經典英文美文100篇——致加西亞的信

A Message to Garcia by Elbert Hubbard

致加西亞的信 by 艾爾伯特·哈伯德



In all this Cuban business there is one man stands out on the horizon of my memory like Mars at perihelion.

在所有與古巴有關的事情中,有一個人常常令我無法忘懷。

經典英文美文100篇——致加西亞的信


When war broke out between Spain and the United States, it was very necessary to communicate quickly with the leader of the Insurgents. Garcia was somewhere in the mountain fastnesses of Cuba - no one knew where. No mail or telegraph message could reach him.

美西戰爭爆發以後,美國必須馬上與反抗軍首領加西亞將軍取得聯繫。加西亞將軍隱藏在古巴遼闊的崇山峻嶺中——沒有人知道確切的地點,因而無法送信或電報給他。

經典英文美文100篇——致加西亞的信


The President must secure his cooperation, and quickly. What to do?

但是,美國總統必須要儘快與他建立合作關係。怎麼辦呢?

Some said to the President, “There’s a fellow by the name of Rowan who will find Garcia for you, if anybody can.”

有人對總統推薦說:“有一個名字叫羅文的人,假如有人能找到加西亞將軍,那個人一定就是他。”

經典英文美文100篇——致加西亞的信


Rowan was sent for and given a letter to be delivered to Garcia. How the “fellow by the name of Rowan” took the letter, sealed it up in an oilskin pouch, strapped it over his heart, in four days landed by night off the coast of Cuba from an open boat, disappeared into the jungle, and in three weeks came out on the other side of the Island, having traversed a hostile country on foot and delivered his letter to Garcia - are things I have no special desire now to tell in detail.

於是,他們將羅文找來,交給他一封信——寫給加西亞的信。關於那個“名字叫羅文的人"如何拿了信,將它裝進一個油紙袋裡並打封,吊在胸口藏好,如何用4天的時間乘坐一條敞口船連夜抵達古巴海岸,而後消失在叢林之中,如何在3個星期之後出現在古巴島的另一端,其間徒步穿越一個危機四伏的國家,將信交到加西亞手上——這些都不是我現在想要詳細講述的。

經典英文美文100篇——致加西亞的信

The point that I wish to make is this: McKinley gave Rowan a letter to be delivered to Garcia; Rowan took the letter and did not ask, “Where is he at?”

我希望強調的重點是:美國總統麥金萊將一封寫給加西亞的信交給了羅文,而羅文接過信後,並沒有問“他在哪裡?"

經典英文美文100篇——致加西亞的信


By the Eternal! There is a man whose form should be cast in deathless bronze and the statue placed in every college of the land. It is not book learning young men need, nor instruction about this and that, but a stiffening of the vertebrae which will cause them to be loyal to a trust, to act promptly, concentrate their energies: do the thing - “Carry a message to Garcia.”

像羅文這樣的人,我們應該為他塑造不朽的青銅雕像,將其放在美國每一所大學裡。年輕人所需要的不僅僅是學習書本上的知識,也不僅僅是聆聽他人的種種教誨,更需要的是對於一種責任的忠誠,能夠立即採取行動,全心全意去完成任務——"把信送給加西亞"。

經典英文美文100篇——致加西亞的信

General Garcia is dead now, but there are other Garcias. No man who has endeavored to carry out an enterprise where many hands were needed, but has been well nigh appalled at times by the imbecility of the average man -the inability or unwillingness to concentrate on a thing and do it.

加西亞將軍已不在人世,但是現在還有其他的“加西亞”。沒有人能經營好這樣的一家企業——雖然需要眾多人手,但時常幾乎讓人驚駭的是,其中大部分人庸庸碌碌——他們要麼能力不足,要麼根本不願意全心全意去工作。

經典英文美文100篇——致加西亞的信


Slipshod assistance, foolish inattention, dowdy indifference, and half hearted work seem the rule; and no man succeeds, unless by hook or crook or threat he forces or bribes other men to assist him; or mayhap, God in His goodness performs a miracle, and sends him an Angel of Light for an assistant.

懶懶散散、漠不關心、馬馬虎虎和心不在焉的工作態度,對於許多人來說似乎已成常態。除非苦口婆心、威逼利誘地強迫他們做亊,或者,請善意的上帝創造奇蹟,並派一名光明天使相助,否則,這些人將一事無成。


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