Build Me a Son, O Lord
哦,主啊,给我造就这样一个儿子
by General Douglas A. MacArthur
作者:道格拉斯A.麦克阿瑟将军
Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.
哦,主啊,给我造就这样一个儿子,他将坚强得足以知晓自己的弱点,勇敢得足以面对恐惧;他将在诚然失败时毫不气馁,在胜利中保持谦逊和温文尔雅。
Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be; a son who will know Thee and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.
给我造就这样一个儿子,他将用行动的勇气去实现他的愿望;他将铭记你的教诲,认识自己是获取知识的基石。
Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.
我祈求,别把他引上悠闲与舒适的道路,而要让他在困难与挑战的压力与鞭策之下。让他学会在暴风雨之中挺立;让他学会对那些失败者同情怜悯。
Build me a son whose heart will be clean, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
给我造就这样一个儿子,他将心地纯洁,他的目标高尚;他将在征服他人之前征服自己;他将学会大笑,而决不忘记怎么流泪;他将走向未来,却决不忘记过去。
And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously.
除了所有这一切,我还祈求,赐予他足够的幽默感,那么他可以总是那么庄重,而决不盛气凌人。
Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.
赋予他谦卑的品质,那么他总会记着,伟大之中的纯朴,真正智慧之中的率直,真正强有力之中的温顺。
Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, “I have not lived in vain.”
那么,作为他的父亲,我将敢低语:“这一生我没有白白度过。”