i have a friend named monty roberts who owns a horse ranch in san ysidro. he has let me use his house to put on fund-raising events to raise money for youth at risk programs。

　　我有个朋友叫蒙提·罗伯茨，他在圣思多罗有座牧马场。我常借用他宽敞的住宅举办募款活动，以便为帮助青少年的计划筹备基金。

　　the last time i was there he introduced me by saying, “i want to tell you why i let jack use my house. it all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant horse trainer who would go from stable to stable, race track to race track, farm to farm and ranch to ranch, training horses. as a result, the boy’s high school career was continually interrupted. when he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up.”

　　上次活动时，他在致辞中提到：“我让杰克借用住宅是有原因的。这故事跟一个小男孩有关，他的父亲是位马术师，他从小就必须跟着父亲东奔西跑，男孩的求学过程并不顺利。高中时，有次老师叫全班同学写报告，题目是长大后的愿望。”

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　　坚持梦想的罗伯茨

　　“that night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch. he wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings, the stables and the track. then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch.”

　　“那晚他洋洋洒洒地写了七张纸，描述他的伟大愿望，那就是想拥有一座属于自己的牧马农场，并且仔细画了一张200亩农场的设计图，上面标有马厩、跑道等的位置，然后在这一大片农场中央，还要建造一栋占地4000平方英尺的巨宅。”

　　“he put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher. two days later he received his paper back. on the front page was a large red f with a note that read, ‘see me after class.’”

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　　“他花了好大心血把报告完成，第二天交给了老师。两天后他拿回了报告，第一页上打了一个又红又大的f，旁边还写了一行字：下课后来见我。”

　　“the boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked, ‘why did i receive an f?’”

　　“脑中充满幻想的他下课后带着报告去找老师：‘为什么给我不及格？’”

　　“the teacher said, ‘this is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. you have no money. you come from an itinerant family. you have no resources. owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. you have to buy the land. you have to pay for the original breeding stock and later you’ll have to pay large stud fees. there’s no way you could ever do it.’ then the teacher added, ‘if you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, i will reconsider your grade.’”

　　“老师回答道：‘你年纪轻轻，不要老做白日梦。你没钱，没家庭背景，什么都没有。盖座农场可是个花钱的大工程；你要花钱买地、花钱买纯种马匹、花钱照顾它们。你别太好高骛远了。’他接着又说：‘如果你肯重写一个比较不离谱的愿望，我会重新给你打分。’”

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　　“the boy went home and thought about it long and hard. he asked his father what he should do. his father said, ‘look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. however, i think it is a very important decision for you.’”

　　“这男孩回家后反复思量了好几次，然后征询父亲的意见。父亲只是告诉他：‘儿子，这是非常重要的决定，你必须自己拿定主意。’”

　　“finally, after sitting with it for a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. he stated, ‘you can keep the f and i’ll keep my dream.’”

　　“再三考虑好几天后，他决定原稿交回，一个字都不改。他告诉老师：‘即使不及格，我也不愿放弃梦想。’”

　　monty then turned to the assembled group and said, “i tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. i still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.” he added, “the best part of the story is that two summers ago that same schoolteacher brought 30 kids to camp out on my ranch for a week.” when the teacher was leaving, he said, ‘look, monty, i can tell you this now. when i was your teacher, i was something of a dream stealer. during those years i stole a lot of kids’ dreams. fortunately you had enough gumption not to give up on yours.’”

