1、Application and Perseverance Give Results 努力勤奮并且持之以恒終結(jié)碩果The greatest results in life are usually attained by simple means, and the exercise of ordinary qualities. The common life of every day, with its cares, necessities, and duties, affords ample （充足的）opportunity for acquiring experience of the bes

2、t kind; and its most beaten paths provide the true worker with abundant （充裕的）scope for effort and room for self-improvement. The road of human welfare lies along the old highway of steadfast well-doing; and they who are the most persistent, and work in the truest spirit, will usually be the most suc

3、cessful.人生最大的成就通常是運(yùn)用簡(jiǎn)單的方法和一般的才能獲得的。每天的日常 生活以及生活中的種種憂慮、不可避免之事和職責(zé)給人們提供了取得最好經(jīng)驗(yàn)的 眾多機(jī)會(huì)；生活中那些被走的最多的道路給真正的工作者提供了大量努力奮斗和 自我提升的空間。人類幸福之路就是堅(jiān)定不移沿著做好事的康莊大道前進(jìn)；那些 最堅(jiān)毅而又最富有工作精神的人常常會(huì)取得最大的成功。Fortune has often been blamed for her blindness; but fortune is not so blind as men are. Those who look into practical life （觀

4、察實(shí)際生活） will find that fortune is usually on the side of（支持）the industrious, as the winds and waves are on the side of the best navigators. In the pursuit of even the highest branches of human inquiry, commoner qualities are found the most useful-such as common sense, attention, application, and pers

5、everance.運(yùn)氣經(jīng)常因?yàn)樗拿つ啃远鴤涫苤肛?zé)；但是運(yùn)氣并不像人類那樣盲目。那些 洞察實(shí)際生活的人們會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)運(yùn)氣通常站在勤奮勞作的人這一邊，正如風(fēng)浪永遠(yuǎn)支 持最優(yōu)秀的航海家一樣。甚至在對(duì)人類探索的最高學(xué)科的追求中，也會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)那些 普通的品質(zhì)是最有用的諸如常識(shí)、專注力、勤奮和堅(jiān)持。Genius may not be necessary, even though genius of the highest sort does not disdain the use of these ordinary qualities. The very greatest men have been among

6、the least believers in the power of genius, and as worldly wise （善于處世）and persevering as successful men of the commoner sort. Some have even defined genius to be only common sense intensified. A distinguished teacher and president of a college spoke of it as the power of making efforts. John Foster

7、held it to be the power of lighting ones own fire （點(diǎn)燃自己熱情的力量）.Buffon said of genius it is patience.天賦或許不是必需的，即使是那些最具天賦的人也不能輕視對(duì)于一般才能的 使用。最偉大的人物位身于最不相信天賦力量的人們之中，他們像普通的成功者 一樣，是精于世故和鍥而不舍的。一些人甚至將天賦定義為只是增強(qiáng)（成功機(jī)會(huì)） 的常識(shí)。一位杰出的教師兼大學(xué)校長(zhǎng)把天賦說成是努力的力量。約翰福斯特認(rèn)為 天賦是點(diǎn)燃自己火熱激情的力量。布豐說天賦就是“耐心”。Newtons was unquestionably a mi

8、nd of the very highest order, and yet, when asked by what means he had worked out his extraordinary discoveries, he modestly answered, By always thinking into them. At another time he thus expressed his method of study: I keep the subject continually before me, and wait till the first dawns open slo

9、wly little by little into a full and clear light. It was in Newtons case, as in every other, only by diligent application and perseverance that his great reputation was achieved. Even his recreation consisted in change of study, laying down one subject to take up another. To Dr. Bentley he said: If

10、I have done the public any service, it is due to nothing but industry and patient thought.毋庸置疑，牛頓（的頭腦）是最富智慧的頭腦，然而當(dāng)問到他是用什么方 式取得了那些非凡的成就時(shí)，他謙虛地回答：“通過對(duì)問題不斷地思考。”另一次 他也是這樣表述他的研究方法：“我讓那些問題不斷的呈現(xiàn)在我的面前，一直等 到最初的靈感慢慢一點(diǎn)一點(diǎn)地變成完全清晰明亮的思維。”牛頓的事例和其他事 例一樣，正是靠孜孜不倦的努力奮斗和堅(jiān)持不懈的精神毅力，他才獲得了極大的 聲望。甚至在他娛樂的時(shí)候都是變換著科目來進(jìn)行研究。他對(duì)本特利博士

11、說：“如 果我對(duì)社會(huì)做了任何貢獻(xiàn)的話，那完全歸功于勤奮和耐心的思考。”The extraordinary results effected by dint of （憑借； 通過）sheer industry and perseverance, have led many distinguished men to doubt whether the gift of genius be so exceptional an endowment as it is usually supposed to be. Thus Voltair （伏爾泰） held that it is only a very

12、 slight line of separation that divides the man of genius from the man of ordinary mould. Beccaria （拜克雷亞）was even of opinion that all men might be poets and orators, and Reynolds （雷諾茲）that they might be painters and sculptors. If this were really so, that stolid Englishman might not have been so ver

