I've spent the last decade subjecting myself to pain and humiliation, hopefully for a good cause, which is self-improvement.
过去的10年时间,我一直处于悲伤和羞辱中,期待着有一个好的理由改变自己,这个理由就是自我提高。
And I've done this in three parts. So first I started with the mind.
于是我从三方面开始做起,首先从心智开始。
And I decided to try to get smarter by reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z -- or, more precisely, from "a-ak" to "Zywiec."
我决定试着让自己聪明点,比如阅读大英百科全书,从头到尾通读,更确切的说是从第一个词"a-ak"读到最后一个词"Zywiec"。
And here's a little image of that. And this was an amazing year.
现在已经没什么太大印象了。这是不可思议的一年。
It was really a fascinating journey. It was painful at times, especially for those around me.
整个过程很吸引人。有时也很痛苦,尤其对我身边的人来说更是如此。
My wife started to fine me one dollar for every irrelevant fact I inserted into conversation. So it had its downsides.
每当我在谈话时加入一些在大英百科全书中读到的与谈话无关的事实时,我妻子就会罚我一美元。所以说这也有不好的一面。
But after that, I decided to work on the spirit.
但这之后,我决定在精神层面上做些文章。
As I mentioned last year, I grew up with no religion at all.
就像我去年提到的那样,我从小就没有宗教信仰。
I'm Jewish, but I'm Jewish in the same way the Olive Garden is Italian. Not really.
我是犹太人,像美式Olive Garden餐厅里做的意大利餐那样,我不像传统的犹太人。真的不像。
But I decided to learn about the Bible and my heritage by actually diving in and trying to live it and immerse myself in it.
但是我决定去了解一下圣经和犹太传统文化,通过真正进入到其中,让自己完全融入到那个环境中去。
So I decided to follow all the rules of the Bible.
所以我决定遵循圣经的所有条例。
And from the Ten Commandments to growing my beard -- because Leviticus says you cannot shave.
从十戒到蓄起胡须--因为《利未记》要求人们不许剔除胡须。
So this is what I looked like by the end. Thank you for that reaction.
所以这就是我最后的样子,谢谢你们对此的反应。
I look a little like Moses, or Ted Kaczynski. I got both of them.
我看起来有点像摩西或是泰德·卡钦斯基,都挺像的。
So there was the topiary there. And there's the sheep.
这张修剪了一下。这就是那只羊。