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　　蒙提此时向众人表示：“我提起这故事，是因为各位现在就坐在200亩农场内，占地4000平方英尺的豪华住宅。那份高中时写的报告我至今还留着。他顿了一下又说：“有意思的是，两年前的夏天，那位老师带了30个学生来我农场露营一星期。离开之前，他对我说：‘蒙提，说来有些惭愧。你读高中时，我曾泼过你冷水。这些年来，我也对不少学生说过相同的话。幸亏你有这个毅力坚持自己的梦想。’”

　　don’t let anyone steal your dreams. follow your heart, no matter what。

　　不论做什么事，相信你自己，别让别人的一句话将你击倒。

　　机遇就存在于生活的细节中。同样的一件事，一个成功的人会看得更多更远……

　　john and bobby joined a wholesale company togther just after graduation from college the same year. both worked very hard. after several years, however, the boss promoted bobby to the posotion of manager but john remained an ordinary employee. john could not take it anymore, tendered his resignation to the boss and complained the boss did not know how to delegate and did not value hard working staff, but only promoted those who flattered him。

　　约翰和博比同年大学毕业后，被同一家批发公司录用。他们二人工作都很努力。然而，几年后，老板提拔博比为部门经理，而约翰还是一名普通员工。约翰再也无法忍受，冲动之下写了一封辞职信，并抱怨老板不会用人，不重用那些敬业的员工，只提升那些奉承他的人。

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　　the boss knew that john worked very hard for the years. he thought for a moment and said, “thank you for your criticism, but i have a request. i hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave. perhaps you will change your mind and take back your resignation.”

　　老板知道这几年约翰工作确实很努力。他想了一会儿说：“谢谢你对我的批评。但是我只有一个请求，我希望在你离开之前再为公司做一件事情。或许到时你会改变决定，收回辞呈。”

　　john agreed. the boss asked him to go and find out anyone selling watermelon in the market. john went and returned soon. he said he had found out a man selling watermelon. the boss asked how much per kg? john shook his head and went back to the market to ask and returned to inform the boss $1.2 per kg。

　　约翰答应了。 老板让他去市场找到一个卖西瓜的人。约翰去了并很快回来。他说他找到了一个卖西瓜的人。老板问他每公斤多少钱？约翰摇摇头，回到市场去问，然后又回来告诉老板每公斤1.2美元。

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　　boss told john to wait a second, and he called bobby to come to his office. he asked bobby to go and find anyone seling watermelon in the market. bobby went, returned and said, boss, only one person selling watermelon. $1.2 per kg, $10 for 10kg, he has inventory of 340 melons. on the table 58 melons, every melon weights about 2 kg, bought from the south two days ago, they are fresh and red, good quality。

　　老板让约翰等一会儿，这时他把博比叫到办公室。他让博比去市场找到一个卖西瓜的人。博比去了，回来之后说：“老板，只有一个卖西瓜的人，每公斤 1.2美元，每10公斤卖10美元。这个人一共有340个西瓜，其中58个放在货架上，每个西瓜重约2公斤，都是两天前从南方运来的，新鲜，红瓤，质量好。”

　　john was very impresed and realized the difference between himself and bobby. he decided not to resign but to learn from bobby。

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　　约翰受到很大的触动，他意识到自己与博比之间的差距。他决定收回辞呈并向博比学习。

　　my dear friends, a more successful person is more observant, thinks more and explores in depth. chances exists in the daily details. for the same matter, a more successful person sees more and farther so that he can find out an opportunity and catch it to realize his aim. if a person sees one year ahead, while another sees only tomorrow. the difference between a year and a day is 365 times, how could you win?

　　亲爱的朋友们，成功的人更善于观察，勤于思考和孜孜探求。机遇就存在于生活的细节中。同样的一件事，一个成功的人会看得更多更远。有人看到一年后的情景，而你只看到明天。一年与一天的差距是365倍，你怎么能赢呢？

Once upon a time, there is a Health and leprosy patient, the disease nearly 40 years, has been lying on the roadside, he said, referring to such people to have the magic of the pool edge. But he lay there nearly 40 years. Still not to the pool half goal.
从前，有个生麻疯病的病人，病了近40年，一直躺在路旁，等人把他指到有神奇力量的水池边。但是他躺在那儿近40年。仍然没有往水池目标迈进半步。

One day, God met him and asked: "Sir, you have to not be healing, the lifting of the disease?"
有一天，天神碰见了他，问道：“先生，你要不要被医治，解除病魔?”

