Douglas Malloch
If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill
Be a scrub in the valley—but be
The best little scrub by the side of the rill;
Be a bush if you can't be a tree.
If you can't be a bush, be a bit of the grass
And some highway happier make;
If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass—
But the liveliest bass in the lake!
We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew
There's something for all of us here,
There's big work to do, and there's lesser to do,
And the task you must do is the near.
If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,
If you can't be the sun, be a star;
It isn't by size that you win or you fail—
Be the best of whatever you are!
pine [pa?n] n. 松樹,樹木
scrub [skr?b] n. 矮樹叢,灌木叢
rill [r?l] n. 小河,小溪
muskie [?m?sk?] n. 大梭魚
bass [be?s] n. 鱸魚
道格拉斯·馬洛赫
如果不能做山頂的一棵松,
就做山谷中的灌木吧——但要做
小溪旁最好的灌木,
如果不能做參天大樹,就做低矮樹叢吧。
如果不能做低矮樹叢,就做一株小草吧,
但要做路邊快樂的草兒。
如果不能做大梭魚就做小鱸魚吧,
但要做湖中最活潑的魚兒!
我們不能都做船長,總得有人當船員,
我們每個人都有事要做。
有大事要去做,有小事要擔當,
而必做之事即眼前之事。
如果不能做大路就做一條小徑吧,
如果不能做太陽就做一顆星星吧。
勝負不在于大小,
而在于你是否做到最好。