To begin with my speech, I would like to ask all of you a little question: Can you accept a low grade even if you study hard every day? And how do you feel when you receive your school report card with a U?首先，在我的演讲开始时，我想问大家一个小问题：即使你每天都很努力地学习，你能接受一个低分吗？当你拿到学校的成绩单上有一个U时，你的感受是怎样的？
OK, so I have listed all the feelings that you have just mentioned. To sum up, these feelings can be categorized as fear of failure.我列出了刚才大家提到的所有感受。总而言之，这些感受可以归类为对失败的恐惧。
So now I want to talk about something that most of us try to avoid—failure. Let’s face it, failure can be disappointing, frustrating, and even a little scary. But what if I told you that failure is not the end? In fact, it’s one of the most important parts of learning and growth.现在我想谈谈我们大多数人都试图避免的东西——失败。让我们面对现实吧，失败可能会令人失望、沮丧，甚至有点可怕。但如果我告诉你失败并不是终点呢？事实上，它是学习和成长中最重要的部分之一。
When you were a child, you started to learn how to walk; you fell down many times, got hurt and cried. But what you did was stand up again, move forward, gain experience from the pain, find balance, and now, congratulations! You can walk quickly and steadily every day.当你还是个孩子的时候，你开始学习走路；你摔倒了很多次，受伤并哭泣。但你所做的就是再次站起来，向前走，从痛苦中获得经验，找到平衡。现在，恭喜你！你可以每天快速而稳定地行走。
As students, we all experience failure at some point—whether it’s getting a bad grade, losing a competition, or struggling to understand a difficult subject. It’s easy to feel discouraged and think, “Maybe I’m just not good enough.” Or even, “Maybe studying isn’t for me.” But here’s the truth: failure doesn’t define your potential; it shapes your journey.作为学生，我们在某些时候都会经历失败——无论是得到不好的成绩、在比赛中失利，还是难以理解某个困难的学科。很容易感到气馁，并认为“也许我根本就不够好。” 或者甚至认为“也许我不适合学习”。但事实是：失败并不能定义你的潜力；它塑造了你的旅程。
Many of the world’s most successful people have experienced failure. Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Every failure brought him closer to success. Similarly, Donald Trump faced defeat in the 2020 US presidential election, underwent two impeachments, and received a lot of criticism worldwide. Despite facing significant challenges, he remains a prominent figure in politics.世界上许多最成功的人士都经历过失败。电灯泡的发明者托马斯·爱迪生曾说：“我没有失败。我只是找到了一万种行不通的方法。”每一次失败都使他离成功更近一步。同样地，唐纳德·特朗普在2020年美国总统选举中落败，经历了两次弹劾，并受到了来自全世界的大量批评。尽管面临重大挑战，他仍然是政界的重要人物。
What makes these people extraordinary is not that they failed, but their attitude toward failure. Instead of giving up, they learned from their mistakes. They asked themselves, “What can I do differently next time?” Then, with more determination and experience than before, they tried again.这些人之所以非凡，并不是因为他们失败了，而是他们对待失败的态度。他们没有放弃，而是从错误中吸取教训。他们问自己，“下次我可以做些什么不同的事情？”然后，带着比以前更多的决心和经验，他们再次尝试。
Now, you might wonder: How can I turn failure into growth? Here are three simple steps:你现在可能想知道：我如何把失败转化为成长呢？这里有三个简单的步骤：
First, accept failure as part of the process. Don’t be ashamed of it. Everyone fails at some point, and that’s okay.首先，接受失败是过程的一部分。不要为此感到羞耻。每个人在某些时候都会失败，这没关系。
After experiencing failure, reflect on it. Ask yourself what went wrong and what you can improve. Be honest with yourself and don’t blame others or external conditions; focus on your own actions.经历失败后，反思一下。问问自己哪里出了问题以及你可以改进什么。对自己诚实，不要责怪他人或外部条件；专注于自己的行为。
Keep trying. Use what you’ve learned to do better next time. Remember, growth comes from persistence.继续尝试。利用你学到的知识下次做得更好。记住，成长来自于坚持。
Here is an example. When Jay Chou first entered the music industry, his unique style was met with skepticism, and his debut album had its highlights but didn’t become a huge hit. He was criticized by the public for having “unclear speech.” However, he did not give up and stuck to his own style, creating classic works such as “Flower Fireworks.” He skillfully blends popular and classical music, as well as rap and rock, using his imaginative musical creativity to captivate audiences. From being highly controversial to becoming a legend in the Chinese music industry, he has used his works to dismantle people’s prejudices against him and has become a musical symbol for many young people. His concerts are always sold out, exerting a widespread influence across Asia and even worldwide, successfully writing a brilliant chapter in his own music career.这里有一个例子。周杰伦初次踏入音乐行业时，他的独特风格受到质疑，首张专辑虽然有亮点但并未大红大紫。公众批评他发音不清。然而，他没有放弃，坚持自己的风格，创作了如《烟花易冷》等经典作品。他巧妙地融合流行音乐与古典音乐，以及嘻哈和摇滚，以其富有想象力的音乐创造力吸引观众。从备受争议到成为中国音乐界的传奇，他用自己的作品拆解了人们的偏见，并成为许多年轻人心目中的音乐象征。他的演唱会总是座无虚席，在亚洲乃至全球产生了广泛影响，成功书写了自己音乐生涯的辉煌篇章。
High school is the perfect time to embrace failure because it’s a time of learning, experimenting, and discovering who you are. Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from chasing your dreams or trying something new. Remember, every successful person you admire was once in your shoes. Learn from their failures and grow stronger with each step.高中时期是拥抱失败的最佳时机，因为这是学习、实验和发现自我的时候。不要让对失败的恐惧阻止你追逐梦想或尝试新事物。记住，每个你所敬佩的成功人士都曾经处于你的位置。从他们的失败中学习，并随着每一步变得更加坚强。
So, the next time you stumble, don’t be afraid to fall. Learn from the experience, and try again. All in all, failure is not the opposite of success—it’s a stepping stone toward it.所以，下次当你跌倒时，不要害怕。从经历中学习，再次尝试。总之，失败并不是成功的对立面——它是通向成功的垫脚石。
