正文
On the first day of school, Socrates（蘇格拉底） told his students, “Today, we'll only learn one thing, that is to stretch forward your arms, then try swing them backward.”
開學第一天，蘇格拉底告訴學生：“今天，我們只學一件事：把雙臂伸向前方，然後向後甩動。”
He showed them and as a result all the students laughed. “Sir, is it also learned?” one of the students teased（取笑）. “Of course,” Socrates replied gravely（嚴肅地）, “you think this is a simple thing, but it s very difficult.”
他示範了一下，結果學生鬨堂大笑。 “老師，這還用教？”一個學生起鬨道。 “那當然，”蘇格拉底嚴肅地說，“你覺得這事兒太簡單，但其實並不容易。”
Hearing this, the students laughed even harder. Without a bit of anger, Socrates announced, “In this class I'll teach you how to learn this action well. After that, starting today, you will do it 100 times a day.”
聽到這兒，學生們笑得更厲害了。 蘇格拉底一點兒也沒生氣，他宣佈：“這節課的內容就是學好這個動作。從今天開始，你們每天要做滿100次。”
10 days later, Socrates asked, “Who still insists on swinging his arms?” about 80% of the students raised their hands. 20 days later, Socrates asked again, “Who still insists on swinging his arms?” About 50% of them raised their hands.
十天以後，蘇格拉底問：“有誰還在堅持甩臂啊？”大約80%的學生舉了手。 二十天以後，蘇格拉底又問：“你們有誰還在堅持甩臂啊？”大約50%的人舉手示意。
3 months later, Socrates asked again, “Who still insists on that most simple action of swing?” This time, only one student raised his hand. He was Plato.
三個月以後，蘇格拉底再次發問：“誰還在堅持做那個最簡單的甩臂動作啊？”這次，只有一個學生舉起了手。此人就是柏拉圖。
生詞
gravely [ɡreɪvlɪ] adv.嚴肅地
堅持最易也最難。天才就是把簡單的事情重複次數最多的人。柏拉圖(Plato)(約公元前427年—公元前347年)和老師蘇格拉底、學生亞里士多德並稱為“希臘三賢”。
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