The Second Chance Summary

Second Chance” is a book written by Robert T. Kiyosaki that focuses on financial education and wealth-building strategies. The book emphasizes the importance of financial literacy and provides insights into how individuals can achieve financial success. Read More English Summaries.

The Second Chance Summary

The Second Chance Difficult Word Meanings

crucial (क्रूशल)-extremely important अत्यधिक महत्वपूर्ण; covet (कंवेट)-to want something very much किसी भी वस्तु को पाने की तीव्र इच्छा करना; nightmare (नाइटमेयर)-a dream that is very frightening डरावना सपना; din (डिन)-to tell somebody something again and again in a forceful way कोई बात बार-बार किसी से कहना, कूट-कूट के भरना; sitter (सिटर)-an easy chance to score a goal गोल करने का आसान मौका; scoop (स्कूप)-lift something with a quick continuous movement जल्दी से किसी चीज़ को उठाना; slid (स्लिड)-to move easily over a smooth or wet surface किसी चिकनी या गीली सतह पर आसानी से गति करना; ample (ऐम्पल)-enough पर्याप्त; apparent (अपैरेन्ट)-easy to see or understand आसानी से दिखने या समझ आने वाला; reputation (रेपुटेशन) an opinion held about someone or something especially by people in general प्रतिष्ठा; bay (बे)-make deep loud sound गहरी जोर की आवाज करना; strangle (स्ट्रगल)-kill somebody by squeezing throat गला घोंटकर मार डालना; lack (लैक)-not have enough of something अभाव; hostility (होस्टिलिटी)-unfriendly behaviour, दुरमनी; contempt (कन्टेम्प्ट)-feeling that somebody is of no value and cannot be respected घृणा; teammate (टीममेट)-member of the team खेल के साथी; interrupt (इण्टरप्ट)-break the continuity खलल डालना; brooding (ब्रूडिंग)-sad and mysterious दुःखी, विचारमग्न; mumble (मम्बल)-to speak or say something in a quiet voice in a way that is not clear बड़बड़ाना; wimp (विम्प)-a person who is not strong, brave or confident कायर व्यक्ति; boo (बू)-high loud sound ऊँची जोर की आवाज; torment (टॉरमेन्ट)-extreme suffering तीव्र पीड़ा; determination (डेटर्मिनेशन)-quality that makes you continue trying to do something even in difficulty पक्का इरादा; venture (वेन्चर)-activity especially one that involves taking risks साहसिक कार्य; impervious (इम्पेरवियस)-not affected or influenced by something किसी भी चीज से प्रभावित न होना; chiwy (चिवी)-to try and make somebody hurry किसी से जल्दी करवाना; dribble (ड्रिबल)-to move the ball along with several short kiks, hit गोंद को छोटी-छोटी हिट से आगे बढ़ाना; hesitant (हेजिटेन्ट)-embarrassed हिचकिचाने वाला; finesse (फिनेसि)-great skill in dealing with situations, especially in a delicate way चतुश्ता से परिस्थितियों से निपटने का कौशल huddle (हडल)-to gather closely इकट्ठे होना; tore (टोर)-separate अलग होना; tardy (टार्डो)-slow to act or move धीमे काम करना; shrill (श्रिल)-high loud sound तीव्र जोर की ध्वनि; testimony (टैस्टिमनि)-testament प्रमाण; sizzling (सिजलिंग)-very exciting बहुत उत्तेजनापूर्ण; intercept (इंटरसेप्ट)-stopping somebody going from one place to another or from arriving किसी को आगे बढ़ने से रोकना; whack (वैक)-to hit somebody very hard किसी को जोर से मारना; whizz (विज़)-to move very quickly बहुत तेजी से चलना; thud (थड)-loud sound जोर की आवाज; flank (फ्लैंक)-the left or right side of the sport ground किसी मैदान का बाँया अथवा दाहिना हिस्सा; wooden (वुडन)-not showing enough movement पर्याप्त गति न दिखाना; grin (ग्रिन)-to smile widely लम्बी चौड़ी मुस्कान; manoeuvre (मेनोवर)-cause something to turn skillfully किसी चीज़ को कलात्मकता से मोड़ना।

The Second Chance Summary, Pronunciation & Translation

[1] A week ago, the unthinkable happened. Sudhir, who played left-out in the school’s hockey team, threw away a crucial goal. Not only did his team lose the match, it also lost the coveted inter-school trophy. For many days afterwards, Sudhir re-lived the nightmare.

Baljit, the tough, well respected coach had dinned it into their heads a good hockey player must convert the half-chances.

[2] Half-chance? Sudhir had missed a sitter. It was a perfect lob from Rajbir, the team’s back. Having slipped through the defence, the ball was in an ideal scoring position, not too angular. A gentle scoop by changing the body posture or a crack to the net from a better hitting position would have sealed the score.

