羊皮卷之九（1）

The Scroll¹ Marked 9

羊皮卷九

My dreams are worthless,

我的幻想毫无价值，

my plans are dust,

我的计划渺如尘埃，

my goals are impossible.

我的目标不可能达到。

All are of no value unless they are followed by action.

一切的一切毫无意义，除非我们付诸行动。

I will act now.

我现在就付诸行动。

Never has there been a map,

一张地图，

however carefully executed to detail and scale,

不论多么详尽，比例多精确，

which carried its owner over even one inch of ground.

它永远不能带着它的主人在地面上移动半步。

Never has there been a parchment of law,

一个国家的法律，

however fair,

不论多么公正，

which prevented one crime.

永远不可能防止罪恶的发生。

Never has there been a scroll,

任何宝典，

even such as the one I hold,

即使在我手中的羊皮卷，

which earned so much as a penny or produced a single word of acclamation.

永远不可能创造财富。

Action, alone, is the tinder which ignites the map,

只有行动才能使地图、

the parchment, this scroll, my dreams, my plans, my goals, into a living force.

法律、宝典、梦想、计划、目标具有现实意义。

Action is the food and drink which will nourish my success.

行动，像食物和水一样，能滋润我，使我成功。

I will act now.

我现在就付诸行动。

My procrastination² which has held me back was born of fear

拖延使我裹足不前，它来自恐惧。

and now I recognize this secret mined from the depths of all courageous³ hearts.

现在我从所有勇敢的心灵深处，体会到这一秘密。

Now I know that to conquer fear

我知道，想克服恐惧，

I must always act without hesitation⁴

必须毫不犹豫，起而行动，

and the flutters in my heart will vanish.

唯其如此，心中的慌乱方得以平定。

Now I know that action reduces the lion of terror to an ant of equanimity⁵.

现在我知道，行动会使猛狮般的恐惧，减缓为蚂蚁般的平静。

I will act now.

我现在就付诸行动。

Henceforth, I will remember the lesson of the firefly

从此我要记住萤火虫的启迪：

who gives, of its light only when it is on the wing, only when it is in action.

只有振翅的时候，才能发出光芒。

I will become a firefly

我要成为一只萤火虫，

and even in the day my glow will be seen in spite of the sua.

即使在艳阳高照的白天，我也要发出光芒。

Let others be as butterflies

让别人像蝴蝶一样。

who preen⁶ their wings yet depend on the charity of a flower for life.

舞动翅膀，靠花朵的施舍生活；

I will be as the firefly and my light will brighten the world.

我要做萤火虫，照亮大地。

I will act now.

我现在就付诸行动。

I will not avoid the tasks of today and charge them to tomorrow

我不把今天的事情留给明天，

for I know that tomorrow never comes.

因为我知道明天是永远不会来临的。

Let me act now，

现在就付诸行动吧！

even though my actions may not bring happiness or success

即使我的行为不会带来快乐与成功，

for it is better to act and fall than not to act and flounder.

但是动而失败总比坐而待毙好。

Happiness, in truth, may not be the fruit plucked by my action

行动也许不会结出快乐的果实，

yet without action all fruit will die on the vine.

但没有行动，所有的果实都无法收获。

I will act now.

我现在就付诸行动。

I will act now.

立即行动。

I will act now.

立即行动。

I will act now.

立即行动。

Henceforth, I will repeat these words again and again and again, each hour, each day, every day,

从今往后，我要一遍又一遍，每时每刻重复这句话，

until the words become as much a habit as my breathing

直到成为习惯，好比呼吸一般，

and the actions which follow become as instinctive⁷ as the blinking of my eyelids⁸.

成为本能，好比眨眼一样。

With these words I can condition my mind to perform every act necessary for my success.

有了这句话，我就能调整自己的情绪，

With these words I can condition my mind to meet every challenge which the failure avoids.

迎接失败者逃避而远之的每一次挑战。

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 procrastination   

n.拖延，耽搁

参考例句：

• Procrastination is the father of failure. 因循是失败的根源。
• Procrastination is the thief of time. 拖延就是浪费时间。

3 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

4 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

5 equanimity   

n.沉着，镇定

参考例句：

• She went again,and in so doing temporarily recovered her equanimity.她又去看了戏，而且这样一来又暂时恢复了她的平静。
• The defeat was taken with equanimity by the leadership.领导层坦然地接受了失败。

6 preen   

v.（人）打扮修饰

参考例句：

• 50% of men under 35 spend at least 20 minutes preening themselves every morning in the bathroom.50%的35岁以下男性每天早上至少花20分钟在盥洗室精心打扮。
• Bill preened his beard.比尔精心修剪了他的胡须。

7 instinctive   

adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的

参考例句：

• He tried to conceal his instinctive revulsion at the idea.他试图饰盖自己对这一想法本能的厌恶。
• Animals have an instinctive fear of fire.动物本能地怕火。

8 eyelids   

n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色

参考例句：

• She was so tired, her eyelids were beginning to droop. 她太疲倦了，眼睑开始往下垂。
• Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》