第6章 Theodore Roosevelt to Ted Roosevelt——Theodore Roosevelt

内容导读

从美国第26任总统西奥多·罗斯福（1858—1919）写给长子的这封信中，我们可以看出天下父母心是惊人地一致，望子成龙的心情扑面而来。在信中罗斯福总统表达了对于教育的理念：体育和学业这两极同样重要；我们在处理两者之间的关系以及任何一个领域内部的时间和精力分配问题上，都需要具有“均衡之感”。

英文正文

It was the greatest fun seeing you,and Ireally had asatisfactory time with you,and came away feeling that you were doing well.I am entirely satisfied with your standing,both in your studies and in athletics.I want you to do well in your sports,and Iwant even more to have you do well with your books.But Ido not expect you to stand first in either,if so to stand could cause you overwork and hurt your health.I always believe in going hard at everything,whether it is Latin or mathematics,boxing or football,but at the same time Iwant to keep the sense of proportion.It is never worthwhile to absolutely exhaust one's self or to take big chances unless for an adequate object.I want you to keep in training the faculties,which would make you,if the need arose,able to put your last ounce of pluck and strength into acontest.But Ido not want you to squander these qualities.To have you play football as well as you do,and make agood name in boxing and wrestling,and be cox of your second crew,and stand second or third in your class in the studies,is all right.I should be rather sorry to see you drop too near the middle of your class,because,as you cannot enter college until you are nineteen,and will therefore be ayear later in entering life,I want you to be prepared in the best possible way,so as to make up for the delay.But Iknow that all you can do you will do to keep substantially the position in the class that you have so far kept,and Ihave entire trust in you,for you have always deserved it.

中文译文

西奥多·罗斯福致特德·罗斯福

西奥多·罗斯福

见到你我再高兴不过了，我们在一起度过了幸福的时光。我觉得你做得很好，离开时我是这么想的。我对你在学习和体育方面的名次十分满意。我希望你体育好，更希望你学习好。但是如果得第一让你用功过度，甚至损害了健康的话，我则不希望你名列第一，无论是在学习上还是体育上。我一直坚信，做任何事都要全力以赴，无论是学拉丁文还是学数学，练拳击或是打橄榄球，但同时也要均衡适度。如果不是为了值当的目标，绝不值得耗尽精力或冒巨大的风险。我要你继续训练能力，一旦需要，就可以拿出全部勇气和力量投入竞争。但我不要你滥用这些能力。你只需保持你在橄榄球上的优势，在拳击和摔跤上赢得一席之地，成为二线队员中的领袖人物，学习上排到班级的二三名，这就足够了。如果你的成绩落到班级的中游，我会很伤心的。因为你要到19岁才能上大学，也就是会晚一年步入社会，因此我要你充分准备，以弥补这一年的耽搁。但我知道，你有能力和意愿，会努力保持住你在班上目前所处的位置。我完全相信你，因为你从未让我失望过。

词汇速记

standing n. 名声；地位

athletics n. 体育运动；竞技

go hard 全力以赴

proportion n. 相称；均衡；调和（尤指平衡及对称方面）

faculty n. 能力，才能

pluck n. 勇气，胆量；毅力

squander v. 挥霍，浪费

substantially adv. 真实地；实在地；有实质地

美句欣赏

① But Ido not expect you to stand first in either,if so to stand could cause you overwork and hurt your health.但是如果得第一让你用功过度，甚至损害了健康的话，我则不希望你名列第一，无论是在学习上还是体育上。

② It is never worthwhile to absolutely exhaust one's self or to take big chances unless for an adequate object.如果不是为了值当的目标，绝不值得耗尽精力或冒巨大的风险。