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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
羊皮卷八
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
今天我要加倍重视自己的价值。
A mulberry leaf touched with the genius of man becomes silk.
桑叶在天才的手中变成了丝绸。
A field of clay touched with the genius of man becomes a castle.
粘土在天才的手中变成了堡垒。
A cyprus tree touched with the genius of man becomes a shrine2.
柏树在天才的手中变成了殿堂。
A cut of sheep's hair touched with the genius of man becomes raiment for a king.
羊毛在天才的手中变成了袈裟。
If it is possible for leaves and clay and wood and hair
如果桑叶、粘土、柏树、羊毛经过人的创造,
to have their value multiplied a hundred, yea a thousand fold by man,
可以成百上千地提高自身的价值,
cannot I do the same with the clay which bears my name?
那么我们为什么不能使自己身价百倍呢?
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
今天我要加倍重视自己的价值。
I am liken to a grain of wheat which faces one of three futures3.
我的命运如同一颗麦粒,有着三种不同的道路。
The wheat can be placed in a sack
一颗麦粒可能被装进麻袋,
and dumped in a stall until it is fed to swine.
堆在货架上,等着喂猪;
Or it can be ground to flour and made into bread.
也可能被磨成面粉,做成面包;
Or it can be placed in the earth and allowed to grow
还可能撒在土壤里,让它生长,
until its golden head divides and produces a thousand grains from the one.
直到金黄的麦穗上结出成百上千颗麦粒。
I am liken to a grain of wheat with one difference.
我和一颗麦粒唯一不同在于:
The wheat cannot choose whether it be fed to swine, ground for bread,
麦粒无法选择是变得腐烂还是做成面包,
or planted to multiply,
或是种植生长。
I have a choice and I will not let my life be fed to swine
而我有选择的自由,我不会让生命腐烂,
nor will I let it be ground under the rocks of failure
也不会让它在失败,
and despair to be broken open and devoured4 by the will of others.
绝望的岩石下磨碎,任人摆布。
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
今天我要加倍重视自己的价值。
To grow and multiply
要想让麦粒生长、结实,
it is necessary to plant the wheat grain in the darkness of the earth
必须把它种植在黑暗的泥土中,
and my failures, my despairs, my ignorance, and my inabilities
我的失败、失望、无知、无能
are the darkness in which I have been planted in order to ripen5.
便是那黑暗的泥土,我须深深地扎在泥土中,等待成熟。
Now, like the wheat grain which will sprout6 and blossom only if it is nurtured8 with rain and sun and warm winds,
麦粒在阳光雨露的哺育下,终于发芽、开花、结实。
I too must nurture7 my body and mind to fulfill9 my dreams.
同样,我也要健全自己的身体和心灵,以实现自己的梦想。
But to grow to full stature10 the wheat must wait on the whims11 of nature.
麦粒须等待大自然的契机方能成熟,
I need not wait for I have the power to choose my own destiny.
我却无须等待,因为我有选择自己命运的能力。
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
今天我要加倍重视自己的价值。
And how will I accomplish this?
怎样才能做到呢?
First I will set goals for the day, the week, the month, the year, and my life.
首先,我要为每一天,每个星期、每个月。每一年、甚至我的一生确立目标。
Just as the rain must fall before the wheat will crack its shell and sprout,
正像种子需要雨水的滋润才能破土而出,发芽长叶,
so must I have objectives before my life will crystallize.
我的生命也须有目的方能结出硕果。
In setting my goals I will consider my best performance of the past and multiply it a hundredfold.
在制定目标的时候,不妨参考过去最好的成绩,使其发扬光大。
This will be the standard by which I will live in the future.
这必须成为我未来生活的目标。
Never will I be of concern that my goals are too high
永远不要当心目标过高。
for is it not better to aim my spear at the moon and strike only an eagle
取法乎上,得其中也,
than to aim my spear at the eagle and strike only a rock?
取法中也,得其下也。
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
今天我要加倍重视自己的价值。
The height of my goals will not hold me in awe12
高远的目标不会让我们望而生畏,
though I may stumble often before they are reached.
虽然在达到目标以前可能屡受挫折。
If I stumble I will rise
摔倒了,再爬起来,
and my falls will not concern me for all men must stumble often to reach the hearth13.
我不灰心因为每个人在抵达目标之前都会受到挫折。
Only a worm is free from the worry of stumbling.
只有小爬虫不必担心摔倒。
I am not a worm.
我不是小爬虫,
I am not an onion plant.
不是洋葱,
I am net a sheep.
不是绵羊。
I am a man.
我是一个人。
Let others build a cave with their clay.
让别人作他们的粘土造穴吧,
I will build a castle with mine.
我只要一座城堡。
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
今天我么加倍重视自己的价值。
And just as the sun must warm the earth
太阳温暖大地,
to bring forth14 the seedling15 of wheat
麦粒吐穗结实。
so, too, will the words on these scrolls16 warm my life and turn my dreams into reality.
这些羊皮卷上的话也照耀我的生活,使梦想成真。
1 scroll | |
n.卷轴,纸卷;(石刻上的)漩涡 | |
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2 shrine | |
n.圣地,神龛,庙;v.将...置于神龛内,把...奉为神圣 | |
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3 futures | |
n.期货,期货交易 | |
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4 devoured | |
吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 ); 耗尽; 津津有味地看; 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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5 ripen | |
vt.使成熟;vi.成熟 | |
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6 sprout | |
n.芽,萌芽;vt.使发芽,摘去芽;vi.长芽,抽条 | |
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7 nurture | |
n.养育,照顾,教育;滋养,营养品;vt.养育,给与营养物,教养,扶持 | |
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8 nurtured | |
养育( nurture的过去式和过去分词 ); 培育; 滋长; 助长 | |
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9 fulfill | |
vt.履行,实现,完成;满足,使满意 | |
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10 stature | |
n.(高度)水平,(高度)境界,身高,身材 | |
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11 WHIMS | |
虚妄,禅病 | |
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12 awe | |
n.敬畏,惊惧;vt.使敬畏,使惊惧 | |
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13 hearth | |
n.壁炉炉床,壁炉地面 | |
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14 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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15 seedling | |
n.秧苗,树苗 | |
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16 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 | |
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