英语短篇文章

励志英语文章：The prime condition great secrets of success

It is well that young men should begin at the beginning and occupy the most subordinate positions. Many of the leading businessmen of Pittsburgh had a serious responsibility thrust upon them at the very threshold of their career. They were introduced to the broom, and spent the first hours of their business lives sweeping out the office. I notice we he janitors and janitresses now in offices, and our young men unfortunately miss that salutary branch of business education. But if by chance the professional sweeper is absent any morning, the boy who has the genius of the future partner in him will not hesitate to try his hand at the broom. The other day a fond fashionable mother in Michigan asked a young man whether he had ever seen a lady sweep in a room so grandly as her Priscilla. He said no, he never had ,and the mother was gratified beyond measure, but then said he ,after a pause, “What I should like to see her do is sweep out a room” It does not hurt the newest comer to sweep out the office if necessary. I was one of those sweepers myself.

Assuming that you he all obtained employment and are fairly started, my advice to you is “aim high”. I would not give a fig for the young man who does not already see himself the partner or the head of an important firm. Do not rest content for a moment in your thoughts as head clerk, or foreman, or general manager in any concern, no matter how extensive. Say to yourself ，“My place is at the top.” Be king in your dreams.

And here is the prime condition of success, the great secret: concentrate your energy, thought, and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged. Hing begun in one line, resolve to fight it out on that line, to lead in it, adopt every improvement, he the best machinery, and know the most about it.

The concerns which fail are those which he scattered their capital, which means that they he scattered their brains also. They he investments in this, or that, or the other, here there, and everywhere. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” is all wrong. I tell you to “put all your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket.” Look round you and take notice, men who do that not often fail. It is easy to watch and carry the one basket. It is trying to carry too many baskets，which break most eggs in this country. He who carries three baskets must put one on his head, which is apt to tumble and trip him up. One fault of the American businessman is lack of concentration.

To summarize what I he said: aim for the highest; never enter a bar room; do not touch liquor, or if at all only at meals; never speculate; never indorse beyond your surplus cash fund; make the firm’s interest yours; break orders always to se owners; concentrate; put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket; expenditure always within revenue; lastly, be not impatient, for as Emerson says, “no one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourselves.”

年轻人应该从头学起，担当最基层的职务，这是件好事。匹兹堡有许多大企业家在创业之初都肩负过重任。他们与扫帚结伴，以清扫办公室度过了企业生涯的最初时光。我注意到现在的办公室都配备了工友，这使我们的年轻人不幸丢掉了这个有益的企业教育的一个内容。不过，如果哪一天早晨清扫工碰巧没来，某位具有未来合伙人气质的青年就会毫不犹豫试着拿起扫帚。有一天，以为溺爱孩子的，时髦的密歇根母亲问一位男青年，是否见过像她的女儿普里希拉那样的年轻女郎如此潇洒地在房间里进行打扫。男青年说从未见过，那位母亲高兴的乐不可支。但男青年顿了顿又说: “我想看到的是她能在室外进行打扫”。如果有必要，新来者在办公室外进行打扫并没有什么损失。我本人就曾经是打扫人之一。

假设你们都已就业了，并干的相当出色，我对你们的忠告是要“胸怀大志”。对那些尚未把自己看成是某重要公司的合伙人或花花的年轻人，我会不屑一顾。你们在思想上一刻也不要满足于充当任何企业的首席职员，领班或总经理，不管这家企业的规模有多大。你们要对自己说:“我的位置在最高处”你们要梦寐以求登峰造极。

获得成功的首要条件喝最大秘诀是：把精力和财力完全集中于所干的事业上。一旦开始干那一行，就要决心干出个名堂，要出类拔萃，要点点滴滴地改进，要采用最好的机器，要尽力通晓这一行。

失败的企业是那些分散了资力，因而意味着分散了精力的企业。他们向这件事投资，又向那件事投资，在这里投资，又在哪里投资，方方面面都有投资。“别把所有的鸡蛋放进一个篮子”之说大错特错。我告诉你们，“要把所有的鸡蛋放在一个篮子，然后照管好那只篮子。”注意走位并留点神，能这样做的人往往不会失败。管好并提好那只篮子很容易。在我们的国家，想多提篮子的人打碎的鸡蛋也多。有三只篮子的人就得把一只篮子顶在头上，这样很容易摔倒。美国企业家的一个错误就是缺少集中。

我把所说的话归纳如下：要志在顶峰，千万不要涉足酒吧，不要沾酒，或者仅在用餐时喝点酒；千万不要投机，签署支付的款项时，千万不要超过盈余的现金储备，把公司的利益当成自己的利益，取消订货的目的永远在于挽救货主，集中精力，把所有的鸡蛋放进一个篮子，支出永远小于收入，最后不要失去耐心，因为正如爱默生所说，“除了你自己以外，没有人能哄骗你离开最后的成功。”
 

[励志英语文章： Be a Fighter] [励志英语文章： Six Way to Turn Desires into Gold]

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英语励志文章： Be a Fighter

A young friend of mine asked me in a letter, "What kind of man should I be?" My answer was, "Be a fighter." 