Leprosy patients that said: "Of course! Sinister but good people, they are after nothing but themselves, will not help me."
那麻疯病人说：“当然要！可是人心好险恶，他们只顾自己，绝不会帮我。”

Hearing God, again, he said: "Would you like to be the treatment?"
天神听后，再问他说：“你要不要被医治?”

"We should, of course, to you! But waiting for me to climb over the past, the water dried up."
“要，当然要啦！但是等我爬过去时，水都干涸了。”

God listened to the leprosy patients, then after a little angry, ask him once: "You should not be healing in the end?"
天神听了那麻疯病人的话后，有点生气，再问他一次：“你到底要不要被医治?”

He said: "To!"
他说：“要！”

God replied: "Well, you now stand up on their side to come to the pool, do not always find some reason can not be completed for their own defense."
天神回答说：“好，那你现在就站起来自己走到那水池边去，不要老是找一些不能完成的理由为自己辩解。”

Upon hearing this, and that leprosy patients are deeply ashamed and immediately stood up and went to the water edge, containing the heart of God with his hands a few water to drink. Twinkling of an eye, his struggle for nearly 40 years of leprosy even better!
听后，那麻疯病人深感羞愧，立即站起身来，走向池水边去，用手心盛着神水喝了几口。刹那间，他那纠缠了近40年的麻疯病竟然好了！

人常常会陷于幽暗的人生胡同不能自拔．
People often drop into a gloomy life and are unable to extricate themselves.

有个生活比较潦倒的销售员，每天都埋怨自己＂怀才不遇，命运在捉弄他＂．
There once was a poor and frustrated salesman complaining every day that there was no platform for him to display his ability and the fate was often pulling his legs.

圣诞节前夕，家家户户张灯结彩，充满佳节的热闹气氛．他坐在公园里的一张椅子上，开始回顾往事．去年的今天，他也是孤单一人，以醉酒度过他的圣诞节，没有新衣，没有新鞋，更甭谈新车子，新房子．
At Christmas Eve, every family decorated their houses with lanterns and streamers and it was very festive everywhere. But he was alone sitting in a bench in a park and recalling the past. It was on the same day last year when he was also alone drinking his Christmas day away, without new clothes, new shoes, let alone a new car and a new house.

＂唉，今年我又要穿着这双旧鞋子度过圣诞节了！＂说着准备脱掉这旧鞋子．这时候，他突然看见一个年轻人自己滑着轮椅从他身边超过．他顿悟：＂我有鞋子穿是多么幸福！他连穿鞋子的机会都没有啊！＂之后，推销员做任何一件事都心平气和，珍惜机会，发奋图强，力争上游．数年之后，他终于改变了自己的生活，成了一名百万富翁．
“Damn! I have to spend this Christmas day with these old shoes again.” he signed and began to take off the old shoes. Suddenly, he glanced a young man in a wheel chair passing by him with his hands arduously pushing the wheel forward. It dawned on him that he was so lucky to have shoes to wear while that man did not even have the chance. Afterwards, the sales man did anything with a calm mood and cherished every opportunity to improve himself. He worked hard and tried his best to make a progress every day. Several years later, he eventually changed his life totally and became a millionaire

环顾四周，我们会发觉社会上有许多天生残缺的人，他们对生活充满信心，从不抱怨上天对他们的不公平，不也不乞求他人救济，反而自立自强，脱颖而出，成为有用之才．与他们相比，我们会觉得很惭愧．我们生来五官端正，手脚齐全，却为何厌倦生活厌倦人生，抱怨同事，不满意自己的工作．
If you look all around, you will find there are so many people who were born disabled in the society but they are confident in life and never complain about the unfair destiny. They are also not to beg others’ almsgiving. Instead, they constantly strive to make themselves stronger and more excellent to serve the society. By contrast, we should feel ashamed. We are born healthy, but we are fed up with life; we complain about our colleagues and dissatisfy with our jobs.

