Imagine that you have an ice cube sitting on the table in front of you.The room is cold and you can see your breath.It is currently twenty-five degrees.Ever so slowly, the room begins to heat up.Twenty-six degrees. Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight.The ice cube is still sitting on the table in front of you.
Twenty-nine degrees. Thirty. Thirty-one. Still, nothing has happened.
Then, thirty-two degrees. The ice begins to melt. A one-degree shift, seemingly no different from the temperature increases before it, has unlocked a huge change.
Breakthrough moments are often the result of many previous actions, which build up the potential required to unleash a major change.This pattern shows up everywhere.Cancer spends 80 percent of its life undetectable, then takes over the body in months.Bamboo can barely be seen for the first five years as it builds extensive root systems underground before exploding ninety feet into the air within six weeks.
Similarly, habits often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical threshold and unlock a new level of performance.In the early and middle stages of any quest, there is often a Valley of Disappointment.You expect to make progress in a linear fashion and it’s frustrating how ineffective changes can seem during the first days, weeks, and even months.It doesn’t feel like you are going anywhere.It’s a hallmark of any compounding process: the most powerful outcomes are delayed.
Imagine that you have an ice cube sitting on the table in front of you.
想象一下，你面前的桌子上放着一个冰块。
Imagine[ɪˈmædʒɪn]
想象
Ex: Imagine you are in a different place and see the world through new eyes.
例句翻译：想象一下你处在另一个地方，换个角度看待这个世界。
Ice cube[aɪs kjuːb]
冰块
Ex: I put an ice cube in my drink to keep it cool.
例句翻译：我在饮料里放了一个冰块来保持它的凉爽。
Sitting on the table in front of you[ˈsɪtɪŋ ɒn ðə ˈteɪbəl ɪn frʌnt ʌv juː]
放在你面前的桌子上
Ex: The book was sitting on the table in front of me.
例句翻译：书放在我面前的桌子上。
The room is cold and you can see your breath.
房间很冷，你可以看到自己的呼吸。
Cold[kəʊld]
冷
Ex: It’s cold outside; you should wear a jacket.
例句翻译：外面很冷，你应该穿件外套。
See your breath[siː jɔːr brɛθ]
看到自己的呼吸
Ex: On a chilly morning, I could see my breath in the cold air.
例句翻译：在一个寒冷的早晨，我能看到自己在寒冷空气中呼出的气息。
It is currently twenty-five degrees.
现在是25度。
Currently[ˈkʌrəntli]
目前
Ex: Currently, the store is closed for renovations.
例句翻译：目前，商店因翻修而关闭。
Twenty-five degrees[ˈtwɛnti faɪv dɪˈɡriːz]
25度
Ex: The weather today is around twenty-five degrees Celsius.
例句翻译：今天的天气大约是25摄氏度。
Ever so slowly, the room begins to heat up.
房间开始慢慢变热。
Ever so slowly[ˈɛvər səʊ ˈsləʊli]
非常缓慢地
Ex: The car crept ever so slowly through the fog.
例句翻译：车在雾中非常缓慢地行驶。
Heat up[hiːt ʌp]
变热
Ex: The oven takes a few minutes to heat up before you put the food in.
例句翻译：烤箱在放入食物之前需要几分钟加热。
Twenty-six degrees. Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight.
26度。27度。28度。
Twenty-six degrees[ˈtwɛnti sɪks dɪˈɡriːz]
26度
Ex: It was twenty-six degrees Celsius when I checked the weather this morning.
例句翻译：今天早上我查天气时是26摄氏度。
The ice cube is still sitting on the table in front of you.
冰块依然坐在你面前的桌子上。
Sitting on the table[ˈsɪtɪŋ ɒn ðə ˈteɪbəl]
坐在桌子上
Ex: The book was sitting on the table, waiting to be read.
例句翻译：书放在桌子上，等着被读。
Then, thirty-two degrees. The ice begins to melt. A one-degree shift, seemingly no different from the temperature increases before it, has unlocked a huge change.
然后，32度。冰块开始融化。看似与之前的温度升高没有区别的一度变化，解锁了一个巨大的变化。
Thirty-two degrees[ˈθɜːti tuː dɪˈɡriːz]
32度
Ex: The water freezes at zero degrees and melts at thirty-two degrees.
例句翻译：水在零度结冰，在32度融化。
Unlock a huge change[ʌnˈlɒk ə hjuːdʒ ʧeɪndʒ]
解锁一个巨大的变化
Ex: Finding the right strategy unlocked a huge change in the company’s performance.
例句翻译：找到正确的策略使公司业绩发生了巨大的变化。
Seemingly no different from the temperature increases before it[ˈsiːmɪŋli nəʊ ˈdɪfrənt frəm ðə ˈtɛmpərətʃər ɪnˈkriːsɪz bɪˈfɔːr ɪt]
看似与之前的温度升高没有区别
Ex: The tiny changes seemed no different from the previous steps.
例句翻译：这些微小的变化看似与之前的步骤没有区别。
Breakthrough moments are often the result of many previous actions, which build up the potential required to unleash a major change.
突破时刻往往是许多先前行动的结果，这些行动积累了释放重大变化所需的潜力。
Breakthrough moments[ˈbreɪkθruː ˈmoʊmənts]
突破时刻
Ex: Her breakthrough moment came when she finally solved the difficult problem.
例句翻译：她的突破时刻出现在她最终解决了那个难题的时候。
Result of many previous actions[rɪˈzʌlt ʌv ˈmɛni ˈpriːviəs ˈækʃənz]
许多先前行动的结果
Ex: The success of the project was the result of many previous actions and decisions.