Another friend of mine inquired, "How should I live my life?" Again my answer was, "Be a fighter."

The author of In Praise of the Fighter says:

Riding on the ceaseless rushing torrent of life, I should pursue and overtake it so as to create an even greater and deeper torrent of my own.

If I were a lamp, it would be my duty to light up thick darkness. If I were the sea tide, I would marshal rolling wes to cleanse the beach of all accumulated filth.

This quotation reflects aptly the state of mind of a lighter.

Fighters are badly needed in our time. But such fighters do not necessarily go to the battle- field gun in hand. Their weapons are not necessarily bullets. Their weapons may be knowledge, faith and strong will. They can bring the enemy sure death without drawing his blood.

A fighter is always in pursuit of light. Instead of basking in the sunshine under a clear sky, he holds a burning torch in the darkness of night to illuminate people's way so that they can continue their journey till they see the dawn of a new day. It is the task of a fighter to dispel darkness. Instead of shirking darkness, he bres it and fights the hidden demons and monsters therein. He is determined to wipe them out and win light. He knows no compromise. He will keep on fighting until he wins light.

A fighter is perennially young. He is never irresolute or inactive. He plunges deep into teeming crowds in search of such vermin as flies and venomous mosquitoes. He will fight them relentlessly and refuse to coexist with them under the same sky. To him, life means nothing but continuous fighting. He either survives by winning light, or perishes with his body covered all over with cuts and bruises. In the course of the struggle, it is the "future" that serves as the beacon light to him; the "future" gives people hope and inspiration. He will never lose his youthful vigour.

A fighter will never lose heart or despair. He will pile up broken pieces of brick and stone to rebuild a nine-story pagoda on the ruins of failure. No blows will ever break his will. He will never close his eyes until he has breathed his last.

A fighter is always fearless. His steps are firm. Once he has settled on an objective, he will press right ahead. He is never afraid of being tripped by a stumbling block. No obstacles will ever make him change his mind. His eyes will never be hoodwinked by false appearances. His actions are guided by faith. He can endure any hardships or sufferings while striving to attain his chosen objective. He will never abandon work as long as he is alive.

This is the kind of fighter we now need. He is not necessarily possessed of superhuman capability. He is just an ordinary person. Anyone can be a fighter so long as he has the determination. Hence a few words of mine about "being a fighter" to encourage those young people who wander about in a depressed state, not knowing which way to go.

参考译文：

做一名进攻型战士

一个年轻的朋友写信问我：“应该做一个什么样的人?“我回答他：“做一个战士。”

另一个朋友问我：“怎样对付生活了，我仍旧答道：“做一个战士。”

《战士颂》的作者曾经写过这样的话：

“我激荡在这绵绵不息、滂沱四方的生命洪流中，我就应该追逐这洪流，而且追过它，自己去造更广、更深的洪流。”

“我如果是一盏灯，这灯的用处便是照彻那多量的黑暗。我如果是海潮，便要鼓起波涛去洗涤海边一切陈腐的积物。”

这一段话很恰当地写出了战士的心情。

在这个时代，战士是最需要的。但是这样的战士并不一定要持上战场。他的武器也下一定是弹。他的武器还可以是知识、信仰和坚强的意志。他并不一定要流仇敌的血，却能更有把握地致敌人的死命，战士是永远追求光明的。他并不躺在晴空下享受阳光，在晴夜里燃起火炬，给人们照亮道路，使他们走向黎明。驱散黑暗，这是战士的任务。他不躲避黑暗，却要面对黑暗，跟躲藏在阴影里的魑魅、魍魉搏斗。他要消灭它们而取得光明。战士是不知道妥协的。他得不到光明便不会停止战斗。

战士永远是年轻的。他不犹豫，不休息。他深入人丛中，找寻苍蝇、蚊等等危害人类的东西。他不断地攻击它们，不肯与它们共同生存在一个天空下面，对于战士，生活就是不停的战斗，他不是取得光明而牛存，便是带着满身伤痕而死去。在战斗中力量只有增长，信仰只有加强，在战斗中给战士指路的是“未来”，“未来”给人以希望和鼓舞。战士永远不会失去青春的活力。

战士是不知道灰心与绝望的。他甚至在失败的废墟上，还要堆起破碎的砖石重建九级宝塔。任何打击都不能击破战士的意志。只有在死的时候他才闭上眼睛。

战士是不知道畏缩的，他的脚步很坚定。一旦他认准目标，便会向前走去。他不怕被绊脚石摔倒，没有一种障碍能使他改变心思，假象绝不能迷住战士的眼睛，支配战士的行动的是信仰。他能够忍受一切艰难、痛苦，而达到他所选定的目标。除非他死，否则他决不放弃工作。

这便是我们现在需要的战士。这样的战士并不一定具有超人的能力。他是一个平凡的人。每个人都可以做战士，只要他有决心。所以我用“做一个进攻型的战士”来激励那些还在苦闷中彷徨，不知何去何从的年轻朋友。

 推荐阅读：[英文励志小故事：The Crow and The Pitcher] [英语励志寓言：The Hare And The tortoise]

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