也许我们每个人对陷入这种幽暗的人生胡同都感到可怕，但更可怕的是，当你陷入这种危险的境地却浑然不知．
Maybe all of us would feel afraid when we realize we have fallen into such frustrating state of life, but worse is you even do not realize you have fallen into such a jeopardous situation.

“要想出人头地，除了努力工作之外，没有任何捷径，更没有任何替代品。
If you want to stand out among people, there is no shortcut or alternatives for you but hard work.

曾经有一个衣衫褴褛，满身补丁的男孩，跑到摩天大楼的工地向一位衣着华丽，口叼烟斗的建筑承包商请教：＂我该怎么做，长大后会跟你一样有钱？＂
There was once a boy in ragged clothes full of patches running to ask a building contractor who wore the finery with a tobacco pipe in his mouth in a construction site of a skyscraper, "how could I become as rich as you when I grow up ?"

这位高大强壮的建军筑承包商看了小家伙一眼，回答说：“我先给你讲一个三个掘沟人的故事．一个拄着铲子说，他将来一定要做老板．第二个抱怨工作时间长，报酬低．第三个只是低头挖沟．过了若干年，第一个仍在拄着铲子．第二个虚报工伤，找到借口退休．第三个呢？他成了那家公司的老板．你明白这个故事的寓意吗?小伙子，去买件红衬衫，然后埋头苦干,”
With a glance at the boy, the tall and strong-build contractor replied, "I would like to tell you a story first about three diggers. The first digger liked holding a spade without doing anything but saying that he wanted to be a boss in the future. The second digger always liked complaining about the long-time work and his low salary. The third digger liked quietly devoting himself to digging without making any claims. Several years later, the first digger was still holding his spade in the original place and the second took an excuse of work injury for early retirement. Only the third digger became the boss of the building company. Do you understand the moral of this story? Just go to buy a red shirt and work hard."

小男孩满脸困惑，百思不解其中的道理，只好再请他说明．承包商指着那批正在脚手架上工作的建筑工人，对男孩说：＂看到那些人了吗？他们全都是我的工人．我无法记得他们每一个的名字，甚至有些人，根本连脸孔都没印象．但是，你仔细瞧他们之中，只有那边那个晒得红红的家伙．穿一件红色衣服．我很快就注意到，他似乎比别人更卖力，做得更起劲．他每天总是比其他的人早一点上工．工作时也比较拼命．而下工的时候，他总是最后一个下班．就因为他那件红衬衫，使他在这群工人中间特别突出．我现在就要过去找他，派他当我的监工．从今天开始我相信他会更卖命，说不定很快就会成为我的副手．“
The little boy was puzzled and could not figure out the implication of the story. So he asked the contractor to explain further. Pointing to the builders who were working on scaffold, the contractor talked to the little boy, "Look at those people! They are all my workers. I can not remember all of their names, and even I have no impression of some of them. But if you look carefully, you will notice a sunburned man in red among them. I notice him very early. He seems to be working harder with higher spirits than others. He is always the first one to work every day while the last one to leave. It is exactly his red shirt that makes him stand out among all the workers. Now I am about to ask him to be my taskmaster and I believe he will work even much harder from now on. Maybe he will soon be promoted to my assistant.

”小伙子，我也是这样爬上来的．我非常卖力工作，表现得比所有人更好．如果当初我跟大家一样穿上蓝色的工人服，那么就很可能没有人会注意我的表现了．所以，我天天穿条纹衬衫，同时加倍努力．不久，我就出头了．老板注意我，升我当工头．后来我存够了钱，终于自己当了老板．”
"You know, that is also how I got where I am now. I once worked harder and outperformed others. However, if I had worn a blue shirt as other workers did at that time, I would not have been noticed by my boss. So I wore striped shirt every day and worked arduously. Soon my day came, and my boss noticed me and promoted me as taskmaster. After I earned enough money, I also became a boss eventually.

