◎ Og Mandino
In the Orient young bulls are tested for the fight arena in a certain manner. Each is brought to the ring and allowed to attack a picador[17]who pricks them with a lance. The bravery of each bull is then rated with care according to the number of times he demonstrates his willingness to charge in spite of the sting of the blade. Henceforth will I recognize that each day I am tested by life in like manner. If I persist, if I continue to try, if I continue to charge forward, I will succeed.
在古老的東方,挑選小公牛競技場格斗有一定的程序。它們被帶進(jìn)場地,向手持長矛的斗牛士攻擊。裁判以它受激后再向斗牛士進(jìn)攻的次數(shù)多少,來評定這只公牛的英勇程度。從今往后,我必須承認(rèn),我生命的每一天都在接受這樣的考驗(yàn)。如果我堅(jiān)持不懈,如果我不斷嘗試,如果我勇往直前,我就一定會成功。
I was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep. I will hear not those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious. Let them join the sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny.
我不是為了失敗才來到這個世界上的,我的血管里也沒有失敗的血液流動。我不是任人驅(qū)趕的羔羊。我是猛獅,拒絕與羊群為伍。我不想聽失意者的哭泣、抱怨,他們是羊群中的瘟疫。我不能被它傳染。失敗者的屠宰場不是我命運(yùn)的歸宿。
The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner.
生命的獎賞遠(yuǎn)在旅途的終點(diǎn),而非起點(diǎn)附近。我不知道要走多少步才能達(dá)到目標(biāo)。踏上第一千步的時候,仍可能失敗,但成功就隱藏在下一個拐角處,除非我轉(zhuǎn)過拐角,否則永遠(yuǎn)不知道它是如此接近。
Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult.
再前進(jìn)一步。如果沒有用,就再向前一步。事實(shí)上,每次進(jìn)步一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)并不太難。
Henceforth, I will consider each day’s effort as but one blow of my blade against a mighty oak. The first blow may cause not a tremor in the wood, nor the second, nor the third. Each blow, of itself, may be trifling, and seem of no consequence. Yet from childish swipes the oak will eventually tumble. So it will be with my efforts of today.
今后,我承認(rèn)每一天的努力就像對參天大樹的一次砍擊。頭幾刀可能在樹林里了無痕跡。每一擊本身看似都是微不足道的,似乎毫無結(jié)果。然而,累積起來,巨樹終會倒下。這恰如我今天的努力。
I will be likening to the raindrop which washes away the mountain; the ant who devours a tiger; the star which brightens the earth; the slave who builds a pyramid. I will build my castle one brick at a time for I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking.
就像沖洗高山的雨滴,吞噬猛虎的螞蟻,照亮大地的星辰,建起金字塔的奴隸,我也要一磚一瓦地建造起自己的城堡,因?yàn)槲疑钪问┑牡览?,只要持之以恒,什么事都可以做到?
I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat; for they are the words of fools. I will avoid despair but if this disease of the mind should infect me then I will work on in despair. I will toil and I will endure. I will ignore the obstacles at my feet and keep my eyes on the goals above my head, for I know that where dry desert ends, green grass grows.
我絕不考慮失敗,我的字典里不再有放棄、不可能、辦不到、沒法子、成問題、不大可能、失敗,行不通、沒希望、退縮……這類愚蠢的字眼。我要盡量避免絕望這種疾病,一旦受到它的威脅,我會立刻設(shè)法向它挑戰(zhàn)。我要辛勤耕耘,忍受苦楚。我放眼未來,勇往直前,不再理會腳下的障礙。我堅(jiān)信,沙漠盡頭必是綠洲。
I will remember the ancient law of averages and I will bend it to my good. I will persist with knowledge that each failure to sell will increase my chance for success at the next attempt. Each nay I hear will bring me closer to the sound of yea. Each frown I meet only prepares me for the smile to come. Each misfortune I encounter will carry in it the seed of tomorrow’s good luck. I must have the night to appreciate the day. I must fail often to succeed only once.
我要記住古老的平衡法則,并將其作為我的行為準(zhǔn)則。我會牢記每一次的失敗都會增加下一次成功的機(jī)會。這一次的拒絕就是下一次的贊同,這一次的皺眉就是下一次的笑容。我遭遇的每一個不幸,都預(yù)示著明天的好運(yùn)。夜幕降臨,回想一天的遭遇,我總是心存感激。我深知,只有失敗多次,才能成功。
I will try, and try, and try again. Each obstacle[18]I will consider as a mere detour to my goal and a challenge to my profession. I will persist and develop my skills as the mariner develops his, by learning to ride out the wrath of each storm.
我要嘗試,嘗試,再嘗試。每一個障礙都是我成功之路上的彎道,是對我的挑戰(zhàn)。我會堅(jiān)持和提升自己的能力,像水手一樣乘風(fēng)破浪,渡過每一次暴風(fēng)雨。
Henceforth, I will learn and apply another secret of those who excel in my work. When each day is ended, not regarding whether it has been a success or a failure, I will attempt to achieve one more sale. When my thoughts beckon my tired body homeward I will resist the temptation to depart. I will try again. I will make one more attempt to close with victory, and if that fails I will make another. Never will I allow any day to end with a failure. Thus will I plant the seed of tomorrow’s success and gain an insurmountable[19]advantage over those who cease their labor at a prescribed time. When others cease their struggle, the mine will begin, and my harvest will be full.
今后,我要學(xué)習(xí)和借鑒別人成功的秘訣。當(dāng)每一天結(jié)束時,不論是非成敗,我全不計(jì)較,只堅(jiān)信明天會更好。當(dāng)我精疲力竭時,我要抵制回家的誘惑,再試一次。我一試再試。我不會允許任何一天以失敗收場。我要為明天的成功播種,超過那些按部就班的人。在別人停滯不前時,我會繼續(xù)拼搏,終有一天我會豐收。
Nor will I allow yesterday’s success to lull me into today’s complacency, for this is the great foundation of failure. I will forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether they were good or bad, and greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of my life.
我不因昨日的成功而自滿,因?yàn)檫@是失敗的先兆。我要忘卻昨日的一切,無論是好是壞,都讓它隨風(fēng)而去。我信心百倍,迎接新的太陽,相信今天是我生命中最好的一天。
So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles of success; if I persist long enough I will win.
只要我一息尚存,就要堅(jiān)持到底?,F(xiàn)在我已深知成功的秘訣。如果我堅(jiān)持不懈,我就有足夠的時間贏得勝利。
I will persist. I will win.
堅(jiān)持不懈,終會成功。
美麗語錄
Millions of failures are caused by people who do things not thoroughly. It happens that some people cease or give up when it is just one step before success.
世界上千萬人的失敗,都是失敗在做事不徹底,往往做到離成功尚差一步就終止不做了。