佚名/Anonymous
Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take, for example, the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.
The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move.
"Sir," the boy finally said, "shouldn't I be learning more moves?"
"This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the master replied.
Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.
Several months later, the master took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.
This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when his judo master intervened.
"No," the judo master insisted, "Let him continue."
Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.
On the way home, the boy and his judo master reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.
"Sir, how did I win the tournament with only one move?"
"You won for two reasons," the master answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm."
The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.
有時，一個人的最大弱點將會變成他的最大優勢。有這樣一個故事，故事的主人公是一個10歲的男孩。一次可怕的車禍奪走了他的左臂，然而他決定對抗現實去學習柔道。
男孩開始向一位年長的日本柔道師傅學習。他做得很好，不過他不明白為什麽師傅訓練了他三個月，卻隻教給他一個動作。
“先生，”男孩終於問道，“我們應該學習別的動作了吧？”
“這個動作是你學到的唯一的動作，不過也是你唯一需要學習的動作。”師傅回答說。
男孩不明白師傅的話，可他相信自己的老師。因此，他繼續練習這個動作。
幾個月後，師傅帶著徒弟參加了他的第一次柔道錦標賽。令男孩驚訝不已的是，他非常輕鬆地取得了頭兩場比賽的勝利。第三場比賽比前兩場要困難得多，不過經過一番比試，男孩的對手開始漸漸變得急躁和衝動，因此男孩熟練地用他的獨招戰勝了對手。仍然驚訝於自己的勝利的男孩，此時打入了決賽。
這回，比賽對手塊頭更大、更強壯、更有經驗了。有一段時間，男孩有些招架不住。裁判擔心男孩可能會受傷，便叫了暫停。就在裁判將要終止比賽的時候，師傅阻止了他。
“不要停下，”師傅堅持說，“讓他比下去。”
比賽立即重新開始。這時，男孩的對手犯了一個致命的錯誤：他放鬆了警惕。刹那間，男孩用他的獨招牽製住了對手。男孩獲勝了，他戰勝了所有的對手，成為冠軍。
在回家的路上，男孩和師傅沉浸在每場比賽的每個動作之中。男孩鼓起勇氣問師傅心裏是怎麽想的。
“師傅，我為什麽隻用一個動作就贏得了冠軍？”
“你贏得冠軍有兩個原因，”師傅回答說，“第一，你已經掌握了柔道中最難學的一個摔打動作。第二，對於你的對手而言，能夠防禦這個動作的唯一辦法就是抓住你的左臂。”
男孩最大的弱點成了他的強項。
devastating[?dev?steiti?]adj.毀滅性的
Mountains create their own weather and in the biggest range in the world, this can have a devastating intensity.
山脈創造了它們自己的氣候，在世界上絕大多數範圍內，這種氣候可能造成極大破壞。
tournament[?tu?n?m?nt]n.錦標賽；聯賽
He was the best boxer in the tournament.
他是本屆聯賽的最佳拳手。
deftly[?deftli]adv.靈巧地；熟練地；敏捷地
She deftly wove the flowers into a garland.
她靈巧地把花編成了一個花環。
intervene[?int??vi:n]v.幹涉；幹預；調解；幹擾；阻礙
People feel international organizations must be set up to intervene in world affairs to resolve these problems.
環境問題已變得如此重要，以至於人們覺得有必要成立國際組織，並介入國際事務解決這些問題。
有時，一個人的最大弱點將會變成他的最大優勢。
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有一段時間，男孩有些招架不住。
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男孩獲勝了，他戰勝了所有的對手，成為冠軍。
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Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out.
concern that：擔心
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He was about to stop the match when his judo master intervened.
be about to：即將；打算
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