me and my fears
honorable judges, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:
it is a great honor and pleasure to be here on this beautiful saturday morning to share with you my sentiments about life and passion for the english language.
about a year and a half ago, i took part in my very first english speech contest. when i stood before the microphone with all eyes starring directly at me, i could hardly speak. i stood there, embarrassed and helpless, struggling in vain for the right thing to say. my fears had paralyzed me.
while my passion for english has never changed, i lost my courage to speak in public. when my professor again encouraged me to take part in this competition, i said “no.” i couldn’t endure yet another painful experience. he looked me straight in the eye and said something that pierced my heart. i will never forget his words. “look,” he said, “we all have our fears, and you have yours. you could twist your ankle in a basketball game, but then be afraid to ever play again. running away can never dispel your fears, but action will. a winner is not one who never fails，but one who never quits.”
i spent a whole day with his words twisting and turning in my mind. then i made the bravest and wisest decision of my life: i would face my fears – and take part in the competition!
as it turned out, my dear old professor was right. now, here i am, once again standing before a microphone. my heart is beating fast, and my mouth is dry, but most importantly, i have faced my fears -- and that makes all the difference!
thank you.
战胜恐惧
尊敬的评委，各位来宾，女士们先生们，我很荣幸在这个美妙的星期六早上来到这里，与你们分享我生命中一段特别的经历。
大概一年半以前，我参加了生平第一次演讲比赛。站在麦克风前，面对观众们期待的眼神，我竟紧张的说不出话来。那一刻，我是多么无助啊!
我对于英语的挚爱从未改变，但却从此失去了面对公众演讲的勇气。当老教授鼓励我参加希望英语风采大赛时，我拒绝了。他直视我的眼睛，说了一番令我终身难忘的话。“你瞧，”他说，“我们都有自己的恐惧。你可能会在一场篮球比赛中扭脚，并从此害怕再打球。你只能用行动去克服自己的恐惧，逃避是没有用的。生活中的成功者往往是永不放弃的人。”
我花了一整天时间思考他的话。 然后，我做出了一个勇敢而明智的决定： 我要参加中央电视台第五届“希望之星”英语风采大赛!
老教授是对的。我发挥出了自己的水平，一路杀进了全国总决赛。此时此刻，当我再一次站在了麦克风前，仍然心跳不止，但更重要的是，我终于能够勇敢地面对我的恐惧了，而这已足够了。
