Excellence is not an act, but a habit
Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits. “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny,” the maxim goes.
人的品德基本上是由習慣組成的。 俗語說；思想決定行動， 行動決定習慣， 習慣決定品德， 品德決定命運。
Habits are powerful factors in our lives. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character and produce our effectiveness or ineffectiveness.
習慣對我們的生活有絕大的影響，
As Horace Mann, the great educator, once said, “habits are like a cable. We weave a strand of it every day and soon it cannot be broken.” I personally do not agree with the last part of his expression. I know habits can be learned and unlearned. But is also know it isn’t a quick fix. It involves a process and a tremendous commitment.
美國著名教育家曼恩曾說：“習慣就仿佛是一條纜繩， 我們每天為他纏上一股新索， 不要多久就會變得牢不可破。 ”這句話的後半段我不敢苟同， 我相信習慣可以養成， 也可以打破， 但絕不是一蹴而就， 而是需要長期的努力和無比的毅力。
Those of us who watched the lunar voyage of Apollo 11 were transfixed as we saw the first men walk on the moon and return to earth. But to get there, those astronauts literally had to break out of the tremendous gravity pull of the earth. More energy was spent in the first few minutes of lift-off, in the first few miles of travel, than was used over the next several days to travel half a million miles.
宇航員搭乘阿波羅11號太空船， 首次登陸月球的刹那， 的確令人歎為觀止。 但宇航員得先擺脫地球強大的引力， 才能飛往月球。 由此在剛發射的幾分鐘， 也就是整個任務一開始的幾英里之內， 是最艱難的時刻， 所耗的力量往往超越往後的幾十萬英里。
Habits, too, have tremendous gravity pull- more than most people realize or would admit. Breaking deeply imbedded habitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or selfishness that violate basic principles of human effectiveness involves more than a little willpower and a few minor changes in our lives. “Lift off” takes a tremendous effort, but once we break out of the gravity pull, our freedom takes on a whole new dimension.
習慣也是一樣， 它具有極大的引力，
1. maxim ['mæksɪm] 座右銘
2. Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits.
人的品德基本上是由習慣組成的。
composite[kɑm'pɑzɪt] n. 組合， 組成物， adj 組合而成的
composite material 複合材料
China is a great composite of various nationalities.
3. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns
因為它們是一貫的。
consistent[kən'sɪstənt] adj. 始終如一的， 堅持的， 一致的
Running is my only consistent habit.
Losing weight is her consistent slogan.
4. It involves a process and a tremendous commitment.
tremendous[trə'mɛndəs]adj.極好的， 極大的， 驚人的
The city has taken place a tremendous change these years.
commitment [kə'mɪtmənt]n. 承諾， 保證， 承擔承諾， 獻身
Don't offer any commitment if you can't fulfill it.
5. Those astronauts literally had to break out of the tremendous gravity pull of the earth.
gravity['ɡrævəti]最喜歡的一首歌《Defying Gravity》 沒聽過的一定要去聽哦！
5.Breaking deeplyimbeddedhabitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or selfishness.
想要革除拖延， 缺乏耐心， 吹毛求疵或自私自利等頑固地不良習性。
imbedded[ɪm'bɛdId] adj 嵌入的
My whole life is imbedded in teaching English.