優美勵志英語散文
勵志,即是喚醒一個人的內在創造力。惟有從內心深處展開的力量,用心靈體驗總結出的精華,才是一個人真正獲得尊嚴和自信的途徑。
別讓無用的淚水熄滅重新點燃的蠟燭
A man had a little daughter—an only and much-loved child. He lived for her—she was his life. So when she became ill, he became like a man possessed, moving heaven and earth to bring about her restoration to health.
一個男人有一個小女兒,那是唯一的孩子,他深深地愛著她,為她而活,她就是他的生命。所以,當女兒生病時,他像瘋了一般竭盡全力想讓她恢復健康。
His best efforts, however, proved unavailing and the child died. The father became a bitter recluse, shutting himself away from his many friends and refusing every activity that might restore his poise and bring him back to his normal self. But one night he had a dream.
然而,他所有的努力都無濟於事,女兒還是死了。父親變得痛苦遁世,避開了許多朋友,拒絕參加一切能使他恢復平靜,回到自我的活動。但有一天夜裡,他做了一個夢。
He was in heaven, witnessing a grand pageant of all the little child angels. They were marching in a line passing by the Great White Throne. Every white-robed angelic child carried a candle. He noticed that one child‘s candle was not lighted. Then he saw that the child with the dark candle was his own little girl. Rushing to her, he seized her in his arms, caressed her tenderly, and then asked, “How is it, darling, that your candle alone is unlighted?” “Daddy, they often relight it, but your tears always put it out.”
他到了天堂,看到所有的小天使都身穿白色天使衣,手裡拿著一根蠟燭。他注意到有一個小天使的蠟燭沒有點亮。隨後,他看到那個拿著沒有點亮的蠟燭的小天使是自己的女兒。他奔過去,一把將女兒抱在懷裡,親切地愛撫著她,然後問道:“寶貝兒,為什麼只有你的蠟燭沒有點亮呢?”“爸爸,他們經常重新點亮蠟燭,可是你的眼淚總是把它熄滅。”
Just then he awoke from his dream. The lesson was crystal clear, and its effects were immediate. From that hour on he was not a recluse, but mingled freely and cheerfully with his former friends and associates. No longer would his darling‘s candle be extinguished by his useless tears.
就在這時,他從夢中醒來。夢給他上的一課像水晶般透明,而且立竿見影。從那個時刻起,他不再消極遁世,而是自由自在,興高采烈的回到從前的朋友和同事們中間。寶貝女兒的蠟燭再也沒有被他無用的眼淚熄滅過。
志存高遠便是成功之道The Road to Success
It is well that young men should begin at the beginning and occupy the most subordinate positions. Many of the leading businessmen of Pittsburgh had a serious responsibility thrust upon them at the very threshold of their career. They were introduced to the broom,and spent the first hours of their business lives sweeping out the office. I notice we have janitors and janitresses now in offices,and our young men unfortunately miss that salutary branch of business education. But if by chance the professional sweeper is absent any morning,the boy who has the genius of the future partner in him will not hesitate to try his hand at the broom. It does not hurt the newest comer to sweep out the office if necessary. I was one of those sweepers myself.
年輕人創業之初,應該從最底層幹起,這是件好事。匹茲保有很多商業巨頭,在他們創業之初,都肩負過“重任”:他們以掃帚相伴,以打掃辦公室的方式度過了他們商業生涯中最初的時光。我注意到我們現在辦公室裡都有工友,於是年輕人就不幸錯過了商業教育中這個有益的環節。如果碰巧哪天上午專職掃地的工友沒有來,某個具有未來合夥人氣質的年輕人會毫不猶豫地試著拿起掃帚。在必要時新來的員工掃掃地也無妨,不會因為而有什麼損失。我自己就曾經掃過地。
Assuming that you have all obtained employment and are fairly started, my advice to you is “aim high”. I would not give a fig for the young man who does not already see himself the partner or the head of an important firm. Do not rest content for a moment in your thoughts as head clerk, or foreman, or general manager in any concern, no matter how extensive. Say to yourself, “My place is at the top.” Be king in your dreams.
假如你已經被錄用,並且有了一個良好的開端,我對你的建議是:要志存高遠。一個年輕人,如果不把自己想象成一家大公司未來的老闆或者是合夥人,那我會對他不屑一顧。不論職位有多高,你的內心都不要滿足於做一個總管,領班或者總經理。要對自己說:我要邁向頂尖!要做就做你夢想中的國王!
