Another person's enthusiasm was what set me moving toward the success I have achieved.That

person was my stepmother.

    把我朝我所取得的成功向前推进的一个主要原因是由于另一个人的热情所致。这一个人就是我的继母。她引导我走向了成功。

   I was nine years old when she entered our home in rural（农村的，田园的）Virginia(弗吉尼亚)。My father introduced me to her with these words,"I would like you to meet the fellow who

is distinguished for(以。。。。而著名)being the worst boy in this county and will probably

start throwing rocks at you no later than tomorrow morning."

  当我的继母进入到我们在弗吉尼亚乡村的家时，那年我才九岁。我的父亲用这些话语把我向她介绍道，“我想要你来会见这个本地最坏的家伙，他以本县最坏的男孩而著称。他将极可能不会迟于明天早上就会开始向你乱扔石头。”

   My stepmother walked over to me,raised my head slightly upward and looked me right in the

eye.Then she looked at my father and replied,"You are wrong.This is not the worst boy at all,

but the smartest one who hasn't yet found an outlet(释放的途径)for his enthusiasm."

   我的继母向我走了过来，轻轻地把我的头向前扶了起来，用眼睛注视着我。然后看着我的父亲回答道，“你完全错了。这根本不是一个最坏的男孩，而是一个最聪明的男孩。这个男孩只不过还没有发现他自己所蕴藏的热情的力量，并且还没有发现把他的热情力量及时释放出来的途径而已。”

   That statement began a friendship between us.No one had ever called me smart.My family and

neighbors had  biult me up in my mind as a bad boy.My stepmother changed all that.

    在我和继母之间，这番话开始加深了我们的友谊。以前，从来没有一个人称赞过我是聪明的。我的家人和邻居们在我的心里已经深深地建立起我作为一个坏男孩的形象。而我的继母却改变了这所有的一切。

   She changed many things.She persuaded my father to go to a dental school(牙医学校),from

which he graduated with honors.She moved our family into the county seat,where my father's

career could be more successful and my brothers and I could be better educated.

    她改变了许多事情。她劝说我的父亲去上一所牙医学校，并且父亲从学校中获得学位而毕业。她把我们的家搬进了县城。在县城，我父亲的职业和工作能变得更加成功，且我的兄弟们和我能受到更好的教育。

   When I turned fourteen,she bought me a secondhand typewriter and told me that she believed

that I could  become a writer.I knew her enthusiasm,I appreciated it,and I saw how it had

already improved our lives.I accepted her bielif(信念) and began to write for local newspapers

.I was doing the same kind of writing that great day I went to interview Andrew Carnegie and

received the task which become my life's work later.I wasn't the only beneficiary(受益者).My

father became the wealthiest man in town.My brothers and stepbrothers became a physician,a

dentist,a lawyer and a college president.

    当我十四岁的时候，她给我买了一台二手的打字机，并且告诉我，她相信：我能成为一位作家。我明白和理解她的热情，且我很欣赏这种热情，我看到了这种热情已经如何改善和提高了我们的生活。我接受了她对我的信念，我开始为当地的一家报社撰稿。我正在做这种写作的工作，我去采访Andrew Carnegie 的日子是一个伟大的日子，并且接受了这个任务，而这项任务却成了我后来一生的职业和工作。我不是唯一的受益者，我的父亲成为镇上最富有的人。而我的兄弟和继兄弟们中，有一个成为一个物理学家，有一个成为牙医，有一个成为律师，有一个成为大学校长。

    What power enthusiasm has !when that power is released to support the certainty of one's

purpose and is constantly strenghthened by faith,it becomes an irrestible(不可抗拒的)force

which poverty(贫穷) and  temporary(暂时的)defeat  can never match.

          热情有多么强大的力量啊！当热情释放的能量来支撑一个人的目标，并且这一能量不断地被信仰强化时，它就会产生不可抗拒的力量。热情所释放出来的巨大能量是贫穷与暂时的失败所不能匹敌的。

         You can communicate that power to anyone who needs it.This is probably the greatest work you can do  with your

enthusiasm.

      你可以和任何一个需要这种热情力量的人去交流。这可能是你能用你的热情所能做的最伟大的事情。一个人所释放出来的热情力量是不可估量的。因此，我们应该用我们的热情去对待每一个人和每一件事！！

           继母的出现改变了“我”的一生，也让整个家庭旧貌换新颜。她的热情深深地感染了“我”，让“我”领悟到了热情的神奇力量。