◎ Anonymous
If I were a boy again, I would practice perseverance more often, and never give up a thing because it was hard or inconvenient. If we want light, we must conquer darkness. Perseverance can sometimes equal genius in its results. “There are only two creatures,” says a proverb, “who can surmount the pyramids—the eagle and the snail.”
假如我又回到了童年,我會(huì)時(shí)常鍛煉我的毅力,再也不會(huì)因?yàn)槭虑槔щy或者麻煩就決定放棄。如果想要獲得光明,我們就要戰(zhàn)勝黑暗。有時(shí)候,毅力在結(jié)果上能與天才相媲美。俗話說:“世上只有兩種生物能登上金字塔,它們就是——老鷹和蝸牛?!?
If I were a boy again, I would school myself into a habit of attention; I would let nothing come between me and the subject in hand. I would remember that a good skater never tries to skate in two directions at once.
假如我又回到了童年,我會(huì)養(yǎng)成做事專心致志的習(xí)慣,事情在手時(shí)我不會(huì)因?yàn)槿魏螙|西而分心。我會(huì)牢記:一個(gè)優(yōu)秀的滑冰手絕不會(huì)試著滑向兩個(gè)不同的方向。
The habit of attention becomes part of our life, if we began early enough. I often hear grown up people say “I could not fix my attention on the sermon or book, although I wished to do so,” and the reason is, the habit was not formed in youth.
如果早早地養(yǎng)成專心的習(xí)慣,它就能成為我們生命中的一部分。我常聽大人們說:“我無法專心聽牧師講道或者看書,即便我希望自己能夠?qū)P娜プ鲞@些事情。”而原因就是,年輕的時(shí)候沒有養(yǎng)成專心的習(xí)慣。
If I were to live my life over again, I would pay more attention to the cultivation of the memory. I would strengthen that faculty by every possible means, and on every possible occasion. It takes a little hard work at first to remember things accurately; but memory soon helps itself, and gives very little trouble. It only needs early cultivation to become a power.
假如我的生命能夠重新來過,我就會(huì)著重培養(yǎng)我的記憶力。我會(huì)想方設(shè)法在各種可能的場合增強(qiáng)我的記憶力。想要清楚地記住一些事情,剛開始的時(shí)候的確需做出一番小小的努力。但是過不了多久,記憶力本身就會(huì)起作用,記東西就成了一件簡單的事情了。只要早點(diǎn)開始培養(yǎng),記憶力也能成為一種才能。
If I were a boy again, I would cultivate courage. “Nothing is so mild and gentle as courage, nothing so cruel and pitiless as cowardice,” says a wise author.
假如我又回到了童年,我會(huì)培養(yǎng)勇氣。一位聰明的作家曾經(jīng)說過:“世上沒有什么東西比勇氣更溫文爾雅,沒有什么東西比懦弱更冷酷無情?!?
We too often borrow trouble, and anticipate that may never appear. “The fear of ill exceeds the ill we fear.” Dangers will arise in any career, but presence of mind will often conquer the worst of them. Be prepared for any fate, and there is no harm to be feared.
我們時(shí)常會(huì)自尋煩惱,杞人憂天?!皩膊〉膽峙乱燃膊”旧砜膳隆!蔽kU(xiǎn)無處不在,但鎮(zhèn)定沉著往往能克服最大的危險(xiǎn)。時(shí)刻準(zhǔn)備著應(yīng)對任何禍福,那么災(zāi)難就沒什么可怕的了。
If I were a boy again, I would look on the cheerful side. Life is very much like a mirror: if you smile upon it, I smiles back upon you; but if you frown and look doubtful on it, you will get a similar look in return.
假如我又回到了童年,我會(huì)事事樂觀。生活就如一面鏡子:你對生活笑,生活就會(huì)對你笑;但是,如果你眉頭緊鎖,用懷疑的目光看待它,它也將還以你同樣的目光。
Inner sunshine warms not only the heart of the owner, but of all that come in contact with it. “Who shuts love out, in turn shall be shut out from love.”
心中的歡愉既溫暖了自己,也溫暖了與之接觸過的那些人的心?!罢l把愛拒之門外,愛也必將其拒之門外。”
If I were a boy again, I would school myself to say no more often. I might write pages on the importance of learning very early in life to gain that point where a young boy can stand erect, and decline doing an unworthy act because it is unworthy.
假如我又回到了童年,我要養(yǎng)成經(jīng)常說“不”的習(xí)慣。也許我會(huì)寫上好幾頁關(guān)于早年培養(yǎng)這一點(diǎn)的重要性,因?yàn)橐粋€(gè)少年要學(xué)會(huì)頂天立地,只要覺得一件事不值得做,就拒絕去做。
If I were a boy again, I would demand of myself more courtesy towards my companions and friends, and indeed towards strangers as well. The smallest courtesies along the rough roads of life are like the little birds that sing to us all winter long, and make that season of ice and snow more endurable.
假如我又回到了童年,我會(huì)要求自己更加禮貌地對待我的伙伴和朋友,還有陌生人??部廊松飞?,最細(xì)小的禮貌就像是漫漫冬日里為我們歌唱的小鳥,是歌聲讓冰天雪地的冷冬變得不再那么難過。
Finally, instead of trying hard to be happy, as if that were the sole purpose of life, I would, if I were a boy again, I would still try harder to make others happy.
最后,假如我又回到了童年,我不會(huì)把為自己謀幸福作為人生的唯一目標(biāo),我也會(huì)為他人的幸福而努力。