What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith

PART 1 Expressions

1. Mayor Ed Koch was famous for touring the five boroughs of New York and asking everyone he met, "How'm I doing?"

borough:                                                                                                [ˈbʌrə] 区；自治的市镇 a town, or part of a large city, that is responsible for managing its own schools, hospitals, roads etc (纽约一共有五个自治区)

2. I thought about it for a moment, and thought some more, then sheepishly answered, "I don't know."

sheepish：难为情的；窘迫的 slightly uncomfortable or embarrassed because you know that you have done sth silly or wrong

Sam looked a bit sheepish.

Mary gave her a sheepish grin.

3. Chastened by the executive vice president's piercingly obvious question, I became a follow-up grind for the next two years.

chasten:(v.) to make sb realize that their behavior was wrong or mistaken (常用做被动) 使幡然醒悟

He felt suitably chastened and apologized.

She gave them a chastening lecture.

grind: [graɪnd] (n.) 1. sth that is hard work and physically or mentally tiring

I find the journey to work a real grind.

2. informal, a student who never does anything except study

4. That's it -- my baker's dozen.

baker's dozen: old-fashioned, a group of thirteen

源自旧时面包店老板的习惯，即给所订购的一打面包搭送一条面包。

本文中作者一共写了13条建议，所以叫做 my baker's dozen

5. You've apologized for whatever errant behavior has annoyed the people who matter to you at work or at home.

errant: [ˈerənt] 偏离正路的 behaving badly, usually not obeying your parents or not being faithful to your husband or wife

an errant wife

their errant son

6. Feedback is so simple I almost blush to dignify it with a name.

blush: (v.) 1.脸红

Wilson saw she was watching him and blushed.

PS: In everyday British English, people often say go red rather than blush.

She went red when he looked at her.

2. blush to do sth: to feel ashamed or embarrassed about sth

I blush to admit that I haven't read it.

blush (n.) 脸上的红晕

She bent her head to hide her blushes.

at first blush: literary, when first thought of or considered

At first blush, this sounds like good news.

7. Even if we behave within the normal parameters of politeness and etiquette in the workplace, we think we have an obligation to be totally honest in discussion.

parameter:                                                                                                [pəˈræmɪtə(r)] sth that decides or limits the way in which sth can be done 规范；范围

to set/ define the parameters

We had to work within the parameters that had already been established.

That would be enough to make sure we fell within the parameters of our loan agreement.

8. We think we have a license to use every debating trick to win, including bringing up the past to bolster our side of the "argument".

bolster:                                                                                                [ˈbəʊlstə(r)] (n.) 垫枕

(v.) to improve sth or make it stronger

bolster sb's confidence/ courage/ morale

bolster sth up: eg. Failing interest rates may help bolster up the economy.

9. It doesn't deal in wishes, dreams, and conquering the impossible.

deal in sth: 1. to be interested or involved in sth

As a scientist, I do not deal in speculation.

2. to accept sth as a basis for your decisions, attitudes or actions

We don't deal in rumors or guesswork.

10. Instead of rehashing a past that can not be changed, feedforward encourages you to spend more time creating a future.

rehash: 1. to use the same ideas, pieces of writing or film again in a new form that is not really different or better, used to show disapproval 稍微改动重新推出

He just rehashed songs from the 60s.

2. to repeat sth that was discussed earlier, especially in an annoying way

The issue has been rehashed so many times already.

(n.) It was just a rehash of last year's show.

11. That's important when you consider how often team-building sessions degenerate into, "Let me tell you what you did wrong" slugfests rather than, "Let me ask you what we can do better" love-ins.

slugfest:                                                                                                ['slʌɡfest] (n.) a situation in which people are arguing or fighting in a rude or angry way 谩骂；斗殴

love-in: 1. old-fashioned, a party at which people freely show their affection and sexual attraction for each other, associated with hippies in the 1960s （20实际60年代嬉皮士的）爱情聚会

2. disapproval, an occasion when people are being especially pleasant to each other, in a way that you believe is not sincere 虚情假意的场合；假热情

12. The second monk was livid.

livid:本意是铅色的、青灰色的，引申为暴怒的、狂怒的

a livid bruise 淤青

She was absolutely livid that he had lied.

PART 2 Sentences

I am not suggesting that we should always let go of the past. You need feedback to scour(                                                                                                [ˈskaʊə(r)] 彻底地搜寻) the past and identify the room for improvement. But you can't change the past. To change you need to be sharing ideas for the future.

Race car drivers are taught, "Look at the road, not the wall."