哈利·波特之母：失败的收益
◎文/［英］Ｊ．Ｋ．罗琳 ●编译/象牙狗
《青年文摘·彩版》2008年第8期“工作坊”
对于我这样一个已经42岁的人来说，回头看自己21岁大学毕业时的情景，并不是一件舒服的事情。那时，我一直在自己内心的追求与亲人对我的要求之间，进行抗争。
我曾确信自己唯一想做的事情是写小说，但我的父母都来自贫穷的家庭，他们希望我去读一个能学到专业技能的学位，而我想去攻读英国文学。最后，达成了一个双方都不甚满意的妥协：我改学外语。可是等父母一离开，我立刻报名学习古典文学。
我忘了自己是怎么把学古典文学的事情告诉父母的了，他们也可能是在我毕业那天才第一次发现。在这个星球上的所有科目中，他们很难再发现一门比希腊文学更没用的课程了。
我想说明，我并没有因为父母的这些观点而抱怨他们。他们希望我能摆脱贫穷，因为贫穷会引起恐惧、压力，有时候甚至是沮丧。这意味着心胸狭窄、卑微低下和很多艰难困苦。通过自己的努力摆脱贫穷，确实是件很值得自豪的事，只有傻瓜才对贫穷本身夸夸其谈。
可以说，仅仅在我毕业７年后，我经历了一次巨大的失败。我突然间结束了一段短暂的婚姻，失去了工作。作为单身妈妈，而且在这个现代化的英国，除了不是无家可归，你可以说我要多穷就有多穷。父母对我的担心以及我对自己的担心，都成了现实，从任何一个通常的标准来看，这都是我的最大失败。
我不是站在这里和你们说“失败”很好玩。那么我为什么还要谈论失败的收益呢？那是因为失败后我找到了自我，我开始把所有的精力都放在我关心的工作上。如果我在其他方面成功过，我可能就不会下决心在自己喜欢的领域获得成功。我变得从容，因为我已经历过最大的恐惧。而且我还活着，我有一个值得自豪的女儿，一个陈旧的打字机和很不错的写作灵感。我在失败堆积而成的硬石般的基础上，开始重筑我的人生（此后，J.K.罗琳写就了风靡全球的《哈利·波特》系列——编者注）。
失败给了我内心的安宁，这种安宁是不会从一帆风顺的经历中得到的。失败让我认识自己，这些无法从其他地方学到。我发现自己有坚强的意志，而且，自我控制能力比自己想象的还要强，我也发现自己拥有比红宝石更珍贵的朋友。
除非遭受磨难，你不会真正认识自己，也无法知道你和朋友之间的关系有多铁。这些才是失败馈赠给你的真正的礼物。
（本文是《哈利·波特》的作者罗琳在哈佛大学2008年毕业典礼上演讲的部分内容）
译文:
J.K. Rowling's Speaking on Harvard University's Commencement in 2008
Harry Potter's Mother：The Benifits from Failures
◎Written by J.K.Rowling[Britain]●compiler/IvoryDog
Youth Digests·Color version“Employment Section”NO.8 in 2008
I'am 42-year-old now.When I think of my gratuating from college in 21,I find that it's not pleasant,since I was struggling between my own pursuit and my relatives' expectations.
I trusted one thing:All I want to do is writing.But my parents came from poor families,they want me to learn some practical skills in stead of British literature.Eventually,we made a bilateral-unsatisfied compromise:I major in foreign language.However,as soon as my parents left,I signed up Classical Literature.
I've forgotten how did I tell them about this.Maybe it was on the commencement that they found it.On this planet,they could hardly find a more useless course than Greek Literature.
I want to make it clear that I didn't complain about their opinions.They want me to shake off poverty,which can cause horror,pressure and even dispression.All of these indicates narrow-hearted,inferiority and many other hardships.It is really a pride to shake off poverty by yourself.Only the fool spread themselves.
Only 7 years later after my graduation,I suffered from a big failure.I ended up with a short marriage and my job.I was a single mother,what's more,Britain was a modernised country.You can imagine how poor I was to any extent as you like.The worries my parents and I concerned all became true.This was my greatest failure for any aspects.
I'm not standing here to tell you that "failure" is enjoyable.Then why I still talk about the benefits from failure?Because from failure I found myself.I started to put all my energies on what I concerned about.If I was successful on other fields,I might have not set up my mind on what I interested in.Calmness followed as I've been through the biggest horror.Furthermore,I still alive and I have a daughter who deserves my prides.A old printer and a pretty good writing inspiration also accompany me.I started to build my new life on the stone-base that made of failures.(Editor:Later,J.K Rowling wrote world-fashionable series Harry Potter.)
Failures give me interior peace that can't be gained through plain sailing.Failures help me to know myself that can't be gaind through other things.I found myself has a strong will,what's more,I can control myself better than I expected.At the same time,I've realised that I own friends that are more precious than rubies.
You can only know yourself well through hardships and you can also only know how close you and your friends are through hardships.These are the real gifts the failures offer you.
(The artical is a part of the speaking presented by Harry Potter's author----J.K.Rowling on Harvard University's commencement in 2008）