羊皮卷之一（3）

First, I will read the words in silence when I arise.

清晨即起，默默诵读；

Then, I will read the words in silence

午饭之后，

after I have partaken of my midday meal.

再次默读；

Last, I will read the words again

夜晚睡前，

just before I retire at day's end,

我还会再朗读一遍

and most important,

不同的是

on this occasion I will read the words aloud.

高声朗读。

On the next day I will repeat this procedure,

第二天的情形完全一样。

and I will continue in like manner for thirty days.

这样重复三十天后，

Then, I will turn to the next scroll¹

就可以打开下一卷了。

and repeat this procedure for another thirty days.

每一卷都依照同样的方法读上三十天，

I will continue in this manner

久而久之，

until I have lived with each scroll for thirty days and my reading has become habit.

它们就成为一种习惯了。

And what will be accomplished² with this habit?

这些习惯有什么好处呢？

Herein lies the hidden secret of all man's accomplishments³.

这里隐含着人类成功的秘诀。

As I repeat the words dally⁴

当我每天重复这些话的时候，

they will soon become a part of my active mind,

它变成了我精神活动的一部分，

but more important,

更重要的是，

they will also seep⁵ into my other mind,

它们渗入我的心灵。

that mysterious source which never sleeps, which creates my dreams,

拥是个神秘的世界，永不静止，创造梦境，

and often makes me act in ways I do not comprehend.

在不知不觉中影响我的行为。

As the words of these scrolls⁶ are consumed by my mysterious mind

当这些羊皮卷上的文字，被我奇妙的心灵完全吸收之后，

I will begin to awake, each morning, with a vitality⁷ I have never known before,

我每天都会充满活力地醒来。我从来没有这样精力充沛过。

My vigor⁸ will increase,

我更有活力，

my enthusiasm will rise,

更有热情，

my desire to meet the world will overcome every fear I once knew at sunrise,

要向世界挑战的欲望克服了一切恐惧与不安。

and I will be happier than I ever believed it possible to be

在这个充满争斗和悲伤的世界里，

in this world of strife⁹ and sorrow.

我竟然比以前更快活。

Eventually

最后，

I will find myself reacting to all situations which confront me as I was commanded in the scrolls to react,

我会发现自己有了应付一切情况的办法。

and soon these actions and reactions will become easy to perform, for any act with practice becomes easy.

不久，这些办法就能运用自如。因为，任何方法，只要多练习，就会变得简单易行。

Thus a new and good habit is born,

经过多次重复，一种看似复杂的行为就变得轻而易举，

for when an act becomes easy through constant repetition

实行起来，

it becomes a pleasure to perform

就会有无限的乐趣，

and if it is a pleasure to perform

有了乐趣，

it is man's nature to perform it often.

出于人之天性，

When I perform it often

我就更乐意常去实行。

it becomes a habit

于是，一种好的习惯便诞生了。

and I become its slave

习惯成为自然。

and since it is a good habit

既是一种好的习惯，

this is my will.

也就是我的意愿。

Today I begin a new life.

今天，我开始新的生活．

And I make a solemn oath to myself

我郑重地发誓，

that, nothing will retard¹⁰ my new life's growth.

绝不让任何事情妨碍我新生命的成长。

I will lose not a day from these readings

在阅读这些羊卷的时候，我绝不浪费一天的时间，

for that day cannot be retrieved¹¹ nor can I substitute another for it.

因为时光一去不返，失去的日子是无法弥补的。

I must not, I will not, break this habit of daily reading from these scrolls and, in truth,

我也绝不打破每天阅读的习惯。事实上，

the few moments spent each day on this new habit

每天在这些新习惯上花费少许时间，

are but a small price to pay for the happiness and success that will be mine.

相对于可能获得的愉乐与成功而言，只是微不足道的代价。

As I read and re-read the words in the scrolls to follow,

当我阅读羊皮卷中的字句时，

never will I allow the brevity of each scroll

绝不能出为文字的精炼

nor the simplicity¹² of its words to cause me to treat the scroll's message lightly.

