英语名篇诵读 控制情绪的秘诀

The Secrets of Mastering Emotions

控制情绪的秘诀

The tides advance; the tides recede¹ . Winter goes and summer comes. Summer wanes²

and the cold increases. The sun rises; the sun sets. The moon is full; the moon is black. The birds

arrive; the birds depart. Flowers bloom; flowers fade. Seeds are sown; harvests are reaped. All

nature is a circle of moods and I am a part of nature and so, like the tides, my moods will rise; my

moods will fall.

It is one of nature's tricks, little understood, that each day I awaken³ with moods that have

changed from yesterday. Yesterday's joy will become today's sadness; yet today's sadness will

grow into tomorrow's joy. Inside me is a wheel, constantly turning from sadness to joy, from

exultation⁴ to depression, from happiness to melancholy⁵. Like the flowers, today's full bloom of

joy will fade and withers⁶ into despondency , yet I will remember that as today's dead flower

carries the seed of tomorrow's bloom so, too, does today's sadness carry the seed of tomorrow's

joy.

And how will I master these emotions so that each day will be productive?For unless my

mood is right the day will be a failure. Trees and plants depend on the weather to flourish but I

make my own weather, yea I transport it with me.

And how will I master my emotions so that every day is a happy day, and a productive one? I

will learn this secret of the ages:Weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his actions; strong

is he who forces his actions to control his thoughts. Each day, when I awaken, I will follow this

plan of battle before I am captured by the forces of sadness, self-pity and failure —

If I feel depressed⁷ I will sing.

If I feel sad I will laugh.

If I feel ill I will double my labor⁸.

If I feel fear I will plunge⁹ ahead.

If I feel inferior I will wear new garments.

If I feel uncertain I will raise my voice.

If I feel poverty I will think of wealth to come.

If I feel incompetent¹⁰ I will remember past success.

If I feel insignificant¹¹ I will remember my goals.

Henceforth, I will know that only those with inferior ability can always be at their best, and I

am not inferior. There will be days when I must constantly struggle against forces which would

tear me down. Those such as despair and sadness are simple to recognize but there are others

which approach with a smile and the hand of friendship and they can also destroy me. Against

them, too, I must never relinquish¹² control —

If I become overconfident I will recall my failures.

If I overindulge I will think of past hungers.

If I feel complacency I will remember my competition.

If I enjoy moments of greatness I will remember moments of shame.

If I feel all-powerful I will try to stop the wind.

If I attain¹³ great wealth I will remember one unfed mouth.

If I become overly proud I will remember a moment of weakness.

If I feel my skill is unmatched I will look at the stars.

Henceforth I will recognize and identify the mystery of moods in all mankind, and in me.

From this moment I am prepared to control whatever personality awakes in me each day. I will

master moods through positive action and when I master my moods I will control my destiny. I

will become master of myself. I will become great.

潮起潮落，冬去夏来，暑消寒长，日升日落，月圆月缺，雁来雁往，花开花谢，播种

收获。自然万物都在循环变化中，而我，自然之子，和潮汐一样，我的情绪也时落时涨。

这是大自然耍的一个难以理解的戏法：每天我都带着不同于昨天的情绪醒来。昨天的

欢乐变成今天的哀伤，可是今天的哀伤又会变成明天的欢乐。在我的内心有一只巨大的轮

子，不断地从哀伤转向欢乐，从狂喜转向沮丧，从幸福转向忧郁。跟鲜花一样，今天盛开

的欢乐，会凋谢枯萎成为沮丧。可是我将记住，今天枯萎的花朵携带着明天绽放的种子。

所以同样地，今天的哀伤也携带着明天欢乐的种子。

我怎样控制好情绪，让每一天都卓有成效呢？因为除非我的情绪对头，否则当天就会

以失败告终。树木植物靠天气茂盛，我要创造属于自己的天气，甚至我让它随身同行。

我怎样控制好情绪，让每一天都快乐而又有收获呢？我要学会这条千古秘诀：让思想

控制行为是弱者，迫使行为控制思想才是强者。每天我醒来，在我被哀伤、自怜和失败俘

获之前，我将按照这样的作战方案行事——

感到压抑就放声歌唱。

感到哀伤就畅怀大笑。

感到不适就加倍工作。

感到畏惧就勇往直前。

感到自惭形秽就穿上新衣服。

感到犹豫不决就提高嗓门。

感到贫困就想象财富将至。

感到力不从心就回忆往昔的成功。

感到无足轻重就铭记自己的目标。

从今以后，我将明白，只有能力低下的人才能够一直处于最佳状态，而我，不是能力

低下的人。会有那么些日子，我必须和把我折腾得狼狈不堪的势力不断地斗争。像绝望和

哀伤这些，简单而易识别。可是也有一些带着微笑、向我伸出友谊之手、却要置我于死地

的势力，同它们斗争，我决不能放弃控制情绪——

骄傲自负时就追寻失败的记忆。

沉湎享乐时就想到挨饿的从前。

沾沾自喜时就想到过去的竞争。

觉得自己了不得时就想到经受过的耻辱。

自以为是时看看能否让风儿止步。

腰缠万贯时想想饥寒之人。

骄傲自满时就想想自己曾经的软弱。

不可一世时抬起头仰望浩瀚的星空。

从今以后，我将认识到整个人类包括自己情绪的奥秘。从现在起，我做好了准备，每

天无论自己有什么个性的情感出现，都加以控制。我将用积极行动主宰情绪，当我控制了

自己的情绪，我就掌握了自己的命运。我会成为自己的主人，成就大事。

1 recede   

vi.退(去)，渐渐远去；向后倾斜，缩进

参考例句：

• The colleges would recede in importance.大学的重要性会降低。
• He saw that the dirty water had begun to recede.他发现那污浊的水开始往下退了。

2 wanes   

v.衰落( wane的第三人称单数 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡

参考例句：

• The moon waxes till it becomes full, and then wanes. 月亮渐盈，直到正圆，然后消亏。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The moon waxes and wanes every month. 月亮每个月都有圆缺。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 awaken   

vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起

参考例句：

• Old people awaken early in the morning.老年人早晨醒得早。
• Please awaken me at six.请于六点叫醒我。

4 exultation   

n.狂喜，得意

参考例句：

• It made him catch his breath, it lit his face with exultation. 听了这个名字，他屏住呼吸，乐得脸上放光。
• He could get up no exultation that was really worthy the name. 他一点都激动不起来。

5 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

6 withers   

马肩隆

参考例句：

• The girl's pitiful history would wring one's withers. 这女孩子的经历令人心碎。
• "I will be there to show you," and so Mr. Withers withdrew. “我会等在那里，领你去看房间的，"威瑟斯先生这样说着，退了出去。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

7 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

8 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

9 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

10 incompetent   

adj.无能力的，不能胜任的

参考例句：

• He is utterly incompetent at his job.他完全不能胜任他的工作。
• He is incompetent at working with his hands.他动手能力不行。

11 insignificant   

adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的

参考例句：

• In winter the effect was found to be insignificant.在冬季，这种作用是不明显的。
• This problem was insignificant compared to others she faced.这一问题与她面临的其他问题比较起来算不得什么。

12 relinquish   

v.放弃，撤回，让与，放手

参考例句：

• He was forced to relinquish control of the company.他被迫放弃公司的掌控权。
• They will never voluntarily relinquish their independence.他们绝对不会自动放弃独立。

13 attain   

vt.达到，获得，完成

参考例句：

• I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。
• His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。