英語勵志美文：交友的唯一方式

　　The Only Way to Make a Friend 交友的唯一方式

　　SO MANY THINGS affect a man’s philosophy and his life that I find it difficult to put into words my personal beliefs. I hesitate to speak of them publicly for fear of giving the appearance of preaching. Two convictions, however, I believe have more than any others influenced my thinking both in private and in public life.

　　許多事情會影響一個人的人生哲學(xué)和生活，因此我覺得難以用言語來陳述我的信仰。我躊躇著，不愿在公眾面前提到我的信仰，擔(dān)心會因此留給我說教的印象。然而，我相信有兩條信念無論是在公共或是私人生活方面對我產(chǎn)生了深刻的影響。

　　First, commonplace as it may sound, I am convinced that what we get out of life is in direct proportion to what we put into it. Second, I must respect the opinions of others even if I disagree with them.

　　第一條，它可能聽起來像老生常談，我相信我們對生活付出多少，就會收獲多少。第二條，即使我和他人意見不同，我仍然應(yīng)該尊重他們的觀點。

　　Throughout my long and rather busy career I have always held firmly to the belief that I owe life as much as it owes to me. If that philosophy is sound, and I believe it is, it applies, I hope, to all of my activities—to my home, to my daily work, to my polities, and above all things to my relationships to others.

　　在我漫長而忙碌的一生中，我始終堅守一個信念：我對生活付出多少，就會收獲多少。如果這種人生哲學(xué)是正確的，我也相信如此，那么我希望它能適用于我的一切活動——我的家庭，我的日常工作，我的政治活動，尤其是我和他人的關(guān)系。

　　Life is not a one-way street. What I do, what I say, even what I thank, inevitably has a direct effect on my relationships with others. I am certain that in the degree that my attitude towards others has given convincing proof of loyalty, sincerity, honesty, courtesy and fairness, I have encouraged in others the same attitude towards me. Respect begets respect, suspicion begets suspicion, hate begets hate. It has been well said that “The only way to have a friend is to be one.”

　　生活并不是單行道。我的行為、我的言談，甚至我的想法都不可避免地會直接影響我和他人的關(guān)系。我確信我對他人的態(tài)度表明了多少我的忠誠、真摯、誠實、謙恭和公正，我也鼓勵他人以同樣的態(tài)度對待我。尊重他人必被人尊重，懷疑他人必被人懷疑，嫉恨他人必遭人嫉恨。人們常說：“交友的唯一方式就是做他人的朋友。”

　　None of the blessings of our great American heritage of civil liberties is self-executing. To make effective such things as brotherhood, kindliness, sympathy, human decency, the freedom of opportunity, the very preciousness of life—to make these things real requires respect and constant vigilance. This is the core of my American Faith.

　　我們美國公民自由的偉大傳統(tǒng)中沒有任何一項是自動生效的。要使諸如兄弟情誼、仁慈、同情、人類的行為準(zhǔn)則、機會自由以及生命的珍貴等生效——要使這些成為現(xiàn)實，就需要尊重和常備不懈。這就是我的美國信仰之核心。

　　As I have said, I believe I must help to safeguard to all men free expression of their views even though I may be in disagreement with them. I must listen to and study responsible views; sometimes I will learn much from them. No individual and no nation has a monopoly of wisdom or talent. When an individual or a nation becomes self-satisfied or complacent, it is time, I believe, to be deeply concerned. He who closes his ears to the views of others shows little confidence in the integrity of his own views.

　　正如我所說過的，我認(rèn)為我必須幫助所有人捍衛(wèi)他們的言論自由，即使我和他們意見不同。我必須傾聽并研究責(zé)任重大的觀點;有時我會從中學(xué)到很多。任何個人或國家都無法獨享智慧或才能。一個人或一個國家開始驕傲自滿之日，我想，便是它令人深感憂慮之時。對他人的觀點置若罔聞的人事實上是對他們自己觀點的完整性缺乏信心。

　　There can be no question with regard to the inherent rights of Americans to enjoy equal economic opportunity in every field, to secure decent living conditions, adequate provision for the moral and spiritual development of their children, and free association with their fellow men as equals under the law and equals in the sight of God. These rights can be safeguarded and advanced only where men may think and speak freely.

　　毫無疑問，美國人與生俱來的權(quán)利是在一切領(lǐng)域享有平等的機會謀取自身的利益、獲得適當(dāng)?shù)纳顥l件、足夠的經(jīng)濟實力培養(yǎng)孩子的道德和精神、享有在法律和上帝面前平等的身份與同胞自由地交往。只有當(dāng)人們能自由地思考和發(fā)表自己的見解時，這些權(quán)利才能夠得到捍衛(wèi)和發(fā)展。

　　I reject a fundamental principle of democracy if I seek to prevent a fellow citizen of different background from fully expressing his thoughts on any subject. I have tried to express a few of my own thoughts on this subject which is very close to me. I think that we will have good reason for optimism about the future of the American ideal as long as men can and will say, without fear, what they believe.

　　如果我試圖阻止一個具備不同背景的公民就任何話題自由地發(fā)表自己的觀點，那就違背了民主的根本準(zhǔn)則。我已經(jīng)對與我密切相關(guān)的問題表達了自己的一些見解。我想我們理應(yīng)樂觀地看待美國理的未來，只要人們能夠并將無所畏懼地說出他們的信仰。

　　HERBERT H. LEHMAN has had a long and distinguished career in business and public life. For thirty years after his graduation from Williams College in 1899 he engaged in commercial, industrial, and banking activities. In 1928 he was elected Lieutenant Governor of New York, serving for four years. He was elected Governor and served ten years.

　　赫伯特·H·萊曼在商業(yè)和公共事務(wù)領(lǐng)域久負盛名。他1899年畢業(yè)于威廉姆斯學(xué)院，三十年來一直致力于商業(yè)、工業(yè)和銀行事務(wù)。1928年他當(dāng)選為紐約代理州長，任期四年。隨后，當(dāng)選為州長并任職十年。

　　In 1943 he was chosen Director General of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration by the unanimous vote forty-four nations. This organization dispensed over three and a half billion dollars and saved millions of people from starvation. Decorated by many foreign governments for his services to humanity, he also holds the Distinguished Service Medal.

　　1943年經(jīng)過四十四個國家一致投票通過，他當(dāng)選為聯(lián)合國善后救濟總署署長。該組織發(fā)放三十五億五千萬美元，使成千上萬的人免受饑餓之苦。許多外國政府因為他對人類的貢獻授予他榮譽勛章，他還獲得服役優(yōu)異勛章。

　　In 1949 he was elected United States Senator from New York to fill the unexpired term of Senator Robert F. Wagner, and in 1950 was re-elected for a full six-year term.

　　1949年他當(dāng)選為紐約的美國參議員，履行任期未滿的參議員羅伯特·費迪南德·瓦格納的職務(wù)，1950年重新當(dāng)選，任期六年。