Those who are the targets(目标，对象) of terrorism—and who are prepared to defend themselves by doing whatever is necessary in order to beat it—start with a major advantage(一开始就拥有重大优势). The advantage is that success or failure depends upon them alone. Terrorism wins only if you respond to it in the way that the terrorists want you to; which means that its fate is in your hands and not in theirs.(恐怖主义只有在受害者按恐怖分子意愿回应时才会获胜；这意味着其命运掌握在受害者手中。) If you choose not to respond at all, or else to respond in a way different from that which they desire, they will fail to achieve their objectives.
那些成为恐怖主义目标的人——并且准备不惜一切代价保卫自己以击败恐怖主义的人——一开始就拥有一个重大优势。这个优势在于，成功或失败完全取决于他们自己。恐怖主义只有在受害者按照恐怖分子的意愿作出反应时才会获胜；这意味着恐怖主义的命运掌握在受害者手中，而非恐怖分子手中。如果你选择完全不作出反应，或者以不同于恐怖分子所期望的方式作出反应，他们就无法实现其目标。
The important point is that the choice is yours(选择权在你手中). That is the ultimate(最终的，根本的) weakness of terrorism as a strategy. It means that, though terrorism cannot always be prevented, it can always be defeated.(这意味着，尽管恐怖主义并非总能被预防，但它总是可以被击败。) You can always refuse to do what they want you to do.
重要的一点是，选择权在你手中。这正是恐怖主义作为一种战略的根本弱点。这意味着，尽管恐怖主义并非总能被预防，但它总是可以被击败。你总是可以拒绝去做他们希望你做的事情。
Whether to pay the price of defeating terrorism is increasingly going to be a major question in our time. The answer is relatively easy in most kidnapping(绑架) and ransom situations: experience has shown that blackmailers and extortionists(敲诈者，勒索者) usually are encouraged to try it again if you give in to(屈服于，让步) their demands the first time. So, if you can do so, you should accept the consequences, however terrible, of standing firm in order to avoid an infinite sequence of painful events.(因此，如果你能够做到，就应该接受坚持立场的后果，无论多么可怕，以避免无穷无尽的痛苦事件。)
是否付出击败恐怖主义的代价，在我们这个时代将日益成为一个重大问题。在大多数绑架和勒索情况下，答案相对容易：经验表明，如果你第一次屈服于敲诈者和勒索者的要求，他们通常会受到鼓励再次尝试。因此，如果你能够做到，就应该接受坚持立场的后果，无论多么可怕，以避免无穷无尽的痛苦事件。