Build Me a Son

General Douglas A. MacArthur

Build me a son, 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.

啊，上帝，請(qǐng)請(qǐng)我造就這樣一個(gè)兒子，他將堅(jiān)強(qiáng)足以認(rèn)識(shí)自己的弱點(diǎn)，勇敢得足以面對(duì)恐懼，在遇到正當(dāng)?shù)拇煺蹠r(shí)能夠昂首而不卑躬屈膝，在勝利時(shí)能謙遜而不趾高氣揚(yáng)。

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.

請(qǐng)給我造就這樣一個(gè)兒子，他不會(huì)用愿望代替行動(dòng)，將牢記你的教誨――認(rèn)識(shí)自己是認(rèn)識(shí)世界的奠基石。

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，請(qǐng)不要把他引上平靜安逸的道路，而要把他置于困難和挑戰(zhàn)的考驗(yàn)和激勵(lì)之下，讓他學(xué)會(huì)在暴風(fēng)雨中挺立，讓他學(xué)會(huì)對(duì)那些失敗者富于憐憫。

ll be clear, 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.

請(qǐng)給我造就這樣一個(gè)兒子，他將心地潔凈，目標(biāo)高尚；他將在征服別人之前先征服自己，他將擁有未來，但永遠(yuǎn)不忘記過去。

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. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.

Then, I, his father, will dare to whisper "I have not lived in vain".

我祈求，除了上述的一切，請(qǐng)賜他足夠的幽默感，這樣他可以永遠(yuǎn)莊重，但不至于盛氣凌人；賦他以謙卑的品質(zhì)，這樣他可能永遠(yuǎn)銘記在心：真正的偉人也要真誠(chéng)率直，真正的賢人也要虛懷若谷，真正的強(qiáng)者也要溫文爾雅。那么，作為他父親的我就將敢于對(duì)人低語：“我這一生沒有白過。”