羊皮卷之一（1）

Today I begin a new life.

今天，我天始新的生活

Today I shed my old skin which hath, too long, suffered the bruises¹ of failure and the wounds of mediocrity.

今天，我爬出满是失败创伤的老茧

Today I am born anew and my birthplace is a vineyard where there is fruit for all.

今天，我重新来到这个世上，我出生在葡萄园中，国内的葡萄任人享用。

Today I will pluck grapes of wisdom from the tallest and fullest vines in the vineyard,

今天，我要从最高最密的藤上摘下智慧的果实，

for these were planted by the wisest of my profession

这葡萄藤是

who have come before me, generation upon generation.

好几代前的智者种下的。

Today I will savor² the taste of grapes from these vines

今天，我要品尝葡萄的美味，

and verily I will swallow the seed of success buried in each

还要吞下每一位成功的种子，

and new life will sprout³ within me.

让新生命在我心里萌牙。

The career I have chosen is laden⁴ with opportunity

我选择的道路充满机遇，

yet it is fraught⁵ with heartbreak and despair

也有辛酸与绝望。

and the bodies of those who have failed, were they piled one atop another,

失败的同伴数不胜数，

would cast its shadow down upon all the pyramids of the earth.

叠在一起，比金字塔还高。

Yet I will not fail,

然而，

as the others,

我不会像他们一样失败，

for in my hands I now hold the charts which will guide me through perilous⁶ waters

因为我手中持有航海图，

to shores which only yesterday seemed but a dream.

可以领我越过汹涌的大海，抵达梦中的彼岸。

Failure no longer will be my payment for struggle.

失败不再是我奋斗的代价。

Just as nature made no provision for my body to tolerate pain

它和痛苦都将从我的生命中消失。

neither has it made any provision for my life to suffer failure.

失败和我，

Failure, like pain, is alien to my life.

就像水火一样，互不相容。

In the past I accepted it as I accepted pain.

我不再像过去一样接受它们。

Now I reject it

我要在智慧的指引下，

and I am prepared for wisdom and principles which will guide me out of the shadows

走出失败的阴影，

into the sunlight of wealth, position, and happiness

步入富足、健康、快乐的乐园，

far beyond my most extravagant⁷ dreams

这些都超出了我以往的梦想。

until even the golden apples in the Garden of Hesperi des will seem no more than my just reward.

这些都将成为我的无价之宝

Time teaches all things to he who lives forever,

我要是能长生不老，就可以学到一切，

but I have not the luxury of eternity⁸.

但我不能永生，

Yet, within my allotted⁹ time

所以，在有限的人生里，

I must practice the art of patience for nature acts never in haste.

我必须学会忍耐的艺术，因为大自然的行为一向是从容不迫的。

To create the olive, king of all trees, a hundred years is required.

造物主创造树中之王橄摊树需要一百年的时间，

An onion plant is old in nine weeks.

而洋葱经过短短的九个星期就会枯老。

I have lived as an onion plant.

我不留恋从前那种洋葱式的生活，

It has not pleased me.

我对此毫无兴趣

Now I would become the greatest of olive trees

我要成为万树之王——橄榄树，

and, in truth, the greatest of salesmen.

成为现实生活中最伟大的推销员。

And how will this be accomplished¹⁰?

怎么可能？

For I have neither the knowledge nor the experience to achieve greatness

我既没有渊博的知识，又没有丰富的经验，

and already I have stumbled in ignorance and fallen into pools of self-pity.

况且，我曾一度跌入愚昧与自怜的深渊。

The answer is simple.

答案很简单。

I will commence my journey unencumbered with either the weight of unnecessary knowledge

我不会让所谓的知识

or the handicap of meaningless experience.

或者经验妨碍我的行程。

Nature already has supplied me with knowledge

造物生已经赐予我足够的知识和本能，

and instinct far greater than any beast in the forest

这份天赋是其它生物望尘莫及的。

and the value of experience is overrated, usually by old men

经验的价值往往被高估了，

who nod wisely and speak stupidly.

人老的时候开口讲的多是糊涂话。

In truth, experience teaches thoroughly¹¹ yet her course of instruction devours¹² men's years

说实在的，经验确实能教给我们很多东西，只是这需要花费太长的时间。

so the value of her lessons diminishes with the time necessary to acquire her special wisdom.

等到人们获得智慧的时候，其价值已随着时间的消逝而减少了。

The end finds it wasted on dead men.

 

结果往往是这样，经验丰富了，人也余生无多。

1 bruises   

n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was covered with bruises after falling off his bicycle. 他从自行车上摔了下来，摔得浑身伤痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pear had bruises of dark spots. 这个梨子有碰伤的黑斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 savor   

vt.品尝，欣赏；n.味道，风味；情趣，趣味

参考例句：

• The soup has a savor of onion.这汤有洋葱味。
• His humorous remarks added a savor to our conversation.他幽默的话语给谈话增添了风趣。

3 sprout   

n.芽，萌芽；vt.使发芽，摘去芽；vi.长芽，抽条

参考例句：

• When do deer first sprout horns?鹿在多大的时候开始长出角？
• It takes about a week for the seeds to sprout.这些种子大约要一周后才会发芽。

4 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

5 fraught   

adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的

参考例句：

• The coming months will be fraught with fateful decisions.未来数月将充满重大的决定。
• There's no need to look so fraught!用不着那么愁眉苦脸的！

6 perilous   

adj.危险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
• We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

7 extravagant   

adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的

参考例句：

• They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
• He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。

8 eternity   

n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷

参考例句：

• The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
• Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。

9 allotted   

分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I completed the test within the time allotted . 我在限定的时间内完成了试验。
• Each passenger slept on the berth allotted to him. 每个旅客都睡在分配给他的铺位上。

10 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

11 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

12 devours   

吞没( devour的第三人称单数 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光

参考例句：

• If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. 若有人想要害他们，就有火从他们口中出来，烧灭仇敌。
• It eats away parts of his skin; death's firstborn devours his limbs. 他本身的肢体要被吞吃，死亡的长子要吞吃他的肢体。