记录证明:我尽责地坚守了我的岗位
Because -- Because in the end it's like this, OK -- centuries ago in the deserts of North Africa,
因为,因为最后就是这样的,在几个世纪前的北非沙漠里,
people used to gather for these moonlight dances of sacred dance and music that would go on for hours and hours, until dawn.
人们会在月色下举行神圣的歌舞聚会,聚会持续数个小时直至天亮。
They were always magnificent, because the dancers were professionals and they were terrific, right?
那些表演很精彩,因为他们都是很棒的专业舞者。
But every once in a while, very rarely, something would happen, and one of these performers would actually become transcendent.
偶尔的时候,虽然很少见,但确确实实会发生,某一位舞者会超越当下,超然出世。
And I know you know what I'm talking about, because I know you've all seen, at some point in your life, a performance like this.
你们应该都知道我说的这种情况,因为大家都曾在某个时刻,见识过那样的表演。
It was like time would stop, and the dancer would sort of step through some kind of portal
时间似乎停止了,舞者仿佛穿越了。
and he wasn't doing anything different than he had ever done, 1,000 nights before, but everything would align.
他所做的动作和之前的1000场表演并没有什么不同。
And all of a sudden, he would no longer appear to be merely human.
但所有的一切却奇迹般地统一起来了。
He would be lit from within, and lit from below and all lit up on fire with divinity.
刹那间,他不再是个普通的凡人,他的生命从内部点燃,从心底发光,他被神圣之火照耀。