精美英文欣赏:选择职业

Choosing An Occupation

Hodeslea, Eastbourne,

November 5, 1892

Dear Sir,

I am very sorry that the pressure of other occupations has prevented me from sending an earlier reply to your letter.

In my opinion a man's first duty is to find a way of supporting himself, thereby¹ relieving other people of the necessity of supporting him. Moreover, the learning to do work of practical value in the world, in an exact and careful manner, is of itself a very important education, the effects of which make themselves felt in all other pursuits. The habit of doing that which you do not care about' when you would much rather be doing something else, is invaluable². It would have saved me a frightful³ waste of time if I had ever had it drilled into me in youth.

Success in any scientific career requires an unusual equipment of capacity, industry, and energy. If you possess that equipment, you will find leisure enough after your daily commercial work is over, to make an opening in the scientific ranks for yourself. If you do not, you had better stick to commerce. Nothing is less to be desired than the fate of a young man who, as the Scotch⁴ proverb says, in "trying to make a spoon spoils a horn," and becomes a mere⁵ hanger- on in literature or in science, when he might have been a useful and a valuable member of Society in other occupations.

I think that your father ought to see this letter.

Yours faithfully, 

T. H. Huxley

选择职业

伊斯特本，荷达斯里亚
一八九二年十一月五日

亲爱的阁下：

近来忙于各种事务，未能及早复信，深感抱歉。

依我看来，一个．人的首要职责是设法自立，以免除别人对他生活的负担。此外，学会严谨而审慎地从事社会上有实际价值的工作，其本身就是一种非常重要的教育，其效果必将体现在所有别的事业上。在你宁愿做其他事情的时候，却仍能够从事你不感兴趣的工作，这种习惯是十分可贵的。要是我在年轻时养成了这种习惯，就可以避免时间上惊人的浪费。

任何科学事业上的成就，都需要具有不寻常的才能、勤勉和精力。你若具有上述资质，你在日常商业工作之余，将有足够的闲暇为自己在科学界觅得立足之地。你若不具有那种资质，还是一心经商为宜。天下最不足取的事情，莫过于一个年轻人如同苏格兰谚语所说的那样，"匙子没做成，倒毁了羊角，"成为在文学或科学领域里滥竽充数的食客，要是去从事其他工作的话，他或许会成为社会上有用和有价值的一员。

我认为此信应请你父亲一阅。

你的忠实的
T．H·赫胥黎

托马斯·亨利·赫胥黎

1 thereby   

adv.因此，从而

参考例句：

• I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
• He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。

2 invaluable   

adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的

参考例句：

• A computer would have been invaluable for this job.一台计算机对这个工作的作用会是无法估计的。
• This information was invaluable to him.这个消息对他来说是非常宝贵的。

3 frightful   

adj.可怕的；讨厌的

参考例句：

• How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊！
• We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。

4 scotch   

n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的

参考例句：

• Facts will eventually scotch these rumours.这种谣言在事实面前将不攻自破。
• Italy was full of fine views and virtually empty of Scotch whiskey.意大利多的是美景，真正缺的是苏格兰威士忌。

5 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。