others - logically enough - 'losers'. Aside from  the evident meanness of this categorisation,  

其他人--從邏輯上講--"失敗者"。除了這種分類的明顯刻薄之外。

the underlying problem with it is the suggestion  that life might be a unitary, singular race,  

它的根本問題是暗示生命可能是一個統一的、單一的種族。

at the conclusion to which one could neatly  rank all the competitors from highest to lowest.

在結論中，人們可以將所有的競爭對手從高到低整齊地排列。

And yet the more confusing and complex truth is  that life is really made up of a number of races  

然而更讓人困惑和複雜的事實是，生命真的是由許多種族組成的。

that unfold simultaneously over very different  terrain and with different sorts of cups and  

在非常不同的地形和不同種類的杯子上同時展開。

medals in view. There are races for money, fame  and prestige of course - and these attract many  

獎牌的看法。當然，還有金錢、名聲和聲望的比賽--這些吸引了許多人。

spectators and in some social circles, the bulk  of the coverage. But there are also races that  

觀眾和在一些社交圈子裡，大部分的報道。但也有一些賽事

measure other kinds of prowess worth venerating.  There is a race for who can remain calmest in the  

衡量其他種類的威力，值得推崇。 有一個比賽，誰能保持最冷靜的在。

face of frustration. There is a race for who  can be kindest to children. There is a race  

面對挫折。有一場比賽，誰能對孩子最友善。有一場比賽

measuring how gifted someone is at friendship.  There are races focused on how attentive someone  

衡量一個人在友誼上的天賦如何。 有的比賽集中在某人的細心程度上。

is to the evening sky or how good they are  at deriving pleasure from autumn fruits.

是對夜空的，或者說他們是多麼善於從秋天的果實中獲得快樂。

Despite our enthusiasm for sorting out competitors  into neat ranks, a striking fact about the  

儘管我們熱衷於將競爭者劃分成整齊的等級，但一個引人注目的事實是，我們的競爭者們都在為自己的等級而努力。

multi-race event of life is, quite simply,  that no one is ever able to end up a winner  

人生的多場比賽，很簡單，沒有人能夠最終成為贏家。

in every genre of competition available.  Furthermore, prowess in one kind of race  

在現有的各種類型的比賽中。 此外，在某一類型的比賽中的實力。

seems to militate against one's chances of  success in others. Winning at being ruthlessly  

似乎不利於自己在別人身上的成功機會。贏在被無情

successful in business seems not - for example -  generally to go hand in hand with any real ability  

例如，成功的商業似乎並不與任何真正的能力齊頭並進。

at the race to appreciate the sky or find  pleasure in figs. Those who are terrific  

在比賽中欣賞天空或在無花果中尋找樂趣。那些了不起的人

at gaining fame tend to be hampered when it  comes to competing in the race that measures  

在獲得名氣的時候，往往會受到阻礙，當它涉及到競爭，測量

the ability to be patient around thoughtful  but underconfident three year old children.

能夠在有思想但不自信的三歲孩子身邊耐心等待。

We cannot - it seems - be winners at everything.  Those who appear to be carrying off all the prizes  

我們不可能--似乎--在所有事情上都是贏家。 那些似乎能拿下所有獎項的人。

and are lauded in certain quarters as superhuman  athletes of life cannot, on closer examination,  

並被某些方面讚譽為生命中的超人運動員，仔細觀察不能。

really be triumphing across the board in any  such way. They are bound to be making a deep mess  

真正以這樣的方式全面勝利。他們必然會深陷泥潭

of some of the less familiar or prestigious races  they are entered for; in certain corners of the  

的一些不太熟悉或著名的比賽；在某些角落，他們參加的。

stadium, they'll be falling over, tripping up,  complaining loudly about track conditions and,  

嵬，峍倒，他們會摔倒，絆倒，大聲抱怨賽道條件和。

perhaps, sourly denigrating the whole event  as useless and not worth participating in.

也許，酸溜溜地詆譭整個活動毫無用處，不值得參與。

If one cannot be a winner at everything, it  follows that one cannot be a loser at everything  

如果一個人不可能事事都是贏家，那麼也就不可能事事都是輸家。

either. When we have failed in certain races  in the mille-athlon of life, we retain ample  

也不是。當我們在生活中的某些比賽中失敗了，我們就會保留足夠的資源，以備不時之需。

opportunities to train and develop our strength  to win in others. We may never again be able to  

機會，訓練和發展我們的力量，在別人身上取勝。我們可能再也無法

compete in the race for fame, honour or money,  but it's still entirely open to us to compete in  

爭名奪利，但我們還是完全可以爭奪。

the race for kindness, friendship and forgiveness.  We may even win at the not insignificant race for  

爭取善良、友誼和寬恕的競賽。 我們甚至可以在這場並不重要的競賽中獲勝。

enjoying one's own company or sleeping very  soundly and without anxiety for many hours.

享受一個人的陪伴，或者睡得很安穩，很多時候都沒有焦慮。

There is no such thing as a winner  or a loser per se. There is only  

本身並沒有所謂的勝負之分。只有

a person who has won in some areas and  messed up in others. And, to go deeper,  

一個人在某些方面取得了勝利，而在另一些方面卻一塌糊塗。而且，要想更深入。

someone whose talent at winning in  one sort of race means they must  

贏家

naturally and almost inevitably mess  up in alternatives - and vice versa.

自然而然地，幾乎不可避免地會在替代品中出現混亂--反之亦然。

We never starkly fail at life itself.  When we mess up in worldly areas and  

我們從來沒有鮮明地失敗在生活本身。 當我們在世俗的領域搞砸了，並且

feel dejected and isolated, the universe  is just giving us an exceptional chance  

垂頭喪氣，孤芳自賞

to begin the training which means we will one  day become star athletes in other less well-known  

開始訓練，這意味著我們有一天會成為其他不知名的明星運動員。

but hugely important races - races around keeping  a sense of humour, showing gratitude, forgiving,  

但非常重要的比賽--圍繞著保持幽默感、表示感謝、寬容的比賽。

appreciating, letting go - and making do.  These are the noble tracks on which those who  

這些都是高尚的軌道，在這些軌道上，那些人

have 'failed' can finally, properly  and redemptively learn to 'win.'

已經'失敗'的人終於可以正確地、救贖地學會'贏'。