English Original
I recently heard a story from Stephen Glenn about a famous research scientist who had made several important medical breakthroughs. When asked by a reporter what set him apart, he credited an early childhood experience.
At about age two, he tried to get a milk bottle from the refrigerator but lost his grip on the slippery bottle. It fell, spilling milk all over the kitchen floor.
When his mother entered, instead of scolding him, she said, "Robert, what a wonderful mess you've made! I've rarely seen such a huge puddle of milk. Would you like to play in it for a few minutes before we clean up?"
He did. After a few minutes, she said, "Whenever you make a mess, you eventually have to clean it up. How would you like to do that? We could use a sponge, a towel, or a mop." He chose the sponge, and they cleaned up together.
Then his mother said, "What we have here is a failed experiment in how to carry a big bottle with tiny hands. Let's go fill the bottle with water and see if you can discover a way to carry it without dropping it." The boy learned that by grasping the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could carry it securely.
The scientist remarked that this moment taught him not to fear mistakes. He learned that mistakes are opportunities to learn something new, which is the essence of scientific experimentation. Even failed experiments often yield valuable lessons.
Wouldn't it be great if all parents responded as Robert's mother did?
中文翻译
我最近从斯蒂芬·格伦那里听到一个关于一位著名科研人员的故事，他取得了数项重要的医学突破。当被记者问及是什么让他与众不同时，他归功于一次幼年经历。
大约两岁时，他试图从冰箱里取出一瓶牛奶，但手滑没抓住瓶子。瓶子掉了，牛奶洒得厨房满地都是。
他母亲进来后，没有责骂他，而是说：“罗伯特，你弄得可真是一团糟！我很少见到这么大一滩牛奶。在我们清理之前，你想不想先在牛奶里玩几分钟？”
他玩了。几分钟后，母亲说：“要知道，罗伯特，每当你弄得一团糟，最终你都得清理干净，让一切恢复原样。那么，你想怎么清理呢？我们可以用海绵、毛巾或拖把。你更喜欢哪个？”他选择了海绵，然后他们一起清理了洒出的牛奶。
接着他母亲说：“要知道，我们这里进行的是一个失败的实验，关于如何用两只小手有效地拿一个大奶瓶。我们去后院把瓶子装满水，看看你能不能发现一个不会掉下来的拿法。”小男孩发现，如果他用双手抓住瓶子靠近瓶口的上部，他就能稳稳地拿住它。多么精彩的一课！
这位著名的科学家随后评论说，正是在那一刻，他明白了自己无需害怕犯错。相反，他认识到错误只是学习新事物的机会，而这正是科学实验的意义所在。即使实验“不成功”，我们通常也能从中汲取宝贵的经验。
如果所有的父母都能像罗伯特的母亲那样回应孩子，那该多好啊！