最近读了克林顿的自传《My Life》,受益匪浅。克林顿从一个很普通人家的孩子变成了美国总统,其成就不得不令人赞叹。他创造了很多奇迹,包括:美国历史上最年轻的州长(32岁当选州长),以及是美国历史上第三年轻的总统(46岁当选总统)。
在这本自传中,克林顿将自己的一生娓娓道来,其中包括了很多对人生的认识,真是妙语连珠,给人以启迪。在这篇文章中,我将从该书中摘录一些经典的语句,同时附上本人的翻译,供大家品评!
1. Look up to people otherslooked down on, because we’re not so different after all.
对于别人鄙视的人,我们要努力发现他们的优点,因为毕竟我们并没有多大的不同。
2. The necessity of listingshort-, medium-, and long-term life goals, then categorizing them in order oftheir importance, with the A group being the most important, the B group next,and the C the last, then listing under each goal specific activities designedto achieve them.
做这些事情是必要的:列出人生的短期、中期和长期目标,然后根据重要程度将它们归类,其中A组是最重要的,B组其次,C组再次;最后,列出为了达到这些目标需要做的一些具体事情。
3. I always tried to keepthings moving in the right direction, to give more people a chance to livetheir dreams, to lift people’s spirits, and to bring them together.
我一直致力于使事情向着正确的方向发展,给更多的人实现他们梦想的机会,激发人们的热情,并把不同的人团结在一起。
4. What seems funny to thestrong can be cruel and humiliating to the weak.
对于强大的人来说很有趣的事情,对于弱小者来说也许就是很残忍和羞耻的。
5. Though they never hadextra money, they never felt poor as long as they had a neat house, cleanclothes, and enough food to feed anyone who came in the front door. They workedto live, not the other way around.
虽然他们没有多余的钱,但只要有一套整洁的房子、一身干净的衣服,以及足够的食物来供养到家里的陌生人,他们就不会感到贫穷。他们靠自己的双手谋生,除此之外别无他法。
6. No one is perfect but mostpeople are good; that people can’t be judged only by their worst or weakestmoments; that harsh judgments can make hypocrites of us all; that a lot of lifeis just showing up and hanging on; that laughter is often the best, andsometimes the only, response to pain.
没有人是完美的,但大部分人是足够好的;不能在一个人最成功或最落魄的时刻来评判他;对一个人粗略地下结论是伪善的表现;人生贵在执行和坚持;对于痛苦来说,笑是最好的药剂,并且有时也是唯一的应付之道。
7. His love, and the thingshe taught me, mostly by example, including appreciation for the gifts of dailylife and the problems of other people, made me better than I could have beenwithout him.
他的爱,以及他以身作则教给我的道理(包括:对于每一天的感恩和其他人的苦难),使我变得很优秀,比没有他时的我更优秀。
8. I had to face the factthat I was not destined to be liked by everyone, usually for reasons I couldn’tfigure out.
我不得不面对这样一个事实:不是每一个人都喜欢我,但是其中的道理我不是很清楚。
9. The place where secretsare kept can also provide a haven, a retreat from the rest of the world, whereone’s identity can be shaped and reaffirmed, where being alone can bringsecurity and peace.
秘密所在之处就是一个安全的港湾,也是现实世界的逃难之所。在这里,一个人的性格得到了塑造,并且独处能够带来安全感和内心的宁静。
10. Life is comedy and tragedy.
人生就是一出悲喜剧。
11. I will study and getready, and perhaps my chance will come.
我一直在学习和准备,这样也许我的机会便悄然而至。
12. Freedom has manydifficulties, and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wallup to keep our people in.
自由周围困难重重,民主也并非完美,但我们没有必要把别人拒之门外。
13. It was she who taught meto get up every day and keep going; to look for the best in people even whenthey saw the worst in me; to be grateful for every day and greet it with asmile; to believe I could do or be anything I put my mind to if I were willing tomake the requisite effort; to believe that, in the end, love and kindness wouldprevail over cruelty and selfishness.
是她教会了我每天早早起床并力求上进;是她要我努力发现别人的优点,即使他们总是盯着我的缺点;是她要我感恩每一天,微笑每一天;是她让我认识到,只要足够努力,我就会得到我想得到的任何东西;同时,也是她让我明白,爱与友善最终会凌驾于残忍和自私之上。
14. Choosing a career is likechoosing a wife from ten girlfriends. Even if you pick the most beautiful, themost intelligent, the kindest woman, there is still the pain of losing theother nine.
选择一个职业就像从十个女朋友中选出一个妻子,即使你选择了最漂亮的、最聪明的和最善良的,失去其他九个的痛苦依然会伴随着你。
15. I wanted to win and Iwanted to elect a good man who would also be a good President.
我想要赢,我想选出一个好人,同时也是一位好的总统。
16. As long as you don’t quit,you’ve always got a chance.
只要你不放弃,你就总会有机会的。
参考资料:
Bill Clinton,《My Life》,2004。