In the Orient young bulls are tested for the fight arena in a certain manner. Each is bought to the ring and allowed to attack a picador who pricks them with a lance. The bravery of each bull is then rated with care according to the number of times he demonstrates his willingness to charge in spite of the sting of the blade. Henceforth will I recognize that each day I am tested by life in like manner. If I persist, if I continue to try, if I continue to charge forward, I will succeed. I was not delivered onto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep. I will not hear those who weepand complain, for their disease is contagious Let them join the sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny.
Nor will I allow yesterday's success to lull me into today's complacency, for this is the great foundation of failure. I will forget the happenings of the day this is gone, whether they were good or bad, and greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of my life.
So long as there is breath in me, that long I will persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles of success; if I persist long enough I will win.
譯文:
在古老的東方,挑選小公牛進競技場格斗有一定的程序:它們被帶進場地,向手持長矛的斗牛士攻擊,公牛的勇敢程度是根據(jù)它對著刀鋒進攻的次數(shù)來評定的。從今往后。我須承認,我的生命每天都在接受類似的考驗,如果我堅韌不拔,勇往直前,迎接挑戰(zhàn),那么我一定會成功。我不是為了失敗才來的這個世界上的,我得血管里也沒有失敗的血液在流動。我不是任人鞭打的羔羊,我是猛獅,不與羊群為伍。我不想聽失意者的哭泣,抱怨著的牢騷,這是羊群中的瘟疫,我不能被它傳染。失敗者的屠宰場不是我命運的歸宿。
我不因昨日的成功而滿足,因為這是失敗的先兆。我要忘卻昨日的一切,是好是壞,都讓它隨風而去。我信心百倍,迎接新的太陽,相信“今天是此生最好的一天。”
只要我一息尚存,就要堅持到底,因為我已深知成功的秘訣:只要堅持到底,我就會成功。