成功只能在行动中产生．付诸行动，这是成功者的共同经验，也是开发生命的必然要求，你越多地开发生命的宝藏你就会越明显地感到行动的重要性，开发生命必须落实到实践行动，瞄准你的生命目标，从现在起就开始行动吧．
Success can only be born in action. Working hard is all winners’ shared and indispensable experience for achieving their dreams in their lives. The more you achieve from your hard work, the greater significance of hard work you will perceive. Life needs action to fulfill and I hope you can set up your goal and start your journey right now.

A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her, She did not know she was going to make it and want to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.
　　有一个女孩向她父亲抱怨她的生活，她觉得凡事都很艰难，不知该怎样挺过去，想放弃。她厌倦了不断的抗争和奋斗，似乎一个问题刚刚解决，另一个问题马上呈现。

　　Her father, a cook, took her to the kitchen, He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire .Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and in the last he placed ground coffee beans. He led them sit and boil, without saying a word.
　　她的父亲是个厨师，他把她带到了厨房。他在三个壶里分别装满了水，然后放到高温的火上烧。很快，壶里的水被煮开了。他往第一个壶里放了些胡萝卜，往第二个壶里放了几个鸡蛋，在最后一个壶里放了些磨碎的咖啡豆，然后，一句话也没说，他由着水把它们煮沸。

　　The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners, He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a mug. Turning to her he asked," Darling, what do you see?"
　　女儿咂巴着牙齿发出声响，不耐烦地等着，对父亲的行为感到很纳闷。大约二十分钟后，父亲关掉了火炉，把胡萝卜捞出来，放到一个碗里。又把鸡蛋拣出来放进另一个碗里，接着把咖啡用勺子舀出来倒进一个杯子里，然后转过头来，对她说，“亲爱的，你看到的是什么？”

　　"Carrots, eggs, and coffee." she replied.
　　“胡萝卜、鸡蛋和咖啡。”她答道。

　　He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots, she did and noted that they were soft .He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee .She smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma.
　　父亲把她带近了这些东西，要她去摸胡萝卜，她摸了之后，注意到，它们变柔软了。然后，他又要她去拿一个鸡蛋并把它敲破，在把壳剥掉之后，她观察了这个煮熟的鸡蛋。最后，父亲要她饮一口咖啡。尝着芳香四溢的咖啡，她微笑起来。

　　"What does it mean, Father?" she humbly asked.
　　“这是什么意思，父亲？”她谦逊地问道。

　　He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity, boiling water, but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and weak. The egg had being fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water. its inside became hardened ,The ground coffee beans were unique ,however ,After they were in the boiling water ,they had changed the water .
　　父亲解释说，这三样东西面临着同样的逆境——煮沸的水。但它们的反应却各不相同。胡萝卜本是硬的，坚固而且强度大，但受到煮沸的水的影响后，它变得柔软而脆弱。鸡蛋本来易碎，薄薄的外壳保护着内部的液体。但是在经历过煮沸的水以后，它的内部却变得坚硬。不过，最独特的却是磨碎的咖啡豆，当它们被放入煮沸的水之后，它们却改变了水。

　　"Which are you?" he asked his daughter.
　　“哪一个是你呢？”他问女儿。

　　When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
　　当逆境找上你时，你该如何应对呢？ 你是胡萝卜、鸡蛋，还是咖啡豆？

Don’t work for money
不做有才华的穷人

　　The world is filled with smart, talented, educated and gifted people. We meet them every day. A few days ago, my car was not running well. I pulled it into a garage, and the young mechanic had it fixed in just a few minutes. He knew what was wrong by simply listening to the engine. I was amazed. The sad truth is, great talent is not enough.
       世界上满坑满谷都是精明能干、才华横溢、学富五车以及极具天赋之人，我们每天都会见到他们。几天前，我的汽车运转不灵了。我把它开进维修厂，一位年轻的机械工只消几分钟就把它修好了。他仅凭倾听发动机的声音就能确定哪儿有毛病，这让我惊奇不已。然而遗憾的是，光有非凡才华是不够的。

