To break bad habits 如何改掉坏习惯(大学英语作文)

To break bad habits 如何改掉坏习惯
大学英语作文

你的新年愿望中，有没有改掉之前的坏习惯这一条呢？我们每年
都要花很多时间和精 力与坏习惯做斗争，但改掉恶习是一项艰难的任
务，并且没有捷径可走。下面就来看看怎样才能尽快和坏 习惯说再见
吧。
A habit is any action that we have performed so often that
it becomes almost an involuntary response. If we consider this
habit to be undesirable then we may label it a habit
People spend countless hours and dollars each year
attempting to break these bad habits and often do not have
any success. Why? Because there is no magic bullet. Change is
hard work and there is no short cut to achieving it. The steps a
person needs to take, however, can be very simply outlined. To
effect a change in habits, one needs to bring the action back
into the realm of consciousness and regain the ability to make
choices.
习惯是一个经常做的下意识动作。如果我们认为这是不良的习惯,
那么我们就标签它是一个“坏习惯”。人们每年花了无数的时间和金
钱努力去改掉这些坏习惯，但通常都 是不成功的。为什么?因为没有
1

灵丹妙药。改变是很困难的，是 没有捷径的。然而，需要遵守的步骤
可以很简单地概括。要改变习惯，需要有意识的行动并且重新恢复做
决定的能力。
What's the payoff？
回报是什么？
The first step in breaking a bad habit is to look at why you
find this action so compelling. In other words, what's the
payoff for doing this seemingly negative thing? Since you've
already classified this as a
say there isn't one. But look closer. There is always a payoff.
Let's say your bad habit is yelling at your kids. What's in it for
you? You let off some steam and feel a little better for the
moment. Or you have a bad habit of leaving the dishes
unwashed? The payoff could be that you get to spend more
time on the Internet!
改变 不良习惯的第一步是看看为什么你会觉得那个动作是那么
的具有强制性。换句话说，做这个看似消极的行 为有什么回报呢?既
然你已经把它划分到“坏”习惯这一类了，你可能会努力想说没有。
但细究 ，总是有回报的。比如说你的坏习惯是对孩子们吼叫。对你来
说这将意味着什么?你出了一些气来让自己 在那时候感觉好些。或者
你有一个坏习惯是不洗碗?带来的可能是，你可以在互联网上花更多
的 时间!
2

What's the trade off？
代价是什么呢？Next, take a look at the trade off. What is it
that you are losing by exercising your habit? This step should
be easier. Just think why it is that you consider it a bad habit in
the first place. Yelling at your kids is a bad habit because it
leaves everybody feeling tense and tears down your children's
self- esteem. You are trading a temporary release of tension for
the emotional health of your children. Leaving the dishes
undone is a bad habit because your kitchen is a smelly mess.
To have more Internet time you are trading off having a
pleasant living environment. When you look at it that way it
doesn't seem like you are making very wise choices, does it?
There has to be a better way.
接下来,看看代价。由于习惯，你又失去了什么呢 ？这一步应该
比较容易。首先，你要知道为什么你觉得它是一个坏习惯。对孩子们
吼叫是一个坏 习惯，因为它会让每个人都感觉到紧张，也会毁了孩子
的自尊。你是以孩子的情绪健康为代价来换取你的 一时情绪放松。不
洗碗之所以是一个坏习惯是因为你的厨房会变得一团糟。而更多的上
网时间是 以你舒适的生活环境为代价的。当你以这种方式看待它时，
你似乎不是在做明智的选择，难道不是吗?应 该有更好的方式。Now
that you've weighed both sides of the issue--your payoff and
your tradeoff--it's time to make a choice. It's no longer an
3

involuntary act because now you know that you are making a
choice every time you perform this action. You are choosing
what you value more: the payoff or the tradeoff! Each time you
start to do whatever the bad habit is now you have to actively
choose. Which do you value more? Do you value more the
relief you get by yelling at your kids or do you value their
emotional well-being? Do you value more having more
Internet time or having a pleasant place to live?
既然你已经权衡过双方的问题——你的回报和代价——接下来
是时候做出选 择了。这不再是一种无意识的行为，因为现在每次你做
这个动作的时候你都知道。你选择你认为更有价值 的：回报还是代价!
每次你开始做任何不良习惯的事情时，你都要好好的选择。你认为哪
个更有 价值?你对小孩子大吼大叫来释放你的情绪有价值还是珍惜他
们情感健康更有价值?你觉得拥有更多的上 网时间还是拥有一个舒适
的居住地方更有价值?
Substituting better behaviors
更好的行为来代替The whole reason you formed your
habits in the first place is that they filled a need. You had
tension that needed relief or you had a desire to surf the Net.
As you break the old patterns you still need a way to fulfill
these needs. You will be not only making an active choice to
not do the old action you will also be making a choice to
4

perform a better, alternative action in its place. Instead of
yelling at your kids you might decide to go for a run every
time you are feeling tense. Instead of letting dirty dishes pile
up you may decide to use paper plates when you are eating
alone. What the new habit is that you substitute isn't so
important as whether you feel good about the choices you
have made. After all, the reason you consider it a bad habit is
because it leaves you feeling bad about yourself. It's up to you.
形成你的习惯的整体原因首先是他们需要。你的紧张情绪需要释
放或着你想上网。破 坏了旧的方式，你仍然需要另一种方式来满足那
些需求。你将不仅仅要主动的不去选择旧的行动方式，你 也会选择更
好的表现，另一种行为。当你感到紧张的时候你可以决定去跑步而不
是对孩子们吼叫 。当你一个人吃饭的时候你可以选择用纸盘子而不是
让脏盘子堆积。新的习惯就是对于你已做选择的感觉 是否良好并不那
么重要。毕竟，你认为这是一个坏习惯的原因是因为它让你对自己感
觉不好。它 取决于你。
By now you should realize that the only way to continue
with a bad habit for very long is to sink back into denial of why
you are doing it in the first place. Each time you begin to
resume your old patterns the thought will pass through your
mind that you are trading X for Y each time you perform that
action. You will be forced to make a choice, whether good for
5

bad, about continuing your habit. What choices will you make?
The one that makes you feel bad about yourself or the one
that makes you feel good? It's up to you.
你现在应该认识到，,继续长期养成一个坏习惯的唯一办法是阻
止你这样做的首要原因。每次你开始恢复 旧方式的思想时，你将想到
你是要以X跟 Y交换的。你将被迫做出选择，不管对于继续你的习
惯是好是坏。你将如何选择?是那个让你感觉不好还是那个让你感觉
良好的呢?一切取决于你。





6