而忽视内容的深沉。

Thousands of grapes are pressed to fill one jar with wine,

一瓶葡萄美酒需要千百颗果子酿制而成，

and the grape skin and pulp¹³ are tossed to the birds.

果皮和渣子抛给小鸟。

So it is with these grapes of wisdom from the ages.

葡萄的智慧代代相传，

Much has been filtered and tossed to the wind.

有些被过滤，有些被淘汰，随风飘逝。

Only the pure truth lies distilled¹⁴ in the words to come.

只有纯正的真理才是永恒的。

I will drink as instructed and spill not a drop.

它们就精炼在我要阅读的文字中。

And the seed of success

我要依照指示，

I will swallow.

绝不浪费，饮下成功的种子。

Today my old skin has become as dust.

今天，我的老茧化为尘埃。

I will walk tall among men and they will know me not,

我在人群中昂首阔步，不会有人认出我来，

for today I am a new man,

因为我不再是过去的自己，

with a new life.

我已拥有新的生命。

1 scroll   

n.卷轴，纸卷；(石刻上的)漩涡

参考例句：

• As I opened the scroll,a panorama of the Yellow River unfolded.我打开卷轴时，黄河的景象展现在眼前。
• He was presented with a scroll commemorating his achievements.他被授予一幅卷轴，以表彰其所做出的成就。

2 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。

3 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 dally   

v.荒废(时日)，调情

参考例句：

• You should not dally away your time.你不应该浪费时间。
• One shouldn't dally with a girl's affection.一个人不该玩弄女孩子的感情。

5 seep   

v.渗出，渗漏；n.渗漏，小泉，水（油）坑

参考例句：

• My anger began to seep away.我的怒火开始消下去了。
• If meteoric water does not evaporate or run overland,it may seep directly into the ground.如果雨水不从陆地蒸发和流走的话，就可能直接渗入地下。

6 scrolls   

n.（常用于录写正式文件的）纸卷( scroll的名词复数 )；卷轴；涡卷形（装饰）；卷形花纹v.（电脑屏幕上）从上到下移动（资料等），卷页( scroll的第三人称单数 )；（似卷轴般）卷起；（像展开卷轴般地）将文字显示于屏幕

参考例句：

• Either turn it off or only pick up selected stuff like wands, rings and scrolls. 把他关掉然后只捡你需要的物品，像是魔杖(wand)，戒指(rings)和滚动条(scrolls)。 来自互联网
• Ancient scrolls were found in caves by the Dead Sea. 死海旁边的山洞里发现了古代的卷轴。 来自辞典例句

7 vitality   

n.活力，生命力，效力

参考例句：

• He came back from his holiday bursting with vitality and good health.他度假归来之后，身强体壮，充满活力。
• He is an ambitious young man full of enthusiasm and vitality.他是个充满热情与活力的有远大抱负的青年。

8 vigor   

n.活力，精力，元气

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在，她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。

9 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

10 retard   

n.阻止，延迟；vt.妨碍，延迟，使减速

参考例句：

• Lack of sunlight will retard the growth of most plants.缺乏阳光会妨碍大多数植物的生长。
• Continuing violence will retard negotiations over the country's future.持续不断的暴力活动会阻碍关系到国家未来的谈判的进行。

11 retrieved   

v.取回( retrieve的过去式和过去分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息）

参考例句：

• Yesterday I retrieved the bag I left in the train. 昨天我取回了遗留在火车上的包。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He reached over and retrieved his jacket from the back seat. 他伸手从后座上取回了自己的夹克。 来自辞典例句

12 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

13 pulp   

n.果肉，纸浆；v.化成纸浆，除去...果肉，制成纸浆

参考例句：

• The pulp of this watermelon is too spongy.这西瓜瓤儿太肉了。
• The company manufactures pulp and paper products.这个公司制造纸浆和纸产品。

14 distilled   

adj.由蒸馏得来的v.蒸馏( distil的过去式和过去分词 )；从…提取精华

参考例句：

• The televised interview was distilled from 16 hours of film. 那次电视采访是从16个小时的影片中选出的精华。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Gasoline is distilled from crude oil. 汽油是从原油中提炼出来的。 来自《简明英汉词典》