And here is the prime condition of success, the great secret: concentrate your energy, thought, and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged. Having begun in one line, resolve to fight it out on that line, to lead in it, adopt every improvement, have the best machinery, and know the most about it.
成功的首要條件和最大祕訣就是:把你的精力,思想和資本全都集中在你正從事的事業上。一旦開始從事某種職業,就要下定決心在那一領域闖出一片天地來;做這一行的領導人物,採納每一點改進之心,採用最優良的裝置,對專業知識熟稔於心。
The concerns which fail are those which have scattered their capital, which means that they have scattered their brains also. They have investments in this, or that, or the other, here there, and everywhere. "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." is all wrong. I tell you to "put all your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket." Look round you and take notice, men who do that not often fail. It is easy to watch and carry the one basket. It is trying to carry too many baskets that breaks most eggs in this country. He who carries three baskets must put one on his head, which is apt to tumble and trip him up. One fault of the American businessman is lack of concentration.
一些公司的失敗就在於他們分散了資金,因為這就意味著分散了他們的精力。他們向這方面投資,又向那方面投資;在這裡投資,在那裡投資,到處都投資。“不要把所有的雞蛋放在一個籃子裡”的說法大錯特錯。我要對你說:“把所有的雞蛋都放在一個籃子裡,然後小心地看好那個籃子。”看看你周圍,你會注意到:這麼做的人其實很少失敗。看管和攜帶一個籃子並不太難。人們總是試圖提很多籃子,所以才打破這個國家的大部分雞蛋。提三個籃子的人,必須把一個頂在頭上,而這個籃子很可能倒下來,把他自己絆倒。美國商人的一個缺點就是不夠專注。
To summarize what I have said: aim for the highest; never enter a bar room; do not touch liquor, or if at all only at meals; never speculate; never indorse beyond your surplus cash fund; make the firm's interest yours; break orders always to save owners; concentrate; put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket; expenditure always within revenue; lastly, be not impatient, for as Emerson says,"no one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourselves."
把我的話歸納一下:要志存高遠;不要出入酒吧;要滴酒不沾,或要喝也只在用餐時喝少許;不要做投機買賣;不要寅吃卯糧;要把公司的利益當作自己的利益;取消訂貨的目的永遠是為了挽救貨主;要專注;要把所有的雞蛋放在一個籃子裡,然後小心地看好它;要量入為出;最後,要有耐心,正如愛默生所言,“誰都無法阻止你最終成功,除非你自己承認自己失敗。”
You Have Only One Life生命只有一次
There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real! Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go;be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.
生活中,有時強烈的思念使我們恨不得一把將所愛的人從夢中帶走,實實在在地擁抱他們。做自己想做的夢吧,生命只有一次,機會只有一回。
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trails to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy. Always keep yourself in other’s shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too.
願你有足夠的歡樂,使自己甜蜜;有足夠的考驗,使自己堅強;有足夠的悲傷,使自己富有人情;有足夠的希望;使自己幸福。要經常換位思維一件事,要是你感到對自己有傷害,就可能對他人也有傷害。
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives. Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss and ends with a tear. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can’t go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
最幸福的人並不是那些擁有最好的東西的人,他們只是能夠將得到的東西變得最好。幸福屬於那些會哭泣的人,那些受過傷害的人,那些探索的人,以及那些嘗試過的人。只有他們才懂得對自己生活有影響的人們的重要。愛以微笑開始,在親吻中成長,以淚水終結。光明燦爛的明天建立在忘卻的過去之上。只有讓以往的失敗和傷心隨風而去,你才能過得更好。
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you’re the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.
出生的時候,哭啼的是你,周圍的人卻在微笑。珍視生活,好好地活著,這樣當你死去時,周圍的人在哭泣,而你卻在微笑。
Please send this message to those people who mean something to you, to those who have touched your life in one way or another, to those who make you smile when you really need it, to those that make you see the brighter side of things when you really down, to those who you want to let them know that you appreciate their friendship. And if you don’t, don’t worry, nothing bad will happen to you, you will just miss out on the opportunity to brighten someone’s day with this message.
請把這些語言送給那些你所關心的人,那些在生活中這樣或那樣同自己打交道的人,那些需要時能給你帶來微笑的人,那些在逆境中依然能使你看到光明的人,那些你珍視與他們之間的友誼的人。即使你沒有這樣做,也不要緊。沒有什麼大不了的事情,你只是錯過了用這些言語照亮他人日子的機會。