例句翻译：这个项目的成功是许多先前行动和决定的结果。
Build up the potential required[bɪld ʌp ðə pəˈtɛnʃəl rɪˈkwaɪəd]
积累所需的潜力
Ex: The years of training built up the potential required to win the championship.
例句翻译：多年的训练积累了赢得冠军所需的潜力。
This pattern shows up everywhere.
这种模式无处不在。
Pattern[ˈpætərn]
模式
Ex: The pattern of the experiment showed a clear upward trend.
例句翻译：实验的模式显示了一个明确的上升趋势。
Shows up everywhere[ʃoʊz ʌp ˈɛvrɪwɛr]
无处不在
Ex: The influence of technology shows up everywhere in modern life.
例句翻译：科技的影响在现代生活中无处不在。
Cancer spends 80 percent of its life undetectable, then takes over the body in months.
癌症的生命中有80%时间是无法被发现的，然而它在几个月内就可以占据整个身体。
Undetectable[ˌʌndɪˈtɛktəbl]
无法被发现
Ex: The disease was undetectable in the early stages.
例句翻译：这种疾病在早期阶段无法被发现。
Takes over the body[teɪks oʊvər ðə ˈbɒdi]
占据整个身体
Ex: The infection quickly took over his body, making him very weak.
例句翻译：感染迅速占据了他的身体，使他变得非常虚弱。
Bamboo can barely be seen for the first five years as it builds extensive root systems underground before exploding ninety feet into the air within six weeks.
竹子在最初的五年几乎看不见，因为它在地下建立广泛的根系，之后在六周内便会猛然长高九十英尺。
Barely be seen[ˈbɛərli biː siːn]
几乎看不见
Ex: The plant is so small that it can barely be seen with the naked eye.
例句翻译：这株植物非常小，用肉眼几乎看不见。
Exploding ninety feet into the air[ɪkˈspləʊdɪŋ ˈnaɪnti fiːt ˈɪntuː ði ɛə]
猛然长高九十英尺
Ex: The rocket exploded ninety feet into the air.
例句翻译：火箭猛然升空，达到了九十英尺。
Similarly, habits often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical threshold and unlock a new level of performance.
同样，习惯往往在你跨过临界点并解锁新的表现水平之前，似乎没有任何区别。
Critical threshold[ˈkrɪtɪkəl ˈθrɛʃoʊld]
临界点
Ex: The team reached a critical threshold in their performance, leading to a breakthrough.
例句翻译：团队达到了他们表现的临界点，导致了突破。
Unlock a new level of performance[ʌnˈlɒk ə nuː ˈlɛvəl ʌv pərˈfɔːrməns]
解锁新的表现水平
Ex: Once you unlock a new level of performance, your potential will increase significantly.
例句翻译：一旦解锁了新的表现水平，你的潜力将大幅增加。
In the early and middle stages of any quest, there is often a Valley of Disappointment.
在任何追求的早期和中期阶段，常常会有一个失望的谷底。
Valley of Disappointment[ˈvæli ʌv dɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt]
失望的谷底
Ex: The Valley of Disappointment is a common experience for many who pursue long-term goals.
例句翻译：失望的谷底是许多追求长期目标的人常经历的情况。
You expect to make progress in a linear fashion and it’s frustrating how ineffective changes can seem during the first days, weeks, and even months.
你期望进展是线性的，但在最初的几天、几周，甚至几个月里，变化看起来无效，这让人感到沮丧。
Expect to make progress[ɪksˈpɛkt tə meɪk ˈprəʊɡrəs]
期望取得进展
Ex: We expect to make progress in our project over the next few months.
例句翻译：我们期望在接下来的几个月中在项目上取得进展。
Linear fashion[ˈlɪnɪə ˈfæʃən]
线性进展
Ex: In a linear fashion, each task was completed step by step.
例句翻译：以线性方式，每个任务都是一步步完成的。
Frustrating[ˈfrʌstreɪtɪŋ]
令人沮丧的
Ex: It’s frustrating when things don’t go as planned.
例句翻译：当事情不如预期时，令人感到沮丧。
Ineffective changes[ɪnɪˈfɛktɪv ˈʧeɪndʒɪz]
无效的变化
Ex: The changes made to the system were ineffective and didn’t improve performance.
例句翻译：对系统做出的变化是无效的，未能改善性能。
First days, weeks, and even months[fɜːst deɪz, wiːks, ənd ˈiːvən mʌnθs]
最初的几天、几周，甚至几个月
Ex: Progress can seem slow in the first few days, but with persistence, it will pick up.
例句翻译：在最初的几天，进展看起来可能很慢，但坚持下去，进展会加速。
It doesn’t feel like you are going anywhere.
感觉自己好像哪里也没去。
Going anywhere[ˈɡəʊɪŋ ˈɛniwɛə]
去任何地方
Ex: It feels like I’m not going anywhere with this project.
例句翻译：感觉我在这个项目上没有任何进展。
It’s a hallmark of any compounding process: the most powerful outcomes are delayed.
这是任何累积过程的标志：最强大的成果是延迟的。
Hallmark[ˈhɔːlmɑːrk]
标志，特征
Ex: The hallmark of his style is simplicity.
例句翻译：他风格的标志是简洁。
Compounding process[kəmˈpaʊndɪŋ ˈprəʊsɛs]
累积过程
Ex: The compounding process of small improvements over time leads to big results.
例句翻译：时间积累的小改进最终会带来大的结果。
Powerful outcomes[ˈpaʊərfʊl ˈaʊtkʌmz]
强大的成果
Ex: The powerful outcomes of their hard work were evident in their success.
例句翻译：他们辛勤工作的强大成果在成功中显现出来。
Delayed[dɪˈleɪd]
延迟的
Ex: The delayed response from the company left customers frustrated.