雙語美文，行為決定命運(yùn)

You Are What You Do

行為決定命運(yùn)

by 宋美齡
 

If the past has taught us anything, it is that every cause brings effect, every action has a consequence.

過去的日子若曾經(jīng)教過我們些什么的話，那便是有因必有果，每一個(gè)行為都有一種結(jié)果。
 

This thought, in my opinion, is the moral foundation of the universe;

依我之見，這種想法是宇宙的道德基礎(chǔ)：
 

it applies equally in this world and the next.

它不僅適用于今生也適用于來世。
 

Consequence /?k?ns?kw?ns/ n. 推論;結(jié)果，成果

Foundation /fa?n?de??n/ n. 基礎(chǔ);地基

We Chinese have a saying 'If a man plants melons, he will reap melons; if he sows beans, he will reap beans.'

我們中國人有句諺語說：”種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆。”
 

And this is true of every man's life: good begets good, and evil leads to evil.

而這就是每個(gè)人生活的寫照：善有善報(bào)，惡有惡報(bào)。
 

True enough, the sun shines on the saint and sinner alike, and too often it seems that the wicked wax and prosper.

說實(shí)在，圣人與罪人皆會(huì)受到陽光的澤被，而且常常似乎是惡者大行其道。
 

Beget /b??get/ vt. 產(chǎn)生，引起

Saint /se?nt/ n. 圣徒

Wicked /?w?k?d/ adj. 邪惡的;在文中the wicked(the+adj.)指的是一類人，惡人

But we can say with certitude that, with the individual as with the nation, the flourishing of the wicked is an illusion,

但是我們可以確信地說，不管是對(duì)個(gè)人或是對(duì)國家而言，惡人猖獗只是一種幻象，
 

for, unceasingly, life keeps books on us all.

因?yàn)樯鼰o時(shí)無刻不將我們的所作所為像賬本一樣一筆一筆記錄下來。
 

In the end, we are all the sum total of our actions.

到最后，我們就是我們的行為總合。
 

Certitude /?s?:t?tju:d/ n. 確信

Individual /??nd??v?d?u?l/ adj. 個(gè)人的;個(gè)別的

Illusion /??lu:?n/ n. 錯(cuò)覺;幻想

Unceasingly /?n'si:s??l?/ adv. 不已;繼續(xù)地

Character cannot be counterfeited, nor can it be put on and cast off as if it were a garment to meet the whim of the moment.

品德是無法偽裝的，也無法像衣服一樣隨興地穿上或脫下來丟在一邊。
 

Like the markings on wood which are ingrained in the very heart of the tree, character requires time and nurture for growth and development.

就像木頭的紋路發(fā)自于樹木的中心深處，品德的成長與發(fā)育也需要時(shí)間和滋養(yǎng)。
 

Thus also, day by day, we write our own destiny, for inexorably we become what we do.

也因此，我們?nèi)諒?fù)一日地寫下我們自己的命運(yùn)，因?yàn)槲覀兊乃鶠閷⒉涣羟槊娴貨Q定我們的命運(yùn)。
 

This, I believe, is the supreme logic and the law of life.

我相信這就是最高的邏輯及人生的法則。
 

Counterfeited /?ka?nt?f?t?d/ v. 仿制，造假(counterfeit的過去分詞)

Whim /w?m/ n. 幻想;奇想

Ingrained /?n?gre?nd/ adj. 根深蒂固的

Inexorably /?n'eks?r?bl?/ adv. 無情地，冷酷地