成功之路 The Road to Success

安德鲁·卡内基/Andrew Carnegie

安德鲁·卡内基（1835—1919），美国钢铁大王，生于苏格兰邓弗姆林，1848年随全家迁至美国宾夕法尼亚州阿尔勒格尼。他从13岁起开始打工，进过棉纺厂，当过邮电员，受教育不多，自学成才，并靠个人奋斗兴办铁路，开采石油，建造钢铁厂，终于成为亿万富翁。他晚年热心于慈善事业，著有《财富的福音》等书。1919年因肺炎去世，享年84岁。

It is well that young men should begin at the beginning and occupy the most subordinate positions. Many of the leading businessmen of Pittsburgh had a serious responsibility thrust upon them at the very threshold of their career. They were introduced to the broom, and spent the first hours of their business lives sweeping out the office. I notice we have janitors and janitresses now in offices, and our young men unfortunately miss that salutary branch of a business education. But if by chance the professional sweeper is absent any morning, the boy who has the genius of the future partner in him will not hesitate to try his hand at the broom. The other day a fond fashionable mother in Michigan asked a young man whether he had ever seen a young lady sweep in a room so grandly as her Priscilla. He said no, he never had, and the mother was gratified beyond measure, but then said he, after a pause, "What I should like to see her do is sweep out a room. "It does not hurt the newest comer to sweep out the office if necessary. I was one of those sweepers myself.

Assuming that you have all obtained employment and are fairly started, my advice to you is "aim high" . I would not give a fig for the young man who does not already see himself the partner or the head of an important firm. Do not rest content for a moment in your thoughts as head clerk, or foreman, or general manager in any concern, no matter how extensive. Say to yourself, "My place is at the top. "Be king in your dreams.

And here is the prime condition of success, the great secret: concentrate your energy, thought, and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged. Having begun in one line, resolve to fight it out on that line, to lead in it, adopt every improvement, have the best machinery, and know the most about it.

The concerns which fail are those which have scattered their capital, which means that they have scattered their brains also. They have investments in this, or that, or the other, here, there, and everywhere. "Don' t put all your eggs in one basket" is all wrong. I tell you "Put all your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket." Look round you and take notice, men who do that not often fail. It is easy to watch and carry the one basket. It is trying to carry too many baskets that breaks most eggs in this country. He who carries three baskets must put one on his head, which is apt to tumble and trip him up. One fault of the American businessman is lack of concentration.

To summarize what I have said: Aim for the highest, never enter a bar room; do not touch liquor, or if at all only at meals; never speculate; never indorse beyond your surplus cash fund; make the firm' s interest yours; break orders always to save owners; concentrate; put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket; expenditure always within revenue; lastly be not impatient, for as Emerson says, "No one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourselves."

年轻人从头开始，从底层做起，是一件好事情。匹兹堡许多出类拔萃的企业家在刚入行时，都曾承担过一个重要的职责：他们手持扫帚，在清扫办公室中开始了创业生涯。我注意到，现在的办公室都配置了工友，于是，我们的年轻人便不幸地错过了商业教育中有益的一环。但是，假如某一天早上，专职的清洁工没来，那么具有未来合伙人潜质的小伙子就会毫不犹豫地拿起扫帚。有一次，密歇根一位溺爱孩子并非常时髦的母亲问一个年轻人，是否见过有哪个年轻女士像她的普里茜拉那样潇洒地在屋子里扫地。年轻人回答说从来没有见过，那位母亲高兴坏了。可是他停了一下又说，“我想见到的是她在屋子外头打扫。”必要时，让新来的员工在办公室外扫扫地对他们并没有坏处。我自己就曾经是那些扫地人中的一员。

当你确定已被录用并有了一个公平的起点时，我的忠告是：“确定远大的目标”。对于那些还未把自己看成大公司的未来的合伙人或者老板的人们，我不想多言。不管公司有多大，你都永远不能满足于当一名首席雇员、领班或者总经理。你应当告诉自己：“我的位置在最高层。”成为自己梦想中的国王！

通往成功之路的基本条件和重大秘诀就在于：把你的精力、思想和资本全部集中在你所从事的事业之上。当你投身于一行，你就要下决心在这一行做出一番事业，成为这一行的领军人物，采纳每一点改进意见，采用最好的设备，并尽力精通与之有关的专业知识。

一些公司的失败，就在于资金的分散，而这也意味着其精力的分散。他们四处投资。如果你相信“不要把所有的鸡蛋放在同一个篮子里”，那就大错特错了。我要告诉你们的是：“把所有的鸡蛋都放在同一个篮子里，然后看紧它。”观察周围并仔细留神，任何做到这一点的人都不会失败。照管和携带一个篮子简单，一次性提太多的篮子则很辛苦，而这也是导致这个公司大部分鸡蛋都被摔碎的原因。如果一个人拿了三个篮子，那就意味着他不得不把一个篮子顶在头上，而这个篮子很可能会掉下来并把他绊倒。美国商人的一大错误就在于不能专注于一件事。

我所说的话总结起来就是：要目标远大；不要涉足酒吧；不要喝酒，或者仅在用餐时喝一点；不要做投机买卖；不要签署支付超过储备现金利润的款项；把公司的利益看成是你自己的；只有基于帮助货主的目的才能取消订单；要专注；要把所有的鸡蛋放在同一个篮子里，并且照管好它；量入为出；最后，要保持耐心，因为正如爱默生所说：“只有你们自己，才能扼杀你们本来能够达到的最终的成功。”

历史链接

1885年6月23日，卡内基应邀参加柯里商业学院毕业生的毕业典礼。在毕业典礼上，卡内基对学生做了上面的演讲。本文是对他演讲的节录。

W词汇笔记

occupy ［ˈɔkjupai］v.占据；占领；使忙碌；居住

例 Bostonivy is always ambitious to try to occupy the wall first.

爬山虎总是野心勃勃地企图占领第一寸墙。

janitor ［ˈdʒænitə］n.守卫；门警；看门人

例 If you want to be a janitor, an hour of training might do.

如果你想成为大楼守卫，一个小时的训练就够了。

gratify ［ˈɡrætifai］v.使满足；使满意；使高兴

例 Does it gratify your curiosity?

这是否满足了你的好奇心？

indorse ［inˈdɔ:s］v.签名于票据等的背面；承认；赞成

例 Never indorse beyond your surplus cash fund.

从未背书超出您的现金盈余基金。

S小试身手

年轻人从头开始，从底层做起，是一件好事情。

译__________________________________________________

当你投身于一行，你就要下决心在这一行做出一番事业，成为这一行的领军人物，采纳每一点改进意见，采用最好的设备，并尽力精通与之有关的专业知识。

译__________________________________________________

最后，要保持耐心，因为正如爱默生所说：“只有你们自己，才能扼杀你们本来能够达到的最终的成功。”

译__________________________________________________

P短语家族

They were introduced to the broom, and spent the first hours of their business lives sweeping out the office.

sweep out：清除；扫除

造__________________________________________________

Having begun in one line, resolve to fight it out on that line...

resolve to do sth：下决心做某事

造__________________________________________________