pan >作者:道格拉斯·玛拉赫 [美国] If you cannot be a tall pine tree on the top of
mountain Then be a little tree in the valley But to be the best one by the side of brook If you cannot be a big tree Then be a bunch of undershrub If you cannot be a bunch of undershrub Then be a small grass If you cannot be a river deer Then be a small perch. But to be the most active one in the lake We cannot all be the captains Someone must be a sailor There are many things for us to do Either an event or a trifle But what matter most are those happened around
us If you cannot be an avenue Then be a small road If you cannot be the sun Then be a star
【作者简介】 道格拉斯·玛拉赫(1877–1938)美国诗人,短篇小说作者,生于美国密歇根州西部伐木工业中心马斯基根。《做一个最好的你》Being
the Best of Yourself 这首《做一个做好的自己》中,我们看到一个父亲对孩子的殷殷期许:你不必成为人群中最耀眼的那个,尽力把事情做好,同时保持快乐。世界上的大事、小事你都可以去做,但一定从我们身边的事开始。 伯特兰·罗素说,“父亲们最根本的缺点,在于想要自己的孩子为自己争光”。父母对孩子无论垂垂老矣或正当壮年,父母们对孩子的期望从来都不打折扣。道格拉斯·玛拉赫对孩子的祝愿则平实而有深意。 【2】写给未来的你 你可以拼尽全力,变得像他们一样,却不要让他们变得和你一样,因为生命不会后退,也不在过去停留。你是弓,儿女是从你那里射出的箭。弓箭手望着未来之路上的箭靶,他用尽力气将你拉开,使他的箭射得又快又远。怀着快乐的心情,在弓箭手的手中弯曲吧,因为他爱一路飞翔的箭,也爱无比稳定的弓。 ——纪伯伦 纪伯伦简介(点击聆听) Your children are not your children.
你的儿女,其实不是你的儿女。
They
are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
他们是生命对于自身渴望而诞生的孩子。
They come through you but not
from you, 他们借助你来到这个世界,却非因你而来,
And though they are with you, yet
they belong not to you. 他们在你身旁,却并不属于你。
You may give them your love but
not your thoughts, 你可以给予他们的是你的爱,却不是你的想法,
For they have their own thoughts.
因为他们有自己的思想。
You may house their bodies but
not their souls, 你可以庇护的是他们的身体,却不是他们的灵魂,
For their souls dwell in the
house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
因为他们的灵魂属于明天,属于你做梦也无法达到的明天。
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you,
你可以拼尽全力,变得像他们一样,却不要让他们变得和你一样,
For life goes not backward nor
tarries with yesterday. 因为生命不会后退,也不在过去停留。
You are the bows from which your
children as living arrows are sent forth.
你是弓,儿女是从你那里射出的箭。 The archer sees the mark upon the
path of the infinite, 弓箭手望着未来之路上的箭靶,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
他用尽力气将你拉开,使他的箭射得又快又远。
Let your
bending in the archer's hand be for gladness,
怀着快乐的心情,在弓箭手的手中弯曲吧,
For even as
he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is
stable. 因为他爱一路飞翔的箭,也爱无比稳定的弓。