Pete Rose, the famous baseball player, whom I have never met, taught me something so valuable that changed my life. Pete was being interviewed in spring training the year he was about to break Ty Cobb\'s all time hits record. One reporter blurted out, "Pete, you only need 78 hits to break the record. How many at-bats do you think you\'ll need to get the 78 hits?" Without hesitation, Pete just stared at the reporter and very matter-of-factly said, "78." The reporter yelled back, "Ah, come on Pete, you don\'t expect to get 78 hits in 78 at-bats, do you?"
Mr. Rose calmly shared his philosophy with the throngs of reporters who were anxiously awaiting his reply to this seemingly boastful claim. "Every time I step up to the plate, I expect to get a hit! If I don\'t expect to get a hit, I have no right to step in the batter\'s box in the first place!" "If I go up hoping to get a hit," he continued, "then I probably don\'t have a prayer of getting a hit. It is positive expectation that has gotten me all of the hits in the first place."
When I thought about Pete Rose\'s philosophy and how it applied to everyday life, I felt a little embarrassed. As a business person, I was hoping to make my sales quotas. As a father, I was hoping to be a good dad. As a married man, I was hoping to be a good husband. The truth was that I was an adequate salesperson, I was not so bad of a father, and I was an okay husband. I immediately decided that being okay was not enough! I wanted to be a GREat salesperson, a great father and a great husband. I changed my attitude to one of positive expectation, and the results were amazing. I was fortunate enough to win a few sales trips, I won Coach of the Year in my son\'s baseball league, and I share a loving relationship with my wife, Karen, with whom I expect to be married to for the rest of my life! Thanks, Mr. Rose!
精美译文：
我虽然没有机会和著名的棒球运动员皮特·罗斯见上一面，但是却从他那里学到了意义重大且改变了我人生的东西。在一次春季训练期间皮特接受记者采访，那年他接近打破棒球老前辈泰o柯布的总击球记录，一个记者脱口说道：“皮特，你只差78个击球就能打破记录，那么你认为你需要多少次击球机会就能得到78个击中球？”皮特直视着那个记者，马上一本正经地回答：“78次”。那个记者叫道：“啊？拜托！皮特！你指望在78次挥棒就击中78次球，不会吧？”
一大群记者迫不及待地想看看皮特·罗斯先生究竟如何解释刚才自己夸下的海口。他泰然自若地向记者们阐述他的观点：“我每一次上垒都指望击中球！如果我不指望击中，我就不该第一个上击球位。”他接着说：“如果我一上前就希望击中球，我可能就不用祈求神保佑我第二次击球了。就是这种积极的期望使我能够在这么多的第一击中就击中球。”
我琢磨了一下皮特·罗斯的人生观，这种人生观又何尝不适于人们每天的生活呢？想到这，我感到有些惭愧。一直以来，作为一个生意人，我希望提高销售额；作为一个父亲，我希望自己是个好爸爸；作为一个已婚的人，我希望自己是好丈夫。实际上，我的工作干得勉勉强强，父亲当得马马虎虎，丈夫做得凑凑合合。想到这，我立即意识到仅仅做到“还凑合”是不够的。我要成为一个成功的销售员，一个了不起的父亲一个体贴的丈夫。于是我改变了自己的人生态度，我的期望变得更加积极了，其结果自然令人吃惊。我有幸赢得了几次销售旅行，还当选儿子所在校棒球联队的全年教练，我也和妻子卡伦和和睦睦恩爱有佳，预期我们必将相伴一生！谢谢你，罗斯先生！
注释：
1.Great Expectations英国作家狄更斯著有同名小说，有中文译本为《远大前程》，本文作者巧妙地借用它来表达本文主题，译者则立足本文内容将其译为《最高期望值》以示区别。
2.Ty Cobb 泰·柯布，一位二十世纪初期棒球界传奇人物。
3. hit n.[棒球]成功击中
4. at-bat n. [棒球] 上场击球
5. matter-of-factly adv.实事求是地
6. throng n.群,众多，大量，许多人
7. philosophy n.哲学，人生观，达观
8. step up to 接进，走进
9. plate n.[棒球] 垒板
10. batter\'s box n.[棒球](击球手的)击球位置
11. sales quotas 销售分配额，销售限额
12. adequate adj.尚可的，差强人意的
13. salesperson n.售货员
