羊皮卷之八（1）

The Scroll¹ Marked

羊皮卷八

Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.

今天我要加倍重视自己的价值。

A mulberry leaf touched with the genius of man becomes silk.

桑叶在天才的手中变成了丝绸。

A field of clay touched with the genius of man becomes a castle.

粘土在天才的手中变成了堡垒。

A cyprus tree touched with the genius of man becomes a shrine².

柏树在天才的手中变成了殿堂。

A cut of sheep's hair touched with the genius of man becomes raiment for a king.

羊毛在天才的手中变成了袈裟。

If it is possible for leaves and clay and wood and hair

如果桑叶、粘土、柏树、羊毛经过人的创造，

to have their value multiplied a hundred, yea a thousand fold by man,

可以成百上千地提高自身的价值，

cannot I do the same with the clay which bears my name?

那么我们为什么不能使自己身价百倍呢？

Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.

今天我要加倍重视自己的价值。

I am liken to a grain of wheat which faces one of three futures³.

我的命运如同一颗麦粒，有着三种不同的道路。

The wheat can be placed in a sack

一颗麦粒可能被装进麻袋，

and dumped in a stall until it is fed to swine.

堆在货架上，等着喂猪；

Or it can be ground to flour and made into bread.

也可能被磨成面粉，做成面包；

Or it can be placed in the earth and allowed to grow

还可能撒在土壤里，让它生长，

until its golden head divides and produces a thousand grains from the one.

直到金黄的麦穗上结出成百上千颗麦粒。

I am liken to a grain of wheat with one difference.

我和一颗麦粒唯一不同在于：

The wheat cannot choose whether it be fed to swine, ground for bread,

麦粒无法选择是变得腐烂还是做成面包，

or planted to multiply,

或是种植生长。

I have a choice and I will not let my life be fed to swine

而我有选择的自由，我不会让生命腐烂，

nor will I let it be ground under the rocks of failure

也不会让它在失败，

and despair to be broken open and devoured⁴ by the will of others.

绝望的岩石下磨碎，任人摆布。

Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.

今天我要加倍重视自己的价值。

To grow and multiply

要想让麦粒生长、结实，

it is necessary to plant the wheat grain in the darkness of the earth

必须把它种植在黑暗的泥土中，

and my failures, my despairs, my ignorance, and my inabilities

我的失败、失望、无知、无能

are the darkness in which I have been planted in order to ripen⁵.

便是那黑暗的泥土，我须深深地扎在泥土中，等待成熟。

Now, like the wheat grain which will sprout⁶ and blossom only if it is nurtured⁸ with rain and sun and warm winds,

麦粒在阳光雨露的哺育下，终于发芽、开花、结实。

I too must nurture⁷ my body and mind to fulfill⁹ my dreams.

同样，我也要健全自己的身体和心灵，以实现自己的梦想。

But to grow to full stature¹⁰ the wheat must wait on the whims¹¹ of nature.

麦粒须等待大自然的契机方能成熟，

I need not wait for I have the power to choose my own destiny.

我却无须等待，因为我有选择自己命运的能力。

Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.

今天我要加倍重视自己的价值。

And how will I accomplish this?

怎样才能做到呢？

First I will set goals for the day, the week, the month, the year, and my life.

首先，我要为每一天，每个星期、每个月。每一年、甚至我的一生确立目标。

Just as the rain must fall before the wheat will crack its shell and sprout,

正像种子需要雨水的滋润才能破土而出，发芽长叶，

so must I have objectives before my life will crystallize.

我的生命也须有目的方能结出硕果。

In setting my goals I will consider my best performance of the past and multiply it a hundredfold.

在制定目标的时候，不妨参考过去最好的成绩，使其发扬光大。

This will be the standard by which I will live in the future.

这必须成为我未来生活的目标。

Never will I be of concern that my goals are too high

永远不要当心目标过高。

for is it not better to aim my spear at the moon and strike only an eagle

取法乎上，得其中也，

than to aim my spear at the eagle and strike only a rock?

取法中也，得其下也。

Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.

今天我要加倍重视自己的价值。

The height of my goals will not hold me in awe¹²

高远的目标不会让我们望而生畏，

though I may stumble often before they are reached.

虽然在达到目标以前可能屡受挫折。

If I stumble I will rise

摔倒了，再爬起来，

and my falls will not concern me for all men must stumble often to reach the hearth¹³.

