Set yourself up for success!

為成功做好準備！

I'm Emma from mmmEnglish and this video is for English learners, specifically, those who want to speak in English more,

我是來自mmmEnglish的Emma，這個影片是為英語學習者製作的，特別是那些想要更多地用英語交流的人，

who want to perform better in English conversations.

想在英語對話中表現得更好的人。

Even if you're not interested in the three ways to be a successful English speaker,

即使你對如何成為一個成功的英語演講者不感興趣，

you will definitely learn about this interesting idiom and how to use it at the end of this video.

你也將在影片的最後了解這個有趣的習慣用語以及如何使用它。

The first way that English learners shoot themselves in the foot is when they say that they'll do something but then they don't.

英語學習者自討苦吃的第一種方式是，他們說他們會做某件事，但然後他們就沒有做到。

They don't follow through.

他們沒有堅持下去。

Maybe you think, "Emma, that's no big deal."

也許你會想：「Emma，這沒什麼大不了的。」

But it is.

但事實並非如此。

You're adding to this huge, potentially overwhelming pile of things that you have not done, that you haven't ticked off.

你正在增加一堆可能會讓你覺得不堪負荷的事情，那些你沒有做到的事情。

And all of these little things are sitting there, they're waiting for you to take action.

所有這些小事都在那裡，等待著你採取行動。

I know from personal experience that that huge pile of things creates guilt, it creates shame, it creates a whole lot of negative self-talk.

我從個人經驗中知道，這一大堆事情會製造罪惡感，製造羞恥感，製造大量負面的自我對話。

See Emma,you never follow through.

Emma，你從不堅持下去。

How will you succeed if you can't even complete a course that you got for free?

如果你甚至不能完成一個免費的課程，你如何能成功？

To put this into context, think about learning English online.

將這放入背景中，想想線上學習英語。

There is so much material out there that you can access.

有這麼多的學習材料可以供你使用。

You can practise with online websites, you can download free worksheets, you can watch YouTube videos, you can sign up for free courses and challenges.

你可以在網站上練習，可以下載免費的練習題，可以觀看YouTube影片，可以報名參加免費的課程和挑戰。

You can even pay for courses.

你甚至可以付費上課。

There is no shortage of information.

資源並不缺乏。

In fact, everything that you need to learn grammar and vocabulary already exists online and a lot of it is completely free to access.

事實上，你學習文法和詞彙所需要的一切都已經存在於網路上，而且很多都可以免費取得。

So how come you're not fluent yet?

那為什麼你的英語為何還不流利呢？

The problem is that most students run around grabbing all of these free resources and stashing them away somewhere so that next week they can start.

問題在於大多數學生到處奔波，搶著得到這些免費的資源，然後把它們收藏起來，以便下週開始學習。

But they're not staying focused, they're not getting it done and even more importantly, not putting those learnings into practice which is actually the hard part.

但他們沒有保持專注，他們沒有完成任務，更重要的是，他們沒有把這些學到的東西付諸實踐，這其實是困難的部分。

You can collect as many resources as you like but unless you do something with them, complete the workbook, finish the course and even better,

你可以收集盡可能多的資源，但除非你對它們做些什麼，完成練習，完成課程，甚至更好的是，

use what you were studying in real conversations so that you can make mistakes and you can get stuck and find your way out of trouble,

在真實的對話中使用你所學的東西，這樣你就可以犯錯，卡住，然後擺脫困境，

and try out all these new phrases and expressions that you've been memorising.

並嘗試所有這些你一直在背誦的新短語和表達。

Without all of that, what's the point?

如果沒有這一切，有什麼意義呢？

Another way to shoot yourself in the foot: set yourself a huge, really general goal.

另一種自討苦吃的方式是，為自己設定一個龐大且非常一般的目標。

If you do that, you will never notice your progress.

如果你那樣做，你永遠不會注意到你的進步。

You will never feel success.

你永遠不會感到成功。

What is your goal?

你的目標是什麼？

To speak English better?

是英語說地更好嗎？

If this is your goal, you're shooting yourself in the foot.

如果這是你的目標，你正在自討苦吃。

Goals need clear time frames, measurable outcomes and they need to be achievable.

目標需要明確的時間框架，可衡量的結果，而且必須是可以實現的。

For example, speaking with someone in English once a week throughout October, November and December.

例如，每週十月、十一月和十二月各與某人用英語交談一次。

This is a fantastic, achievable, measurable goal.

這是一個出色的、可行的、可衡量的目標。

You can tick this off your list of things to do, right?

你可以在你的待辦事項清單上打勾，對吧？

It doesn't matter if this conversation is for ten minutes or if it's for an hour but to make sure this happens every week,

無論這次對話是十分鐘還是一小時，但要確保這每週都發生，

you need to spend a little bit of time planning your English speaking practice, making sure it happens.

你需要花一點時間規劃你的英語口說練習，確保它能實現。

So if you're lucky enough to be attending regular English classes,

所以，如果你有幸能參加定期的英語課程，

you might be thinking,"I don't need to plan and organise anything, I'm just going to show up to my class."

