精美英文欣赏:如何捐赠钱财(塞缪尔.M.贝斯特博士

怀特先生的信念也成为我私生活的信条，以它为行动准则，我为人类的奉献更多。做奉献让自己心满意足，心态平和，虽然它们本不是我的天性。这就是我得到的回报，我的福祉。

的确，我相信，美国的物质主义非常需要精神力量的调剂。这种精神力量必须表现在帮助同胞、为同胞服务上。

How to Give Your Money Away

Many years ago I met a man whose unique psychology¹ helped me to shed a life of struggle and uneasiness for great happiness, for peace of mind, and for a measure of success I otherwise would not have attained².

His name was George Robert White, a man who was orphaned³ and impoverished⁴ at a tender age. Yet, a man whose God-given beliefs made him both a material and a spiritual millionaire at thirty.

My path to success, and to what I had considered its natural result- happiness-was the ordinary road over which most American businessmen travel, namely, endless hours of hard work, social contacts, wise investments, headaches and heartaches.

To be sure, in a materialistic⁵ sense, I had traveled a long way from my father’s farm in Nova Scotia. I had become an executive in a multi-million dollar drug firm. But where was the resulting happiness that my material gain was supposed to have afforded me?

In my private moments of mental inventory⁶, I discovered that I had no more peace of mind, nor was I less afraid of the problems of life and death, than many years before, when I planned my road to happiness and success by the flickering⁷ lamp in my father's tiny farmhouse⁸. The reason was, I had neglected spiritual values in my anxiety for material gain.

It took the kindly⁹ advice of George Robert White, to open the pathway for me to happiness and freedom of mind. The important lesson Mr. White taught me is this: If we are to be happy, if we are to be successful in every aspect of the word, if we are to live truly full lives, we must share ourselves, as well as our material gain, with our fellow men.

As a young man, Mr. White took over the leadership of a small soap-manufacturing plant in Boston, and throughout his career he gave away to charity a large part of his net profits.

Yet, despite his unusual business practices, Mr. White built that tiny concern into the world-famous Cuticura Corporation, and became the multi-million-dollar manufacturer of Cuticura Soap, Ointment¹⁰ and Shampoo.

I shall never forget Mr. White's words: "Personal success, business success, built upon materialism¹¹ alone, are empty shells concealing¹² disappointment, saddened lives," which he epitomized by saying: "Cast your bread upon the waters and it will come back in abundance."

Since Mr. White's death, I have endeavored, as his successor, to adhere to his code of ethics¹³. Two dollars out of every three dollars profit earned by our corporation is shared with others in helping¹⁴ to make our nation a better place in which to live.

We, in our corporation, believe that it is not sufficient only to manufacture as fine a product as is possible-millions of dollars over the years are being shared by our corporation for the advancement¹⁵ of medicine and science, for chemical research, for art and for beauty.

In my personal life I have adopted Mr. White's beliefs, and, in doing so, I have become much better equipped to serve humanity.

My reward, my blessings¹⁶, have come to me in the form of personal satisfaction and peace of mind that had been substantially foreign to me.

Yes, I believe that spirituality is the needed seasoning¹⁷ to America's materialism. But it must be that kind of spirituality that takes the form of help and service toward our fellow men.
塞缪尔.M.贝斯特博士

多年以前我结识的一位朋友用他独特的心理帮助我摆脱了充满斗争和不安的生活。没有他的帮助，我的生活不可能这样幸福，心态不可能这样平和，也不可能取得一定程度的成功。
      
他名叫乔治·罗伯特·怀特，幼年时父母双亡，贫困不堪，然而，因信奉上帝，三十岁时便成为物质上和精神上的百万富翁。
      
我的成功之路，也是大多数美国商人的致富之路，它由无休止的辛勤工作、社交活动、明智的投资、头痛和心痛一起铺设而成。我曾认为成功理所当然会给我带来幸福。
      
当然，从物质的意义讲，从我在父亲的新斯科舍农场做工至今，经过多年的辛劳，我已成为一个有百万美元资产的制药公司的总裁，但丰厚的物质财富应该带给我的幸福又在何方？
      
但我一人独处整理思绪时，我发现自己的心态不如多年以前在我父亲那幢小小的农舍，坐在摇曳的油灯旁规划我的幸福成功之路时那样平和，我仍然同当年一样害怕想到生与死的问题。原因是：在我急于追求物质财富时，我忽略了精神财富的价值。
      
