我们时常下定决心要挑战自我（challenge ourselves），尝试一些新事物，却因为各种原因没有坚持下去，这股热情总是很快消退（the energy starts to wane）。这些原因包括太费时间，没有动力，没有额外的精力等等。

01、原 文 
Becoming proficient at something takes too much time, we lose motivation to practice, we struggle to pay attention in class after a long day at work — the list of reasons goes on.
想要精通某事很花时间，我们失去了练习的动力，我们工作一整天后难以集中注意力上课——总有一系列的原因。
Become proficient at (sth./doing sth.) 
精通于某事；
Struggle to (do sth.) 
挣扎着做某事，奋力做某事；

02、然而，有那么一种人被称为“superagers”，即“那些即使到了八十岁也仍然在学术，专业和体力上以极高的水准履行职责的人们”【people who function at extremely high levels (academically, professionally, and physically】well into their eighties），他们在关于记忆力和注意力的测试上的表现可以和年龄是他们三分之一的那些人匹敌(Their performance on tests of memory and concentration is comparable to people one-third their age)。
 
而这是为什么呢？调查显示，这些人或多或少都参与了一些有难度的体力或脑力活动（engaged in difficult physical and mental tasks），正是这些活动使得他们的脑力维持活力。

原 文 

By pushing themselves into challenging efforts that were outside their comfort zones, rather than engaging in leisurely activities, as others their age did, the superagers seemed to enhance their attention and memory skills. Unusually large amounts of activity in parts of the brain tied to emotional functioning, including communication, stress management, and sensory coordination. Additional studies are being done to determine which difficult tasks could be the most beneficial for cognitive abilities, but the scientists suggest that mastering a new skill could have the same positive effect on brain development.

通过督促自己努力应付这些“舒适区”之外的挑战，而不像其他同龄人那样只从事悠闲的活动，这些“超能老人”似乎提升了自己的注意力和记忆技巧。大脑有些区域里有极其大量的活动与情绪功能相关，包括沟通、压力管理和感官协调。还有研究试图确定哪些困难的任务对认知能力最有益，但科学家们认为，掌握一项新技能对大脑发展有同样积极的效果。

Push oneself into (doing sth.)  
强迫自己做某事，督促自己做某事
Comfort zones 
舒适区
Leisurely 
这里用作形容词，悠闲的，从容的
Emotional functioning 
情感功能
Sensory coordination 
感官协调；sensory（adj）感觉的，知觉的，sense（v&n）感觉；coordination
（n）协调，v：coordinate
Determine 
（v）决定，判决，确定
Cognitive abilities 
认知能力

03、除了对大脑的积极作用（positive effect）之外，走出舒适区还有其它方面的有益影响（beneficial impact），比如对人们的人际交往。

原 文 

As to the effect of their pursuits on their relationships, it benefited their relationships with colleagues. The majority reported that through their endeavor they had met people with whom they might work with professionally in the future.

至于这些（新的）追求对人际关系的影响，这增进了他们与同事的关系。大部分人都回答，在努力尝试中，他们都曾遇到过将来可能在职业中合作的人。

04、除了人际交往方面，这对人们的健康状况有所提升（improve their well-being），从而变得更加有效率（more productive），对自己职业地位也会有更好的理解和欣赏能力（gained a better understanding of or appreciation for their professional role）。

原 文 

Some of the benefits related to their own well-being, to acquiring new technical skills, or to spending time with colleagues outside of work.
其它的益处包括提升他们的健康状况，掌握新的专业技能，或是在工作之外和同事共处。

05、最后，这能使人们更加有创意。

原 文 

Other research has shown that learning something hard can help expand our creativity.
其它研究表明，学做一些不容易的事情有助于拓展我们的创造性。

06、总的来说，走出舒适区不但能提高脑力，更多的益处在于人际关系，工作效率和理解能力，提高兴趣和创造力方面。

原 文 

The broader benefits of pushing ourselves may be positive for colleague relationships, productivity, and task comprehension. Plus, acquiring new skills is enjoyable.