　　I am constantly shocked at how little talented people earn. I heard the other day that less than 5 percent of Americans earn more than $100,000 a year. A business consultant who specializes in1 the medical trade was telling me how many doctors, dentists and chiropractors2 struggle financially. All this time, I thought that when they graduated, the dollars would pour in. It was this business consultant who gave me the phrase, “They are one skill away from great wealth.” What this phrase means is that most people need only to learn and master one more skill and their income would jump exponentially3. I have mentioned before that financial intelligence is a synergy4 of accounting, investing, marketing and law. Combine those four technical skills and making money with money is easier. When it comes to money, the only skill most people know is to work hard.
　　我常常吃惊，为什么有才华的人却只有微薄的收入。前几天我听人说，只有不到5%的美国人年收入在10万美元以上。一位精通药品贸易的商务顾问曾经告诉我，有许多医生、牙医和按摩师生活拮据。以前我总以为他们一毕业，财源便会滚滚而来。这位商务顾问告诉了我一句话：“离发大财，他们还差一项技能。”这句话的意思是说，大部分人还需多学习并掌握一项技能，他们的收入才能呈指数倍增长。以前我提到过，财商是会计、投资、市场营销和法律方面的能力综合。将上述四种专业技能结合起来，以钱生钱就会更容易。说到钱，大部分人所知的唯一技能就是拼命工作。

　　When I graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1969, my educated dad was happy. Standard Oil of California had hired me for its oil-tanker fleet. I had a great career ahead of me, yet I resigned5 after six months with the company and joined the Marine Corps to learn how to fly. My educated dad was devastated. Rich dad congratulated me.
　　1969年，我从美国海运学院毕业了。我那有学识的爸爸十分高兴，因为加州标准石油公司录用我为它的油轮队工作。尽管我的未来前程远大，但我还是在6个月后辞职离开了这家公司，加入海军陆战队去学习飞行。对此我那有学识的爸爸非常伤心，而富爸爸则祝贺我做出的决定。

　　Job security meant everything to my educated dad. Learning meant everything to my rich dad. Educated dad thought I went to school to learn to be a ship’s officer. Rich dad knew that I went to school to study international trade. So as a student, I made cargo runs, navigating6 large freighters7, oil tankers and passenger ships to the Far East and the South Pacific. While most of my classmates, including Mike, were partying at their fraternity8 houses, I was studying trade, people and cultures in Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Korea and the Philippines. I also was partying, but it was not in any frat house. I grew up rapidly.
　　对于有学识的爸爸来说，稳定的工作就是一切。而对于富爸爸来说，学习才是一切。有学识的爸爸以为我上学是为了做一名船长，而富爸爸明白我上学是为了学习国际贸易。因此，在做学生时，我跑过货运、为前往远东及南太平洋的大型货轮、油轮和客轮导航。当我的大部分同班同学，包括迈克，在他们的联谊会会堂举办晚会的时候，我正在日本、泰国、新加坡、中国香港、越南、韩国和菲律宾学习贸易、人际关系和文化。我也参加晚会，但不去任何联谊会，我迅速地成熟起来了。

　　There is an old cliché that goes, “Job is an acronym9 for ‘Just Over Broke.’” And unfortunately, I would say that the saying applies to millions of people. Because school does not think financial intelligence is intelligence, most workers “live within their means10.” They work and they pay the bills. Instead I recommend to young people to seek work for what they will learn, more than what they will earn. Look down the road at what skills they want to acquire before choosing a specific profession and before getting trapped in the “Rat Race11”. Once people are trapped in the lifelong process of bill paying, they become like those little hamsters12 running around in those little metal wheels.
　　常言道，“工作(job)就是‘比破产强一点(Just Over Broke)’的缩写”。然而不幸的是，这句话确实适用于千百万人，因为学校没有把财商看作是一种才智，大部分工人都“量入为出”：干活挣钱，支付账单。相反，我劝告年轻人在寻找工作时要看看能从中学到什么，而不是只看能挣到多少。在选择某种特定职业之前或是陷入 “老鼠赛跑(激烈的竞争)”之前，要好好掂量自己到底需要获得什么技能。一旦人们为支付账单而整天疲于奔命，就和那些在小铁轮里不停奔跑转圈的小老鼠一样了。

