第4章 做自己想做的人 (4)
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.”
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. 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.
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.
假如我又回到了童年，我做事要更有毅力，决不因为事情艰难或者麻烦而撒手不干，我们要光明，就得征服黑暗。
毅力在效果上有时能同天才相比。俗话说：“能登上金字塔的生物，只有两种——鹰和蜗牛。”
假如我又回到了童年，我就要养成专心致志的习惯；有事在手，就决不让任何东西让我分心。我要牢记：优秀的滑冰手从不试图同时滑向两个不同的方向。
如果及早养成这种专心致志的习惯，它将成为我们生命的一部分。我常听成年人说：“虽然我希望能集中注意听牧师讲道或读书，但往往做不到。”而原因就是年轻时没有养成这种习惯。
假如我现在能重新开始我的生命，我就要更注意记忆力的培养。我要采取一切可能的办法，并且在一切可能的场合，增强记忆力。要正确无误地记住一些东西，在开始阶段的确要做出一番小小的努力；但要不了多久，记忆力本身就会起作用，使记忆成为轻而易举的事，只需及早培养，记忆自会成为一种才能。
Following Youth青春的飞逝
There are gains for all our losses.
There are balms for all our pain；
But when youth， the dream， departs
It takes something from our hearts，
And it never comes again.
We are stronger， and are better，
Under manhood's sterner reign；
Still we feel that something sweet
Following youth， with flying feet，
And will never come again.
Something beautiful is vanished，
And we sigh for it in vain；
We behold it everywhere，
On the earth， and in the air，
But it never comes again！
我们失去的一切都能得到补偿，
我们所有的痛苦都能得到安慰；
可是梦境似的青春一旦消逝，
它带走了我们心中的某种美好，
从此一去不复返。
我们变得日益刚强、更臻完美，
在严峻的成年生活驱使下；
可是依然感到甜美的情感，
已随着青春飞逝，
不再返回。
美好已经消逝，
我们枉自为此叹息；
尽管在天地之间，
我们处处能见青春的魅力，
可是它不再返回！
Feeling Of Youth青春常在
No young man believes he shall ever die. It was a saying of my brother’s， and a fine one. There is a feeling of Eternity in youth， which makes us amend for everything. To be young is to be as one of the Immortal Gods. One half of time indeed is flown-the other half remains in store for us with all its countless treasures； for there is no line drawn， and we see no limit to our hopes and wishes. We make the coming age our own—
The vast， the unbounded prospect lies before us.
Deaths， old age， are words without a meaning. That passes by us like the idea air which we regard not. Others may have undergone， or may still be liable to them-we "bear a charmed life”， which laughs to scorn all such sickly fancies. As in setting out on delightful journey， we strain our eager gaze forward—
Bidding the lovely scenes at distance hail！
And see no end to the landscape， new objects presenting themselves as we advance； so， in the commencement of life， we set no bounds to our inclinations. Nor to the unrestricted opportunities of gratifying them. We have as yet found no obstacle， no disposition to flag； and it seems that we can go on so forever. We look round in a new world， full of life， and motion， and ceaseless progress； and feel in ourselves all the vigor and spirit to keep pace with it， and do not foresee from any present symptoms how we shall be left behind in the natural course of things， decline into old age， and drop into the grave. It is the simplicity， and as it were abstractedness of our feelings in youth that (so to speak) identifies us with nature and (our experience being slight and our passions strong) deludes us into a belief of being immortal like it. Our short-lives connection with existence we fondly flatter ourselves is an indissoluble and lasting union-a honeymoon that knows neither coldness， jar， nor separation. As infants smile and sleep， we are rocked in the cradle of our wayward fancies， and lulled into security by the roar of the universe around us0we quaff the cup of life with eager haste without draining it， instead of which it only overflows the more-objects press around us， filling the mind with their magnitude and with the strong of desires that wait upon them， so that we have no room for the thoughts of death.
年轻人不相信自己会死。这是我哥哥的话，可算得一句妙语。青春有一种永生之感——它能弥补一切。人在青年时代好像一尊永生的神明。诚然，生命的一半已消逝，但蕴藏着不尽财富的另一半还有所保留，我们对它也抱着无穷的希望和幻想。未来的时代完全属于我们——
无限辽阔的远景在我们面前展现。
死亡，老年，不过是空话，毫无意义；我们听了，只耳边风，全不放在心上。这些事，别人也许经历过，或者可能要承受，但是我们自己，“在灵符护佑下度日”，对于诸如此类脆弱的念头，统统付之轻蔑的一笑。像是刚刚走上愉快的旅程，极目远眺——
向远方的美景欢呼！
此时，但觉好风光应接不暇，而且，前程更有美不胜收的新鲜景致。在这生活的开端，我们听任自己的志趣驰骋，放手给它们一切满足的机会。到此为止，我们还没有碰上过什么障碍，也没有感觉到什么疲惫，因此觉得还可以一直这样向前走去，直到永远。我们看到四周一派新天地——生机盎然，变动不居，日新月异；我们觉得自己活力充盈，精神饱满，可与宇宙并驾齐驱。而且，眼前也无任何迹象可以证明，在大自然的发展过程中，我们自己也会落伍，衰老，进入坟墓。由于年轻人天真单纯，可以说是茫然无知，因而将自己跟大自然划上等号；并且，由于经验少而感情盛，误以为自己也能和大自然一样永世长存。我们一厢情愿，痴心妄想，竟把自己在世上的暂时栖身，当作千古不变、万事长存的结合，好像没有冷淡、争执、离别的蜜月。像婴儿带着微笑入睡，我们躺在用自己编织成的摇篮里，让大千世界的万籁之声催哄我们安然入梦；我们急切切，兴冲冲地畅饮生命之杯，怎么也不会饮干，反而好像永远是满满欲溢；森罗万象纷至沓来，各种欲望随之而生，使我们腾不出工夫想死亡。
Letting Go Of Yesterday 让昨日随风