大學雙語美文：爺爺的一封信

One day, a young man was cleaning out his late grandfather's belongings when he came across a bright red envelope. Written on the front were the words, "To my grandson." Recognizing his grandfather's handwriting, the boy opened the envelope. A letter inside read:

有一天，一位年輕人在整理他已故祖父的遺物時，偶然發(fā)現了一個鮮紅色的信封。信封上面寫著“我的孫子親啟”。年輕人認出是他祖父的筆跡，就打開了那個信封，里面的信寫著：

Dear Ronny,

親愛的羅尼，

Years ago you came to me for help. You said, "Grandpa, how is it that you've accomplished so much in your life? You're still full of energy, and I'm already tired of struggling. How can I get that same enthusiasm that you've got?"

多年前，你向我尋求幫助。你問：“爺爺，您是怎么在一生中取得那么大的成就?您仍舊充滿活力，而我已經厭倦了奮斗。我怎樣才能像您那樣充滿活力?”

I didn't know what to say to you then. But knowing my days are numbered, I figure that I owe you an answer. So here is what I believe.

那時候我不知道怎樣回答你。我知道我剩下的日子不多了，我覺得我欠你一個回答。以下就是我所深信不疑的。

I think a lot of it has to do with how a person looks at things. I call it 'keeping your eyes wide open.'

我認為保持活力與一個人如何看待事情息息相關。我把這稱為“保持開闊的眼界”。

First, realize that life is filled with surprises, but many are good ones. If you don't keep watching for them, you'll miss half the excitement. Expect to be thrilled once in a while, and you will be.

首先，你要意識到生活充滿意想不到的事情，而且大部分是驚喜。如果你沒有留意他們，你將失去生活一半的喜悅。期待著時不時感受到驚喜吧，你一定會的。

When you meet up with challenges, welcome them. They'll leave you wiser, stronger, and more capable than you were the day before. When you make a mistake, be grateful for the things it taught you. Resolve to use that lesson to help you reach your goals.

當你遇到挑戰(zhàn)時，樂意地接受他們。他們會令你比以往變得更加聰明、堅強和能干。當你犯錯誤時，是要感激從中學到的教訓，下定決心要利用這些教訓來幫助你達成目標。

And always follow the rules. Even the little ones. When you follow the rules, life works. If you think you ever really get by with breaking the rules, you're only fooling yourself.

總是按規(guī)則辦事，即便是一些小的規(guī)則也要遵守。當你遵守規(guī)則，生活就會順心。如果你認為不遵守規(guī)則也能混得過去，那你只是在愚弄自己。

It's also important to decide exactly what you want. Then keep your mind focused on it, and be prepared to receive it.

明確自己的追求也很重要。明確以后就要專注的投入其中，準備好迎接他。

But be ready to end up in some new places too. As you grow with the years, you'll be given bigger shoes to fill. So be ready for endings as well as challenging beginnings.

做好準備適應新的階段。隨著年齡的增長，你也會被賦予更多的機會。因此，既要準備結束，又要挑戰(zhàn)開始。

Sometimes we have to be brave enough to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Life isn't just reaching peaks. Part of it is moving from one peak to the next. If you rest too long in between, you might be tempted to quit. Leave the past in the past. Climb the next mountain and enjoy the view.

有時我們要勇敢的從熟悉的環(huán)境走向未知的環(huán)境。生活不只是攀上頂峰，從一個頂峰到達下一個頂峰也是生活的一部分。如果你在這過程中停留了太久，那就很有可能會放棄。讓過去的留在過去。攀登下一個高峰，欣賞新的風景。

Dump things that weigh you down emotionally and spiritually. When an old resentment, belief, or attitude becomes heavy, lighten your load. Shed those hurtful attitudes that slow you down and drain your energy.

扔掉仍你情緒低落的事情。當舊的怨恨，信仰或態(tài)度變得沉重，那么不妨輕裝上陣吧。摒棄那些不良的態(tài)度，他們只會讓你步伐緩慢，耗盡你的精力。

Remember that your choices will create your successes and your failures. So consider all the pathways ahead, and decide which ones to follow. Then believe in yourself, get up, and get going.

記住，成功和失敗都取決于你的選擇。所以你要考慮前面所有的道路，決定選擇走哪一條。然后相信你自己，起身，出發(fā)。

And be sure to take breaks once in a while. They'll give you a renewed commitment to your dreams and a cheerful, healthy perception of the things that matter the most to you.

一定要時不時休息一下，休息讓你重新投入你的夢想，對人生最重要的事物有一個積極健康的認識。

Most important of all, never give up on yourself. The person that ends up a winner is the one who resolves to win. Give life everything you've got, and life will give its best back to you.

最重要的是，千萬不能放棄。最終成為贏家的人是那些決心要贏的人。把你擁有的一切貢獻給生活，生活也會把最好的一切回饋給你。

Love always,

Grandpa

永遠愛你的，

爺爺