　　Their little furry legs are spinning furiously, the wheel is turning furiously, but come tomorrow morning, they’ll still be in the same cage: great job.
      老鼠的小毛腿跑得飞快，小铁轮也转得飞快，可到了第二天早上，他们发现自己依然困在同一个老鼠笼里，那就是：重要的工作。

　　When I ask the classes I teach, “How many of you can cook a better hamburger than McDonald’s?” almost all the students raise their hands. I then ask, “So if most of you can cook a better hamburger, how come McDonald’s makes more money than you?” The answer is obvious: McDonald’s is excellent at business systems. The reason so many talented people are poor is because they focus on building a better hamburger and know little or nothing about business systems. The world is filled with talented poor people. All too often, they’re poor or struggle financially or earn less than they are capable of, not because of what they know but because of what they do not know. They focus on perfecting their skills at building a better hamburger rather than the skills of selling and delivering the hamburger.
　　当我在自己教授的班级上问到“你们当中有多少人做的汉堡包能比麦当劳更好”时，几乎所有的学生都举起了手。我接着问，“如果你们当中大部分人都能做出比麦当劳更好的汉堡包，那为什么麦当劳比你们更能赚钱?” 答案是显而易见的：麦当劳拥有一套出色的运营体系。许多才华横溢的人之所以贫穷的原因，就是因为他们只是专心于做更好的汉堡包，而对运营体系几乎一无所知。世界上到处都是有才华的穷人。在很多情况下，他们之所以贫穷、生活拮据或者收入与其能力不相符，不是因为他们已知的东西而是因为他们未知的东西。他们只将注意力集中在提高和完善做汉堡包的技术上，却不注意提高有关汉堡包的销售和送货技能。

if you put a buzzard in a  pen six to eight feet square and entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. the reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of ten to twelve feet. without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.

如果把一只秃鹫放在一个6～8平方英尺的无顶围栏里，这只大鸟尽管会飞，也绝对会成为这栏中之囚。原因是秃鹫从地面起飞前总要先助跑10～12英尺的距离。这是它的习惯，如果没有了足够的助跑空间，它甚至不会尝试去飞，只会终身困囿于一个无顶的小囚笼中。

the ordinary bat that flies around at night, who is a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. if it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is to shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. then, at once, it takes off like a flash.

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晚上飞来飞去的普通的蝙蝠，本是一种在空中极其敏捷的动物，但却无法在平地上起飞。如果被放在地板或平坦的地面上，它就只会无助地挪动，毫无疑问这样很痛苦。除非它到了稍高的位置，有了落差，才可以立刻闪电般地起飞。

a bumblebee if dropped into an open tumbler will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. it never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. it will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.

一只大黄蜂如果掉进了一个敞口平底玻璃杯里，除非有人把它拿出来，否则它就会一直呆在里边直到死去。它永远不知道可以从杯口逃出，只坚持试图从杯底的四壁寻找出路。它会在根本不存在出口的地方寻找出路，直到彻底毁了自己。

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in many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat and the bumblebee. they are struggling about with all their problems and frustrations, not realizing that the answer is right there above them.