我听从了乔治·罗伯特·怀特的忠告，为自己思想的愉悦和自由另辟蹊径。怀特先生对我的教导是：若要幸福，赢得真正意义上的成功，生活得充实，就必须与我们的同胞分享我们的一切，包括物质财富。
      
怀特先生接过波士顿那家小肥皂厂的领导职位时，还很年轻。从那时起直至他事业的终结，他将工厂的大部分纯利捐献给了慈善事业。
      
尽管他的经商之路不寻常，他却致力使一家小小的工厂发展成世界著名的库提库亚公司，一个资产达百万美元，生产库提库亚肥皂、软膏和香波的厂家。
      
我永远不会忘记怀特先生的箴言：“只以物质主义为目的的个人成功和商业成功，都是空壳，里面藏着失望和令人忧心忡忡的生活。”他将其浓缩为：“行善不图回报，就有丰厚的回报。”
      
怀特先生去世后，作为他的继任，我尽力恪守他的道德信条，我们将公司利润的三分之二捐赠给社会，以改善美国人的生活。
      
在我们公司，我们的信念是：尽力生产优质产品是不够的——多年以来，我们公司将数百万美元投入研发药物和科学，研究化学，提高生活的艺术氛围和人们的审美能力。
      
怀特先生的信念也成为我私生活的信条，以它为行动准则，我为人类的奉献更多。做奉献让自己心满意足，心态平和，虽然它们本不是我的天性。这就是我得到的回报，我的福祉。
      
的确，我相信，美国的物质主义非常需要精神力量的调剂。这种精神力量必须表现在帮助同胞、为同胞服务上。

附注：

塞缪尔·M·贝斯特博士：一位非常成功的商人，加入库提库亚公司后不久便成为该公司总裁，还担任麻省药学院院长的职务。
 

1 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

2 attained   

（通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）

参考例句：

• She has attained the degree of Master of Arts. 她已获得文学硕士学位。
• Lu Hsun attained a high position in the republic of letters. 鲁迅在文坛上获得崇高的地位。

3 orphaned   

[计][修]孤立

参考例句：

• Orphaned children were consigned to institutions. 孤儿都打发到了福利院。
• He was orphaned at an early age. 他幼年时便成了孤儿。

4 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 materialistic   

a.唯物主义的，物质享乐主义的

参考例句：

• She made him both soft and materialistic. 她把他变成女性化而又实际化。
• Materialistic dialectics is an important part of constituting Marxism. 唯物辩证法是马克思主义的重要组成部分。

6 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

7 flickering   

adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的

参考例句：

• The crisp autumn wind is flickering away. 清爽的秋风正在吹拂。
• The lights keep flickering. 灯光忽明忽暗。

8 farmhouse   

n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房）

参考例句：

• We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
• We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。

9 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

10 ointment   

n.药膏，油膏，软膏

参考例句：

• Your foot will feel better after the application of this ointment.敷用这药膏后，你的脚会感到舒服些。
• This herbal ointment will help to close up your wound quickly.这种中草药膏会帮助你的伤口很快愈合。

11 materialism   

n.［哲］唯物主义，唯物论；物质至上

参考例句：

• Idealism is opposite to materialism.唯心论和唯物论是对立的。
• Crass materialism causes people to forget spiritual values.极端唯物主义使人忘掉精神价值。

12 concealing   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Despite his outward display of friendliness, I sensed he was concealing something. 尽管他表现得友善，我还是感觉到他有所隐瞒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• SHE WAS BREAKING THE COMPACT, AND CONCEALING IT FROM HIM. 她违反了他们之间的约定，还把他蒙在鼓里。 来自英汉文学 - 三万元遗产

13 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

14 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

15 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。

16 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

17 seasoning   

n.调味；调味料；增添趣味之物

参考例句：

• Salt is the most common seasoning.盐是最常用的调味品。
• This sauce uses mushroom as its seasoning.这酱油用蘑菇作调料。