13、y wrong after all（那么這位不動(dòng)感情的英國(guó)人犯的錯(cuò)誤歸根結(jié)底也不算太大了）， who, on Canovas death, inquired of his brother whether it was his intention to carry on the business!.憑借十足的勤奮與毅力所取得的非凡成就，已經(jīng)引起了許多名人去懷疑天 才的天賦是否真像通常認(rèn)為的那樣，是種極為異常的天資。因此，伏爾泰認(rèn)為天 才和一般類型的人之間只存在著非常細(xì)微的區(qū)分界限。拜克雷亞甚至認(rèn)為所有人 都可能成為詩人和演說家，雷諾茲則認(rèn)為所有的人都可能成為畫家和雕塑家。如 果真是這樣的話，那么

14、這位不動(dòng)感情的英國(guó)人（雷諾茲）犯的錯(cuò)誤歸根結(jié)底也不 算太大了，他（雷諾茲）在卡諾瓦臨死之際，詢問他（雷諾茲）的兄弟是否“打 算繼續(xù)（繼承）他（雷諾茲）的事業(yè)（雕塑）！”。Locke （洛克），Helvetius （愛爾維休），and Diderot （狄得羅）believed that all men have an equal aptitude for genius, and that what some are able to effect, under the laws which regulate the operations of the intellect, must also b

15、e within the reach of others who, under like circumstances, apply themselves to like pursuits. But while admitting to the fullest extent the wonderful achievements of labor, and recognizing the fact that men of the most indefatigable （不知疲倦的）workers, it mustnevertheless be sufficiently obvious that,

16、without the original endowment of heart and brain, no amount of labor, however well applied, could have produced a Shakespeare, a Newton, a Beethoven, or a Michelangelo.洛克、愛爾維休和狄德羅都相信所有的人都有相同的天賦，在規(guī)范智者活 動(dòng)的規(guī)則之下，有些人所夠受到（規(guī)則的）影響（而成功），其他的人在相似的 環(huán)境下致力于相似的追求，也一定能取得成功的。但是，在最大程度上承認(rèn)勞動(dòng) 的了不起的成就，承認(rèn)（最富智慧的天才人物永遠(yuǎn)是）最不

17、知疲倦的工作者這一事 實(shí)的同時(shí)，無論怎樣都必然足夠明顯的是，假如沒有心靈和頭腦最初的天資，無 論多么大量的勞動(dòng)應(yīng)用得多么恰當(dāng)，都創(chuàng)造不出一位莎士比亞、牛頓、貝多芬或 者米開朗琪羅。Dalton （道爾頓），the chemist, repudiated the notion of his being a genius, attributing everything which he had accomplished to simple industry and accumulation. John Hunter （約翰.亨特）said of himself, My mind is like a

18、 beehive; but full as it is of buzz and apparent confusion, it is yet full of order and regularity, and food collected with incessant industry from the choicest stores of nature. We have, indeed, but to glance at the biographies of great men to find that the most distinguished inventors, artists, th

19、inkers, and workers of all kinds, owe their success, in a great measure, to their indefatigable industry and application. They were men who turned all things to gold-even time itself.化學(xué)家道爾頓拒絕接受他是“天才”這一觀點(diǎn)，他把所有取得的成就完全 歸功于單純地勤奮和積累。約翰亨特談到自己時(shí)說：“我的腦袋像個(gè)蜂巢；里面 充滿的是嗡嗡聲和明顯的混亂，然而（同時(shí)）又富有條理和規(guī)律性，還有以不間 斷的勤奮從大自然最優(yōu)質(zhì)的

20、儲(chǔ)藏室中收集而來的食物。”的確，只要我們?yōu)g覽一 下偉人們的傳記就會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)，那些最杰出的發(fā)明家、藝術(shù)家、思想家以及各行各業(yè) （成功）的工作者，在很大程度上都把成功歸功于他們不知疲倦的勞作。他們是 那些把一切甚至?xí)r間本身變成黃金的人。D lsraeli （迪斯累）the elder held that the secret of success consisted in being master of your subject, such mastery being attainable only through continuous application and study. Hence it

21、happens that the men who have most moved the world, have not been so much men of genius, strictly so called, as （不是而是） men ofintense mediocre （普通）abilities, and untiring perseverance; not so often the gifted, of naturally bright and shining qualities, as those who have applied themselves diligently

22、to their work, in whatsoever line that might lie. Alas! said a widow, speaking of her brilliant but careless son, he has not the gift of continuance. Wanting in perseverance （缺乏毅力），such volatile natures are outstripped in the race of life by the diligent and even the dull. Who goes slowly, goes long

23、, and goes far, says the Italian proverb.迪斯累里堅(jiān)持認(rèn)為成功的秘訣在于精通你的專業(yè)（領(lǐng)域），這種精通只有 通過不斷努力和研究才能達(dá)到。因此，那些最令世人感動(dòng)的人，嚴(yán)格意義來上說 不是那些天才，而正是那些熱情的、擁有普通能力而堅(jiān)持不懈的人；他們經(jīng)常不 是天生聰明才華橫溢的人，而是那些投身于自己的行業(yè)在任何情況下都肯埋頭苦 干的人。“哎呀！ ”一位寡婦說到她的才華出眾而粗心大意的兒子時(shí)說，“他沒有 持之以恒的品質(zhì)。”缺乏毅力，在生存的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)中，那些善變的人就被勤奮甚至遲 鈍的人所超越。意大利有句格言是：走得慢，走得久的人，才能走得遠(yuǎn)。Hence, a gre