其实在很多方面，很多人也像秃鹫、蝙蝠和大黄蜂一样，使尽浑身解数试图解决问题、克服挫折，却没有意识到解决之道就在正上方。

 

Whether sixty or sixteen, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonders, the unfailing childlike appetite of what’s next and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station: so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the infinite, so long are you young.
无论是60岁还是16岁，你需要保持永不衰竭的好奇心、永不熄灭的孩提般求知的渴望和追求事业成功的欢乐与热情。在你我的心底，有一座无线电台，它能在多长时间里接收到人间万物传递来的美好、希望、欢乐、鼓舞和力量的信息，你就会年轻多长时间。

An individual human existence should be like a river—small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past boulders and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more quietly, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being.
人的生命应当像河流，开始是涓涓细流，受两岸的限制而十分狭窄，尔后奔腾咆哮，翻过危岩，飞越瀑布，河面渐渐开阔，河岸也随之向两边隐去，最后水流平缓，森森无际，汇入大海之中，个人就这样毫无痛苦地消失了。

Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity,of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease.This often exists in a man of sixty more than a boy of twenty.Nobody grows old merely by a number of years.We grow old by deserting our ideals.
青春意味着战胜懦弱的那股大丈夫气概和摈弃安逸的那种冒险精神。往往一个60岁的老者比一个20岁的青年更多一点这种劲头。人老不仅仅是岁月流逝所致，更主要的是不思进取的结果。

Years may wrinkle the skin,but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust.
光阴可以在颜面上留下印记，而热情之火的熄灭则在心灵上刻下皱纹。烦恼、恐惧、缺乏自信会扭曲人的灵魂，并将青春化为灰烬。

 

有时候，你送给自己的礼物才是最好的礼物。那个圣诞节，我送给自己的是肯定和许诺，肯定自己过去的努力，许诺自己将不惧一切，奋勇向前。那是我曾收到过的最好的礼物，我最珍惜的圣诞礼物。

that christmas eve, the streets of boston were clogged with tourists and locals bundled in wool and flannel. shoppers, hawkers, and gawkers whirled and swirled around me."frosty the snowman," "let it snow!" and "jingle bells" played in stores; on the sidewalks, the street musicians did their best. everyone, it seemed, was accompanied by someone else smiling or laughing. i was alone.

the eldest of a puerto rican family of 11 children growing up in newyork’scrowdedtenements, i’d spent much of my life seeking solitude. now, finally, at 27, a college student in the midst of a drown-out breakup of a seven-year relationship, i contemplated what i’d so craved, but i wasn’t quite sure i liked it. every part of me wanted to be alone, but not at christmas. my family had returned to puerto rico, my friends had gone home during the holiday break, and my acquaintances were involved in their own lives. dusk was falling, and the inevitable return to my empty apartment brought tears to my eyes.blinking lights from windows and around doors beckoned, and i wished someone would emerge from one of those homes to ask me inside to a warm room with a christmas tree decorated with tinsel, its velvet skirt sprinkled with shiny fake snow and wrapped presents.

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i stopped at the local market, feeling even more depressed as people filled their baskets with goodies. dates and dried figs, walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts in their shells reminded me of the gifts we received as children in puerto rico on christmas day, because the big gifts were given on the morning of the feast of the epiphany, on january 6. i missed my family: their rambunctious parties; the dancing; the mounds of rice with pigeon peas; the crusty, garlicky skin on the pork roast; the plantain and yucca pasteles wrapped in banana leaves. i wanted to cry for wanting to be alone and for having achieved it.

in front of the church down the street, a manger had been set up, with mary, joseph, and the barn animals in expectation of midnight and the arrival of baby jesus. i stood with my neighbors watching the scene, some of them crossing themselves, praying. as i walked home, i realized that the story of joseph and mary wandering from door to door seeking shelter was much like my own history. leaving puerto rico was still a wound in my soul as i struggled with who i had become in 15 years in the united states. i’d mourned the losses, but for the first time, i recognized whati’d gained. i was independent, educated, healthy, and adventurous. my life was still before me, full of possibility.

sometimes the best gift is the one you give yourself. that christmas, i gave myself credit for what i’d accomplished so far and permission to go forward, unafraid. it is the best gift i’ve ever received, the one that i most treasure.