你可能會想：「我不需要計劃和組織什麼，我只需要上課就好了。』

But you might still be shooting yourself in the foot.

但你可能仍然在自討苦吃。

Do you come to class with questions about your homework?

你是否帶著家庭作業的問題來上課？

Do you raise your hand and ask questions during the class?

在課堂上會舉手發問嗎？

And most importantly, how are you putting what you learn in those classes into practice, into speaking practice?

最重要的是，你如何將課堂上學到的東西付諸實踐，進行口語練習呢？

And if you're not going to regular English classes then where and how and when are you going to practise your speaking skills?

如果你不定期上英文課，那你在哪裡、如何、何時練習口說呢？

You especially need to spend some time planning this ahead of time so that you don't shoot yourself in the foot.

尤其需要提前花點時間規劃，以免自討苦吃。

Number three, comparing yourself to others.

第三點，不要拿別人和自己比較。

If you compare yourself to someone who has more time,

如果你把自己和那些擁有更多時間的人，

has more money than you,

擁有比你更多金錢的人，

has a quiet place to study from when you don't,

或者在有安靜學習場所，但你沒有的人，

who doesn't have kids when you do,

沒有孩子但你有孩子的人，

someone who has the support of their manager at work when you don't

與經理支持但你的工作中沒有經理支持的人，

or someone who has a supportive group of friends who encourage them to speak in English.

或有一群支持他們的朋友鼓勵他們說英語的人比較，

If you're comparing yourself to others, you are shooting yourself in the foot.

如果你跟別人比較，你就會自討苦吃。

Now if you do or you don't have these things,

現在，無論你是否擁有這些條件，

it doesn't mean that you can't reach the same place as someone else.

都不代表你無法達到與別人相同的程度。

Absolutely you can!

當然可以！

But you will probably need to take a slightly different path to get there.

但你可能需要採取稍微不同的路徑來達到那裡。

You need to spend time planning your journey, marking out the path that you need to take to get there.

需要花時間規劃你的旅程，標記你需要採取的路徑。

And you of course, need to be taking each of those steps.

當然，你需要採取這些步驟中的每一步。

Okay, okay, so what does "shoot yourself in the foot" actually mean?

好吧，那麼「自討苦吃」到底是什麼意思？

Can you guess after I was using it to talk about all of those different situations?

在我用它談論所有這些不同的情況之後，你能猜到嗎？

Can you guess the meaning from the context?

你能從上下文中猜出含義嗎？

Pause for a minute if you want to get your thoughts in order and think about your answer to this question and maybe write it down in the comments below.

如果你想整理思緒並思考這個問題的回答，你可以停頓一分鐘，然後在下方的評論中寫下你的答案。

To shoot oneself in the foot means to make a situation worse for oneself without meaning to, without intending to.

「自討苦吃」意味著在無意中、無意圖的情況下，使自己的情況變得更糟。

In the examples that I gave you earlier in the video, what was the situation that I'm referring to?

在我之前給你的範例中，我指的是什麼情況？

You wanting to improve your English especially your spoken English.

你想要提升你的英語，尤其是口語英語。

When I use this idiom to talk about that situation, I'm suggesting that you are making your situation of wanting to speak more in English worse by not following through,

當我用這個習語談論這種情況時，我是在暗示你沒有跟進，

not having specific goals, or by comparing yourself to others.

沒有明確的目標，或者與他人比較，從而使你想要更多地用英語交談的情況變得更糟。

So if any of these things sound like you or something that you sometimes or always do, I hope that you've taken this video in the right way.

因此，如果其中任何一種情況聽起來像你或你有時或總是做的事情，我希望你正確理解這段影片。

It might seem a little like tough love, I know, but I hope that you know that my message to you today comes from a place of love, it comes from my heart.

我知道，這聽起來可能有點像堅強的愛，但我希望你知道，我今天對你的訊息是出於愛心，出自我的內心。

I do not want you to shoot yourself in the foot.

我不希望你自討苦吃。

By the way, you can't shoot anyone else in the foot.

順便說一句，你不能讓其他人自討苦吃。

When you use this idiom, the subject can only make the situation worse for themselves.

當你使用這個用語時，主詞只能使自身的情況變得更糟。

We shot ourselves in the foot by bringing the dog on our road trip. Now we can't get into any of the national parks.

我們自討苦吃，因為把狗帶上了公路旅行。 現在我們不能進入任何國家公園。

Mary really shot herself in the foot when she lost her licence! Now she can't work.

瑪麗失去了她的駕照，真的是自討苦吃！ 現在她不能工作了。

The Prime Minister shot himself in the foot by saying that healthcare was not going to be prioritised in this year's budget.

總理在說今年的預算不會將醫療保健作為重點時，實際上是自討苦吃。

Can you think of a time when you shot yourself in the foot?

你能想到你自討苦吃的經驗嗎？

Tell me down in the comments, I'm keen to hear these stories.

請在評論中告訴我，我很想聽聽這些故事。

And then, come along and join me in the next lesson!

然後來和我一起學習下一堂課吧！