馬克吐溫致青年朋友的忠告（英文）

本文格式為Word版，下載可任意編輯——馬克吐溫致青年朋友的忠告（英文）

AdvicetoYouth,About1882

MarkTwain|1882

BeingtoldIwouldbeexpectedtotalkhere,IinquiredwhatsortoftalkIoughttomake.Theysaiditshouldbesomethingsuitabletoyouth-somethingdidactic,instructive,orsomethinginthenatureofgoodadvice.Verywell.IhaveafewthingsinmymindwhichIhaveoftenlongedtosayfortheinstructionoftheyoung;foritisinone’stenderearlyyearsthatsuchthingswillbesttakerootandbemostenduringandmostvaluable.First,then.Iwillsaytoyoumyyoungfriends—andIsayitbeseechingly,urgingly—

Alwaysobeyyourparents,whentheyarepresent.Thisisthebestpolicyinthelongrun,becauseifyoudon’t,theywillmakeyou.Mostparentsthinktheyknowbetterthanyoudo,andyoucangenerallymakemorebyhumoringthatsuperstitionthanyoucanbyactingonyourownbetterjudgment.

Berespectfultoyoursuperiors,ifyouhaveany,alsotostrangers,andsometimestoothers.Ifapersonoffendyou,andyouareindoubtastowhetheritwasintentionalornot,donotresorttoextrememeasures;simplywatchyourchanceandhithimwithabrick.Thatwillbesufficient.Ifyoushallfindthathehadnotintendedanyoffense,comeoutfranklyandconfessyourselfinthewrongwhenyoustruckhim;acknowledgeitlikeamanandsayyoudidn’tmeanto.Yes,alwaysavoidviolence;inthisageofcharityandkindliness,thetimehasgonebyforsuchthings.Leavedynamitetothelowandunrefined.

Gotobedearly,getupearly-thisiswise.Someauthoritiessaygetupwiththesun;somesaygetupwithonething,otherswithanother.Butalarkisreallythebestthingtogetupwith.Itgivesyouasplendidreputationwitheverybodytoknowthatyougetupwiththelark;andifyougettherightkindoflark,andworkathimright,youcaneasilytrainhimtogetupathalfpastnine,everytime—it’snotrickatall.

Nowastothematteroflying.Youwanttobeverycarefulaboutlying;otherwiseyouarenearlysuretogetcaught.Oncecaught,youcanneveragainbeintheeyestothegoodandthepure,whatyouwerebefore.Manyayoungpersonhasinjuredhimselfpermanentlythroughasingleclumsyandillfinishedlie,theresultofcarelessnessbornofincompletetraining.Someauthoritiesholdthattheyoungoutnottolieatall.Thatofcourse,isputtingitratherstrongerthannecessary;stillwhileIcannotgoquitesofarasthat,Idomaintain,andIbelieveIamright,thattheyoungoughttobetemperateintheuseofthisgreatartuntilpracticeandexperienceshallgivethemthatconfidence,elegance,andprecisionwhichalonecanmaketheaccomplishmentgracefulandprofitable.Patience,diligence,painstakingattentiontodetail—thesearerequirements;theseintime,willmakethestudentperfect;upontheseonly,mayherelyasthesurefoundationforfutureeminence.Thinkwhattediousyearsofstudy,thought,practice,experience,wenttotheequipmentofthatpeerlessoldmasterwhowasabletoimposeuponthewholeworldtheloftyandsoundingmaximthat“Truthismightyandwillprevail”—themostmajesticcompoundfractureoffactwhichanyofwomanbornhasyetachieved.Forthehistoryofourrace,andeachindividual’sexperience,aresewnthickwithevidencesthatatruthisnothardtokill,andthataliewelltoldisimmortal.ThereisinBostonamonumentofthemanwhodiscoveredanesthesia;manypeopleareaware,intheselatterdays,thatthatmandidn’tdiscoveritatall,butstolethediscoveryfromanotherman.Isthistruthmighty,andwillitprevail?Ahno,myhearers,themonumentismadeofhardymaterial,butthelieittellswilloutlastitamillionyears.Anawkward,feeble,leakylieisathingwhichyououghttomakeityourunceasingstudytoavoid;suchalieasthathasnomorerealpermanencethananaveragetruth.Why,youmightaswelltellthetruthatonceandbedonewithit.Afeeble,stupid,preposterousliewillnotlivetwoyears—exceptitbeaslanderuponsomebody.Itisindestructible,thenofcourse,butthatisnomeritofyours.Afinalword:beginyourpracticeofthisgraciousandbeautifulartearly—beginnow.IfIhadbegunearlier,Icouldhavelearnedhow.

Neverhandlefirearmscarelessly.Thesorrowandsufferingthathavebeencausedthroughtheinnocentbutheedlesshandlingoffirearmsbytheyoung!Onlyfourdaysago,rightinthenextfarmhousetotheonewhereIamspendingthesummer,agrandmother,oldandgrayandsweet,oneoftheloveliestspiritsintheland,wassittingatherwork,whenheryounggrandsoncreptinandgotdownanold,battered,rustygunwhichhadnotbeentouchedformanyyearsandwassupposednottobeloaded,andpointeditather,laughingandthreateningtoshoot.Inherfrightsheranscreamingandpleadingtowardthedoorontheothersideoftheroom;butasshepassedhimheplacedthegunalmostagainstherverybreastandpulledthetrigger!(點(diǎn)擊此處閱讀下一頁(yè))

Hehadsupposeditwasnotloaded.Andhewasright—itwasn’t.Sotherewasn’tanyharmdone.ItistheonlycaseofthatkindIeverheardof.Therefore,justthesame,don’tyoumeddlewitholdunloadedfirearms;theyarethemostdeadlyandunerringhingsthathaveeverbeencreatedbyman.Youdon’thavetotakeanypainsatallwiththem;youdon’thavetohavearest,youdon’thavetohaveanysightsonthegun,youdon’thavetotakeaim,even.No,youjustpickoutarelativeandbangaway,andyouaresuretogethim.Ayouthwhocan’thitacathedralatthirtyyardswithaGatlingguninthreequartersofanhour,cantakeupanoldemptymusketandbaghisgrandmothereverytime,atahundred.ThinkwhatWaterloowouldhavebeenifoneofthearmieshadbeenboysarmedwitholdmusketssupposednottobeloaded,andtheotherarmyhadbeencomposedoftheirfemalerelations.Theverythoughtofitmakeoneshudder.

Therearemanysortsofbooks;butgoodonesarethesortfortheyoun