我不灰心因为每个人在抵达目标之前都会受到挫折。

Only a worm is free from the worry of stumbling.

只有小爬虫不必担心摔倒。

I am not a worm.

我不是小爬虫，

I am not an onion plant.

不是洋葱，

I am net a sheep.

不是绵羊。

I am a man.

我是一个人。

Let others build a cave with their clay.

让别人作他们的粘土造穴吧，

I will build a castle with mine.

我只要一座城堡。

Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.

今天我么加倍重视自己的价值。

And just as the sun must warm the earth

太阳温暖大地，

to bring forth¹⁴ the seedling¹⁵ of wheat

麦粒吐穗结实。

so, too, will the words on these scrolls¹⁶ warm my life and turn my dreams into reality.

这些羊皮卷上的话也照耀我的生活，使梦想成真。

1 scroll   

n.卷轴，纸卷；(石刻上的)漩涡

参考例句：

• As I opened the scroll,a panorama of the Yellow River unfolded.我打开卷轴时，黄河的景象展现在眼前。
• He was presented with a scroll commemorating his achievements.他被授予一幅卷轴，以表彰其所做出的成就。

2 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

3 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。

4 devoured   

吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光

参考例句：

• She devoured everything she could lay her hands on: books, magazines and newspapers. 无论是书、杂志，还是报纸，只要能弄得到，她都看得津津有味。
• The lions devoured a zebra in a short time. 狮子一会儿就吃掉了一匹斑马。

5 ripen   

vt.使成熟；vi.成熟

参考例句：

• I'm waiting for the apples to ripen.我正在等待苹果成熟。
• You can ripen the tomatoes on a sunny windowsill.把西红柿放在有阳光的窗台上可以让它们成熟。

6 sprout   

n.芽，萌芽；vt.使发芽，摘去芽；vi.长芽，抽条

参考例句：

• When do deer first sprout horns?鹿在多大的时候开始长出角？
• It takes about a week for the seeds to sprout.这些种子大约要一周后才会发芽。

7 nurture   

n.养育，照顾，教育；滋养，营养品；vt.养育，给与营养物，教养，扶持

参考例句：

• The tree grows well in his nurture.在他的培育下这棵树长得很好。
• The two sisters had received very different nurture.这俩个姊妹接受过极不同的教育。

8 nurtured   

养育( nurture的过去式和过去分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长

参考例句：

• She is looking fondly at the plants he had nurtured. 她深情地看着他培育的植物。
• Any latter-day Einstein would still be spotted and nurtured. 任何一个未来的爱因斯坦都会被发现并受到培养。

9 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

10 stature   

n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材

参考例句：

• He is five feet five inches in stature.他身高5英尺5英寸。
• The dress models are tall of stature.时装模特儿的身材都较高。

11 WHIMS   

虚妄，禅病

参考例句：

• The mate observed regretfully that he could not account for that young fellow's whims. 那位伙伴很遗憾地说他不能说出那年轻人产生怪念头的原因。
• The rest she had for food and her own whims. 剩下的钱她用来吃饭和买一些自己喜欢的东西。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

12 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

13 hearth   

n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面

参考例句：

• She came and sat in a chair before the hearth.她走过来，在炉子前面的椅子上坐下。
• She comes to the hearth,and switches on the electric light there.她走到壁炉那里，打开电灯。

14 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

15 seedling   

n.秧苗，树苗

参考例句：

• She cut down the seedling with one chop.她一刀就把小苗砍倒了。
• The seedling are coming up full and green.苗长得茁壮碧绿。

16 scrolls   

n.（常用于录写正式文件的）纸卷( scroll的名词复数 )；卷轴；涡卷形（装饰）；卷形花纹v.（电脑屏幕上）从上到下移动（资料等），卷页( scroll的第三人称单数 )；（似卷轴般）卷起；（像展开卷轴般地）将文字显示于屏幕

参考例句：

• Either turn it off or only pick up selected stuff like wands, rings and scrolls. 把他关掉然后只捡你需要的物品，像是魔杖(wand)，戒指(rings)和滚动条(scrolls)。 来自互联网
• Ancient scrolls were found in caves by the Dead Sea. 死海旁边的山洞里发现了古代的卷轴。 来自辞典例句