103. The most important characteristic that a person can have to be successful in life

To be successful in life, one should have the characteristic of independence, that is, he/she has the ability to think critically. By critical thinking, one is capable of analyzing insightfully, concentrating on the right target, thereby making a wise decision.

Thinking critically can enable one to analyze problems insightfully. We live in a world where controversial issues are often simply taken for granted. For example, most people are reluctant to think carefully about issues like whether boys and girls should take separate classes. Recently a high school in Beijing announced that their students from then on take separate classes. Many parents support such ridiculous decision without careful consideration. They are poor thinkers. Critical thinking is but to ask some simple yet essential questions, which always brings amazing sometimes appalling outcomes. Is such a scheme capable of eliminating underage sexual behaviors among adolescents? Is such a scheme guarantee boys and girls free of negative effects? Sadly, the decision had been made but the question left unanswered.

Thinking critically can help one concentrate on right targets. We all have only and exactly 24 hours a day, but we often have mountainous work to do in hands, along with which many personal affairs seem equally urgent. Concentrating on right targets is probably the only way to overcome such dilemmas. For example, ETS has recently announced that GRE examination will be transformed back to paper based test. Grumbles are all around, and complains are posted almost on every BBS on the Internet. But if students think critically, however, they will find out the simple fact that even if ETS had made an awkward decision, test preparers should concentrate on the right target—preparing test as prudently as possible, and at the same time, grumbling never helps.

Only by thinking critically can one make decisions wise and prudent. Sound decision making is essential to success. Decisions such as which movie theater we should go tonight are simple enough to make by tossing a coin, but decisions such as which university or which major we should choose are complicated enough so that we need careful comparisons. A comparison sheet will help a lot, simply by listing several relevant questions such as "Am I really interested in this major?" or "Are there more opportunities in the city where the university locates?" By analyzing insightfully and concentrating on the right targets, wise decisions are not hard to reach at all.

译文

103. 取得成功最重要的品质

要想取得成功，一个人应该具有独立性，即拥有批判性思考的能力。批判性思考可以帮助你具备深刻分析问题，集中精力向正确的目标努力的能力，从而做出明智的决策。

批判性思考能够使你在分析问题时富有洞察力。在我们所生活的世界上，很多矛盾的问题经常被简单地认为是理所当然的。比如，大多数人不愿意去仔细考虑类似男生女生是否应该分班上课的问题。最近，北京的一所中学宣布从现在开始，学校的学生开始分班上课。许多家长没过多考虑就表示支持这个荒唐的决定。这是他们缺乏深入思考的表现。但批判性思考则会提出简单明了、切中要害的质疑，这些质疑常带来令人惊异、有时甚至是震惊的后果。这样的计划能否减少青少年间的未成年性行为？这样的计划能否保护少男少女，避免遭受消极的影响？可悲的是，这样的计划实施了，可问题依然存在。

批判性思考也可以帮助人们集中精力向正确的目标努力。我们每个人每天都只有24个小时，但我们手中的工作经常会堆积如山，同时，许多私人事务也似乎具有同样的重要性。而集中精力向正确的目标努力，是迈出这个两难境地的惟一办法。比如，ETS最近宣布GRE考试将重新采用笔试的形式。到处都是报怨，互联网的各个论坛里也都贴着报怨的帖子。但是只要学生们批判性地思考，就会发现很简单的事实：即使ETS的决定是愚蠢的，准备考试的人也应该把精力集中在正确的目标上——尽可能把考前准备做细致。同时明白抱怨是不能解决任何问题的。

Word List

• critical thinking 批判性思考
• dilemma ［diˈlemə］ n. 进退两难的局面
• controversial ［ˌka:ntrəˈvə:ʃəl］ adj. 争论的，争议的
• announce ［əˈnauns］ v. 宣布，通告
• grumble ［ˈgrʌmbl］ n. 怨言
• v. 抱怨
• take it for granted 想当然
• awkward ［ˈɔ:kwəd］ adj. 笨拙的；不方便的
• outcome ［ˈautˌkʌm］ n. 结果，成果
• underage ［ˈʌndəridʒ］ adj. 未成年的，未到法定年龄的
• prudent ［ˈpru:dənt］ adj. 慎重的；谨慎的
• toss ［tɔs］ v. 投，掷
• mountainous ［ˈmauntənəs］ adj. 山一般的；巨大的
• complicated ［ˈka:mpliˌkeitid］ adj. 复杂的，难解的
• urgent ［ˈə:dʒənt］ adj. 急迫的，紧急的
• sheet ［ʃi:t］ n. （一）片，（一）张，单