挑战自我更大的好处是它对同事关系，工作效率，以及任务领悟力产生积极作用。另外，掌握新技能本身也是一件乐事。

所以，如果你因为困难程度或者是时间安排而考虑放弃一件挑战自我的事情，这篇文章可能会为你打一下鸡血（offer a new incentive），让你能够坚持下去（stick with it）。

看完这篇文章，如果有一天你需要写一篇我们为什么需要走出舒适区的文章，想必你已经有思路了。
 
1）有助于保持大脑的活力
2）有助于人际关系的提升
3）有助于健康状况的提升，从而变得更高产，更容易理解自己的工作
4）有助于提高创造力

附原文（与雅思阅读文章高度仿真）

原 文 

When Was the Last Time You Took On a New Challenge?
 

Each January brings a renewed desire to challenge ourselves and learn something new. But by February the energy starts to wane. Becoming proficient at something takes too much time, we lose motivation to practice, we struggle to pay attention in class after a long day at work — the list of reasons goes on. 

I recently came across some motivation to stick with a new pursuit. A few weeks ago I read an article in the New York Times about “superagers,” people who function at extremely high levels (academically, professionally, and physically) well into their eighties. Their performance on tests of memory and concentration is comparable to people one-third their age.

All the superagers engaged in difficult physical and mental tasks, such as tennis or bridge, regularly. By pushing themselves into challenging efforts that were outside their comfort zones, rather than engaging in leisurely activities, as others their age did, the superagers seemed to enhance their attention and memory skills. When researchers scanned the brains of 17 superagers, they found unusually large amounts of activity in parts of the brain tied to emotional functioning, including communication, stress management, and sensory coordination. Additional studies are being done to determine which difficult tasks could be the most beneficial for cognitive abilities, but the scientists suggest that mastering a new skill could have the same positive effect on brain development.

I surveyed 260 CEOs and executives in for-profit and nonprofit sectors to find out whether they had recently undertaken a new pursuit. I wanted to learn if they saw any impact on their overall well-being, professionally or personally. 53% of the responses were from men and 47% were from women.

The majority (60%) of respondents reported that they had begun a new challenge in the past two years. The most common pursuit was a sport or a physical activity (38% of people). The other top responses were: starting a new work-related project (11%), studying something new (10%), and teaching or writing (10%). Other options, including playing music, creating art, and playing games such as bridge, were cited by 8% of people. And 34% reported devoting 10 hours or more a week to their new activity.

All respondents found their new endeavor “hard,” but half of them characterized it as “mentally” challenging, while the other half called it either physically challenging or a combined mental and physical effort. Two-thirds rated the difficulty as outside their comfort zone.

When asked how the new activity was impacting their lives, most people said it was positive. 88% of the survey group reported experiencing a beneficial impact. More than half the respondents considered the impact on their work life to be positive, and 83% said that the new activity had improved their well-being. Only 11% admitted to being slightly less productive at work due to their new activity, while 52% reported being more productive.

As to the effect of their pursuits on their relationships, 34% felt it benefited their relationships with colleagues. The majority reported that through their endeavor they had met people with whom they might work with professionally in the future.

I asked if this effort helped them develop a better understanding of their job. While 42% said there was no effect, 58% felt that they had gained a better understanding of or appreciation for their professional role. Some of the benefits related to their own well-being, to acquiring new technical skills, or to spending time with colleagues outside of work.

Other research has shown that learning something hard can help expand our creativity. And although it seems unlikely that swimming an open water race or learning to paint would help in one’s job of writing software or managing employees, the broader benefits of pushing ourselves may be positive for colleague relationships, productivity, and task comprehension. Plus, acquiring new skills is enjoyable.

So, if you are considering giving up on your latest effort at self-improvement because it’s just too hard or you don’t have enough time, these survey results might offer a new incentive to stick with it. Even the respondents who had not embarked on a new activity seemed to perceive a benefit – over 26% said they would likely begin one next year.