24、at point to be aimed at is to get the working quality well trained. When that is done, the race will be found comparatively easy. We must repeat and again repeat; facility will come with labor. Not even the simplest art can be accomplished without it; and what difficulties it is found capable of ach

25、ieving! It was by early discipline and repetition that Sir Robert Peel （羅伯特.皮爾爵士）cultivated those remarkable, though still mediocre powers, which rendered him so illustrious an ornament of the British Senate.因此，（如果）心中有宏大的目標(biāo)（首先）就要練好工作本領(lǐng)。當(dāng)本領(lǐng)練 好了，就會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)（工作的）競(jìng)爭(zhēng)相對(duì)來說就比較容易了。我們必須百煉成鋼；熟 能生巧。沒有這一點(diǎn)，即使最簡(jiǎn)單的工藝也不能完成

26、；掌握了這一點(diǎn)，就會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn) 無論多么困難都能取得成功！羅伯特皮爾爵士就是靠早期的訓(xùn)練和重復(fù)培養(yǎng)了非 凡卓越（的能力），盡管只是普通之才，（這些才能）也使他為英國(guó)參議院增輝不 少。When he was a boy at Drayton Manor, his father was accustomed to set him up at table to practice speaking extempore （即席地）and he early accustomed him to repeat as much of the Sundays sermon as he could remember. L

27、ittle progress was made at first, but by steady perseverance the habit of attention became powerful, and the sermon was at length repeated almost verbatim （一字不差地）.When afterwards replying in succession to the arguments of his parliamentary opponents-an art in which he was perhaps unrivalled-it was l

28、ittle surmised that the extraordinary power of accurate remembrance which he displayed on such occasions had been originally trained under the discipline of his father in the parish church of Drayton.在德雷頓莊園，當(dāng)他（羅伯特皮爾爵士）還是一個(gè)小孩的時(shí)候，他父親 總是讓他坐在桌旁練習(xí)即席演講；并且很早使他習(xí)慣于盡量多的重復(fù)他所記得的 禮拜天的布道文。起初進(jìn)步很小，但通過堅(jiān)持不懈的努力，集中注意力的

29、習(xí)慣變 得富有成效，終于他幾乎能夠把布道文逐字詳盡的復(fù)述出來。當(dāng)后來在議會(huì)上回 應(yīng)對(duì)手一個(gè)接一個(gè)的爭(zhēng)論時(shí)他的辯論技巧或許是無人能敵的很難猜到他在這種場(chǎng)合展現(xiàn)出的非凡的準(zhǔn)確記憶力最初是在德雷頓牧區(qū)教堂里他父 親的訓(xùn)練之下養(yǎng)成的。It is indeed marvelous what continuous application will effect in the commonest of things. It may seem a simple affair to play upon a violin; yet what a long and laborious practice it req

30、uires! Giardini said to a youth who asked him how long it would take to learn it, Twelve hours a day for twenty years together. Industry, it is said, makes the bear dance. The poor ballet dancer must devote years of incessant toil to her profitless task before she can shine in it. When the ballet da

31、ncer Taglioni was preparing herself for her evening exhibition, she would, after a severe two hours lesson from her father, fall down exhausted, and had to be undressed, sponged, and resuscitated from being totally unconscious. The agility （敏捷；靈活）and bounds of the evening were insured only at a pric

32、e like this.最普通的事情只要堅(jiān)持不懈的努力去做，也一定會(huì)產(chǎn)生了不起的（結(jié) 果）。演奏小提琴似乎是件簡(jiǎn)單的事情；然而（就這件簡(jiǎn)單的事情）需要多么長(zhǎng) 期和艱苦的練習(xí)呀！基阿迪尼對(duì)一位問他學(xué)會(huì)拉小提琴需要多長(zhǎng)時(shí)間的青年說： “每天12小時(shí)，連續(xù)20年。”據(jù)說，勤奮可使熊跳舞。可憐的芭蕾舞演員必須 經(jīng)過多年不斷辛勞的訓(xùn)練之后她才能在芭蕾舞舞臺(tái)上大放光彩。當(dāng)芭蕾舞演員泰 格利歐尼準(zhǔn)備晚會(huì)演出時(shí)，在跟著父親上了兩小時(shí)高強(qiáng)度的芭蕾舞課程之后，她 會(huì)精疲力盡跌倒在地，不得不讓別人幫她脫下（舞服），用濕海綿（擦身），使她 從完全失去知覺中蘇醒過來。只有付出這樣高昂的代價(jià)，晚會(huì)演出時(shí)（她自己） 才能保證動(dòng)作靈活、跳躍自如。Progress, however, of the best kind, is comparatively slow. Great results cannot be achieved at once; and we must be satisfied to advance in life as we walk, step by step. De Maistre （麥斯特