英语励志美文：交友的唯一方式

英语励志美文：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.

　　许多事情会影响一个人的人生哲学和生活，因此我觉得难以用言语来陈述我的信仰。我踌躇着，不愿在公众面前提到我的信仰，担心会因此留给我说教的印象。然而，我相信有两条信念无论是在公共或是私人生活方面对我产生了深刻的影响。

　　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.

　　第一条，它可能听起来像老生常谈，我相信我们对生活付出多少，就会收获多少。第二条，即使我和他人意见不同，我仍然应该尊重他们的观点。

　　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.

　　在我漫长而忙碌的一生中，我始终坚守一个信念：我对生活付出多少，就会收获多少。如果这种人生哲学是正确的，我也相信如此，那么我希望它能适用于我的一切活动——我的家庭，我的日常工作，我的政治活动，尤其是我和他人的关系。

　　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.”

　　生活并不是单行道。我的行为、我的言谈，甚至我的想法都不可避免地会直接影响我和他人的关系。我确信我对他人的态度表明了多少我的忠诚、真挚、诚实、谦恭和公正，我也鼓励他人以同样的态度对待我。尊重他人必被人尊重，怀疑他人必被人怀疑，嫉恨他人必遭人嫉恨。人们常说：“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.

　　我们美国公民自由的伟大传统中没有任何一项是自动生效的。要使诸如兄弟情谊、仁慈、同情、人类的行为准则、机会自由以及生命的珍贵等生效——要使这些成为现实，就需要尊重和常备不懈。这就是我的美国信仰之核心。

　　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.

　　正如我所说过的，我认为我必须帮助所有人捍卫他们的言论自由，即使我和他们意见不同。我必须倾听并研究责任重大的观点;有时我会从中学到很多。任何个人或国家都无法独享智慧或才能。一个人或一个国家开始骄傲自满之日，我想，便是它令人深感忧虑之时。对他人的观点置若罔闻的人事实上是对他们自己观点的完整性缺乏信心。

　　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.

　　毫无疑问，美国人与生俱来的权利是在一切领域享有平等的机会谋取自身的利益、获得适当的生活条件、足够的经济实力培养孩子的道德和精神、享有在法律和上帝面前平等的身份与同胞自由地交往。只有当人们能自由地思考和发表自己的见解时，这些权利才能够得到捍卫和发展。

　　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.

　　如果我试图阻止一个具备不同背景的公民就任何话题自由地发表自己的观点，那就违背了民主的根本准则。我已经对与我密切相关的问题表达了自己的一些见解。我想我们理应乐观地看待美国理的未来，只要人们能够并将无所畏惧地说出他们的信仰。

　　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·莱曼在商业和公共事务领域久负盛名。他1899年毕业于威廉姆斯学院，三十年来一直致力于商业、工业和银行事务。1928年他当选为纽约代理州长，任期四年。随后，当选为州长并任职十年。

　　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年经过四十四个国家一致投票通过，他当选为联合国善后救济总署署长。该组织发放三十五亿五千万美元，使成千上万的人免受饥饿之苦。许多外国政府因为他对人类的贡献授予他荣誉勋章，他还获得服役优异勋章。

　　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年他当选为纽约的美国参议员，履行任期未满的参议员罗伯特·费迪南德·瓦格纳的职务，1950年重新当选，任期六年。