[3] The goal keeper had charged early, leaving the goalpost not just undefended, but positively wide open and welcoming. In that single minute, the defence seemed to move almost in slow motion. Lazily, the seconds slid past giving Sudhir ample time to choose a scoring position. Then, for no apparent reason, he decided to use the reverse flick for which he had earned a sort of reputation. Part of it was the desire to show off. The other part was the challenge, the risk in raising the level of difficulty. Result : the ball hit the board from the outside. A sure goal was wasted or rather thrown away.

[4] The crowd bayed for his blood. His team mates would gladly have strangled him. An angry Baljit ordered him to sit out the rest of the game.

For a week Sudhir avoided the field. His teammates would gather for practice. But he lacked the courage to go in their midst and face the hostility and contempt that he felt he would be subjected to.

[5] “Sudhir, why have you not been attending practice?” a voice interrupted his brooding.
“I have not been well,” he mumbled.
“Isn’t that just an excuse for hiding after a disgraceful performance?”
It stung, as it was meant to.
“I did not play badly, “Sudhir said with some show of spirit. At that moment, he hated Baljit and his cool “oh, yes”,
Baljit said softly. “You missed a sitter. And, as if that was not bad enough, you have been behaving like a wimp ever since.

[6] “If you don’t know how to face up to your mistakes you should not venture into a game, any game.”

“Did you hear how they booed at me?” Sudhir asked, unable to hide the torment in his voice. ‘Did you see them laugh?”

“You deserved it, Baljit said calmly. “Everyone makes mistakes. Even terrible mistakes are excusable if you learn from them. But what lesson have you drawn apart from the one in self-pity? How will you teach yourself not to repeat that mistake ? Not by avoiding play, but by going into it with a determination not to repeat it. Now, enough of all this. Go to the field and be ready to play.”

[7] Impervious to Sudhir’s despair, Baljit turmed away. Sudhir slowly made his way to the changing room. Surprisingly, his teammates were welcoming.

“Hi man! Nice to see you emerge from exile,” Naveen, the captain said, Baljit appeared again, chivvying them to get ready for the game.

“Give it your best, boys” he said as usual. Almost as an afterthought, he added “Sudhir, you will be playing right in today.”

[8] I have been shifted because now he thinks I am just not good enough, thought Sudhir sadly. I guess I deserve it. The game began. The opposing team was good and the first half of the game moved fast. The team attacked again and again, displayed good dribbing and executed excellent passes. But when it came to a scoring opportunity, players from both sides became hesitant, almost nervous. Baljit noted this thoughtfully. He particularly watched Sudhir. The boy was playing with a finesse he had never before displayed.

[9] At half time, the players huddled around the coach, waiting for words of wisdom from him, and the all important criticism.

“Well played, boys,” Baljit said and then tore them apart for their tardiness in scoring and all those lost chances. He was not unpleasant, just coldly analytical. A whistle shrilled to mark the end of halftime. The players began moving back to the field.

“Just a minute, Sudhir,” Baljit held him back. “Listen, son, you are playing well. So stop wasting your time and take a shot at the goal. You have not made even one attempt at it. Finally, the scoreboard is the only testimony to your talent. So, go on and score. Do you hear me?

[10] Sudhir was speechless. He had hoped that it would not be noticed; that he was trying his best to avoid scoring. He did not know why, except that the nightmare of the last week was still alive. There was the sweet pleasure of being part of the game once more a part of something big, bigger than him at least. How had he kept away for so long? And yet, when it came to scoring, he shied away. He had never been afraid before,

[11] His chance, the first one came when Naveen sent him a pass, a sizzling shot that defied interception and reached a little ahead of his right-in position.

Sudhir stopped the stinging hit with his stick and making a break with the ball, dribbled of past two players. He tapped the ball into a good scoring position and entered the D-area. His whack at the goal was a real beauty. The ball whizzed past the outstretched stick of the back and the padded legs of the goal keeper to hit the left inner board with a loud thud. It was a perfect field goal!

[12] Sudhir’s teammates thumped his back. Baljit shouted his approval and encouragement. Life regained its former healthy shape for Sudhir.

The game gathered pace. Sudhir’s team scored another goal this time it was from a penalty corner. But the real icing came in the dying minutes of the game, with the third goal. It was Sudhir, who scored again. He managed a solo run down the flank and dribbling past the defence was half turned away from the goal. It was not a scoring chance, but backed with his renewed confidence he was unstoppable. Scooping the ball with a reverse flick he had the opposition wooden on their feet, watching helplessly as the ball swung into the goal post.

[13] Sudhir looked across at his coach and grinned. Baljit shook his head in a ‘You will not improve’ gesture but he also had a big smile on his face.

This was the half-chance that Baljit kept talking about and Sudhir had scored by using the same difficult manoeuvre that had led him to miss a sitter in the last match. They won the match 3-0.

For Sudhir what mattered most was that he was back where he belonged on the field. And he was the happiest person.