读故事

  Getting people to sign up for an aerobics class was actually hard work. Marcy discovered this when she started her own after hours program. Everyone had been so supportive at first, but then no one signed up.
  Maybe they didn't want to be affiliated with an independent instructor? In response to this possibility, Marcy made sure to point out how her program had specific advantages over the competition when she was advertising for participants. She would be available to advise participants on their routines, waive fees if they were afflicted by sickness, and even accept credit if people could not afford to pay right away. When all was said and done, it was a great offer! Against all the odds, Marcy had every confidence of success.
  When a few people signed up after all, Marcy affixed her poster to the window outside the room she had rented and began her program. It was slow going at first, but she decided from then on not to try to get any of her friends to come against their will. If they wanted to agree on coming, let them come of their own accord. And she forbid her participants to agitate for her. They agreed and they focused instead on just doing aerobics.
  Several weeks later, when they had all forgotten about their rough start, more people started coming to classes. The numbers were soon too great and Marcy had to start several classes in various locations. And everyone was excited about her program. Marcy decided that it was because she hadn't been pushy; she had let the results speak for themselves.

记短语

advantage over比…有优势
advertise for为…做宣传，做广告
advise (sb.) on (sth.)给某人某方面的建议
aerobics class增氧健身班
affiliate to（或with）使成为会员，接纳…为成员；使隶属于，使附属于
affix to粘上，贴上；（尤指在末尾）添上，附上
afflicted by受…之苦，被…折磨
afford to付得起（某物）
after all毕竟，终究；究竟
after（或when） all is said and done结果，终究，说到底
after hours办公（营业）时间以后
 against (all the) odds尽管有极大的困难
against sb.s will违背某人的心愿
agitate for鼓动，煽动
agree on（或upon）就…达成协议，商定

    给增氧健身班招生实际上是一项艰苦的工作。马西自己开设了办公时间以后的健身班之后发现了这一点。起初大家都很支持，可却没有一个人报名。
    也许是她们不愿意成为一个独立教练的学员？应这种可能性的需要，马西在做招生广告时明确指出了她的班如何比其他竞争对手有独特的优势。她可以随叫随到给学员提供日常生活方面的建议，如果受疾病折磨，她也可以给他们免费，如果付不起现钱她可以接受赊账。说到底，报这个班挺不错的！尽管非常困难，马西还是确信完全有成功的把握。
    等到终于有几个人报名，马西把她的广告贴在了她租来的房屋外面的窗户上并开始上课了。开始的时候，发展速度很慢，但从那时起，她便下决心不让任何朋友违背自己的心愿到她这儿来。如果他们想商定来不来，那就让他们自愿地来。她还禁止学员替她鼓动别人。他们答应了，结果都集中精力做他们的有氧健身运动。
    几个星期之后，他们都忘了开始时的艰难，更多的人来上课了。报名的人很快就太多了，马西不得不在其他地方开几个分校。大家都为她的有氧健身班感到兴奋。马西认为这是因为她没有一意孤行，她是让结果自己说话。
 

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