一生必讀的英語經(jīng)典38：如果再回到童年

If I were a boy again,I would practise 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.”

諺語說：“能登上金字塔的生物只有兩種——雄鷹與蝸牛。”如果我們需要光明,我們就得征服黑暗.在產(chǎn)生的結(jié)果方面,毅力往往可以與天才相媲美。假如我再回到童年,我會更多地培養(yǎng)自己的毅力,決不因為事情艱難或麻煩而放棄不干

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.The habit of attention becomes part of our life,if we begin early enough.

假如我再回到童年，我會培養(yǎng)自己專心致志的習(xí)慣;一旦手頭有事，決不讓任何東西使我分心。我會牢記：一位優(yōu)秀的溜冰手從不試圖同時滑向兩個不同的方向。如果及早養(yǎng)成專心致志的習(xí)慣，它就會成為我們生命的一個部分。

I often hear grown-up people say,“I could not fix my attention on the lecture or book,although I wished to do so,”and the reason is,the habit was not formed in youth.

我常常聽到成年認(rèn)說：“盡管我希望集中注意力聽講課或讀書，但往往做不到。”其愿意就在于年輕時沒有養(yǎng)成這種習(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.

假如我能重新活過，我會更加注意培養(yǎng)自己的記憶力。我要采取一切可能的辦法，在一切可能的場合,增強記憶力。要精確地記住一切事物，起初的確要作出一番小小的努力;但用不了多久，記憶力本身就會起作用，使記憶成為輕而易舉的事。只需及早培養(yǎng)，記憶自會成為一種才能。

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.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.

假如我又回到了童年，我就要培養(yǎng)勇氣。"世上沒有東西比勇氣更溫文爾雅，也沒有東西比懦怯更殘酷無情。"一位明智的作家曾說過我們常常過多地自尋煩惱，"杞人憂天。" 怕禍害比禍害本身更可怕,凡事都有危險，但鎮(zhèn)定沉著往往能克服最嚴(yán)重的危險。對一切禍福做好準(zhǔn)備，那么就沒有什么災(zāi)難可以害怕的了。

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,it smiles back upon you;but if you frown and look doubtful on it,you will get a similar look in return.Inner sunshine warms not only the heart of the owner,but of all that come in contact with it.

假如我能再回到童年，我會凡事都看光明的一面。生活就像一面鏡子：你朝它微笑，它也會朝你微笑：但如果你朝它皺眉頭，它也會朝你皺眉頭;內(nèi)心的陽光不僅溫暖了自己的心，同時也溫暖了所有跟他接觸的人的心。

Who shuts love out,in turn shall be shut from love.

“誰將愛拒之門外，誰就會被愛拒之門外。”

If I were a boy again,I would school myself to say “No”oftener.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.

假如我再回到童年，我就要養(yǎng)成經(jīng)常說“不”的習(xí)慣。 我可以寫上好幾頁，談?wù)勗缙谂囵B(yǎng)這一點的重要性,一個少年要能挺得起腰桿,拒絕做不值得做得事——就因為它不值得做。

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.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,try still harder to make others happy.

假如我再回到童年，我會要求自己對待同伴和朋友更禮貌，而且對陌生人也同樣如此。再坎坷得人生道路上，最細小的禮貌猶如在漫長的冬季為我們唱歌的小鳥，使得冰天雪地的嚴(yán)冬變得較易忍受。最后，假如我再回到童年，我不會竭力為自己謀幸福——仿佛那是人生的唯一目標(biāo);與之相反，我會更加努力——讓他人幸福。