8.22 Day 16 Peak: C8-1 But What About Natural Talent?

PART 1: Thoughts

People do not stop learning and improving because they have reached some innate limits on their performance; they stop learning and improving because, for whatever reasons, they stopped practicing or never started.

这部分作者对著名的一些“天才”案例（Paganini, Mozart, Donald Thomas, savants等）进行分析并追根溯源，说明没有所谓的“天才”，所谓天才的都是建立在大量的刻意练习的基础上的。生活中我们总能听到“我没有这个天赋，做不到的”、“她比较聪明”、“他是男生，所以他的理科比较好”等等之类的言论，其实这些都是我们给别人或自己贴的标签，“天才”也是我们对于别人成功结果的自我定义，有时甚至成为我们逃避、不努力的借口。

大家都说朗朗是钢琴天才，但这个天才付出的代价是童年大部分被钢琴占满，即便是成名后，郎朗妈妈告诉记者，无论多忙，郎朗每天都会抽出至少三个小时的时间来练习钢琴演奏，每逢重大演出，他的练习量还会随之加大。还有最近网上很火的“外卖小哥被川外录取”，他的逆袭不是幸运也不是天赋，是源于他每天利用空余时间坚持背单词。还有在他走红网络后，有一位在上海高校供职的老师每天从QQ上帮助指导他。成功逆袭的最佳“捷径”，就是坚持刻意练习。愿我们也能逆袭成功。

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PART 2: Summary

In chapter 6 the author has mentioned that natural talent is one of the myths. Both willpower and natural talent are traits that people assign to someone after the fact. In chapter 8 the author undertakes an in-depth study of this topic by some classic examples（eg. Paganini, Mozart, Donald Thomas, ect.). The most obvious conclusion to draw from this is that they have indeed trained and never stop learning. Furthermore, there is no evidence that some people are born without the innate ability to success. In short, the best way to be a talent is to constantly develop your skill in the right way.

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PART 3: Words and Expression

1.原文：It is one of the most enduring and deep-seated of all beliefs about human nature.

deep-seated: adj.a deep-seated attitude, feeling, or idea is strong and is very difficult to change→deep-rooted根深蒂固的,深层的

仿句：The general deep-seated belief that some people are born with natural endowments.

2.原文：Depending on which version of the story one hears, the venue was a packed concert hall or an outdoor space where Paganini was serenading a lady at the request of her gentleman friend.

serenade:vt. if serenade someone, you sing or play music to them, especially to show them that you love them 为…唱小夜曲  还可做 n. 小夜曲 vi. 唱小夜曲

仿句：She is serenading the baby in the cradle.

3.原文：The second thing we know is that Thomas had an incredible jumping ability when dunking.

dunk: vt. to jump up by the basket and throw the ball down into it in basketball→slam dunk 扣篮，塞投（篮球动作）→vt.泡；浸 bob/dunk/dip for apples（咬苹果万圣节时的常见游戏。到场者想法只用嘴巴咬起漂浮在水上的苹果。）

仿句：I tried to jump and dunk, but failed.

4.others

counterintuitive：adj. 违反直觉的

spring in one's legs：腿部弹跳

but has never equaled it：vt. 等于；比得上

savant：n. 学者；专家