Ralph Waldo Emerson. A literary pioneer. Not only did he find the basis of Transcendentalism, or Bright Romanticism writing; he made great contributions to the field of personal development, and gave us some great practical ideas about living, that we will ponder upon for centuries to come. He valued the individual over society, and had many works of literature to enforce his views. In his works, there were many inspirational quotes that reflected what an individual is. Emerson’s highest values were: courage, peace, and the power of the individual.
拉爾夫·瓦爾多·愛默生，一個文學先驅。他不僅僅創立了超驗理論和鮮明的浪漫主義寫法，還在個人發展的領域作出了巨大的貢獻。他留給我們關於生命的實用觀點，值得我們在他逝世後幾個世紀都要好好思考。他超越社會來衡量人的價值，並用很多作品來強調他的觀點。在他的作品中，有很多振奮人心的句子告訴我們人究竟是怎樣的。愛默生認為人最高的價值是：勇氣，平和，無限的能量。
I have selected 6 quotes, which represent Ralph Waldo Emerson’s views on life. Each quote has its own meaning, and its own method of practical application.
我選擇了6個句子，它們都代表了愛默生對於生命的看法。每個句子都有它們自己的意義，也都有自己的應用方法
“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.”“每一失去的，背後必有所得；每一所得的，背後也必有失去。”
Isn’t it true? Every opportunity, every chance that you take in life, is the sacrifice of another opportunity. By choosing to become a writer, you are sacrificing the opportunity to be something else, like an accountant. So what is the point of it all? The point is to stop worrying about missed opportunities, because you have no idea what could have been. Maybe if that milk hadn’t been spilled in the past, you would be in a better present situation? On the other hand, you might also be in a much worse present situation. Opportunities come and go; it is up to you, the individual, to make the best decision for yourself. Weigh the pros and cons of each decision, and know that you are giving up another opportunity. It could be better, it could be worse. It’s all part of the human being experience.
不是嗎？在你生命中，對每一個機會的把握正是對另一個機會的放手。選擇了當作家，就是放手了當會計的機會。所以，別再為錯過的機會煩惱，因為你根本無法料想如果你抓住了另一個機會又會怎樣。如果你當時沒犯下那個選擇的錯誤，你現在的情形就會更好嗎？可是，更壞的情形也未可知啊！機會來了又走，一切都取決於你，你自己來為自己做出最好的決定。衡量每個選擇的利與弊，告訴自己你將要放手另一個機會了，結果也許好，也許不好。這都是人經歷的一部分。
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”“出淤泥而不染是最大的成就。”
Let’s face it: There are always going to be certain people, that don’t want you to succeed. People who look at you weird when you do something right. Too many people act like robots in today’s society. They do what is expected of them, get their rewards, repeat. Expectations, Rewards, Repeat. Emerson could not stand this repetitive cycle. He believed that society turned people into something that they weren’t born to be. And as a person got older, it was harder and harder to break free from the strong grasp of society. What does it take to be yourself? For one, it takes a lot of courage, one of Emerson’s most favorite traits. Whenever someone goes against society standards, they will take a lot of heat for it. This resistance from others is just a sign that you are doing something right. No one said that being yourself was easy. Difficult? Yes. Rewarding? Extremely. In the end, the people that are able to go against the grain of society are the truly great people in our world.
我們必須面對這樣的現實：總有人不希望你成功。你做對了，他們就用怪異的眼光看著你。當今社會，有太多的人像機器人一樣的活著。他們做他們被期望的事，然後得到獎勵，然後重複這個過程。再被期望，再得到獎勵，再重複。愛默生受不了這樣循環的怪圈。他相信，社會在把人拖向背離人的本性的那一端。隨著年齡的增長，人們就越來越難擺脫社會的強大引力。你要什麼才是你自己呢？勇氣——這也是愛默生最喜愛的品格。當一個人違反了社會標準的時候，他們會為此付出很多。這些來自他人的阻擋就是你做得對的徵兆。沒有人說做自己很容易。很難嗎？當然。值得嗎？肯定。最後，和社會的期望背道而馳的人才是真正的偉人。
“We are always getting ready to live, but never living”“我們總是準備好了去生活，卻從來沒有真正生活過。”
When I get my promotion, I’ll really start living! When things have settled down, then I’ll do it! These are common phrases that you hear from people. Will the dust ever settle? No. Will you ever get the promotion? You might, but then you’ll come up with another excuse not to take action. The truth is that there are hundreds, if not thousands of excuses you can make not to take action. There is always a little voice inside your head, afraid of failure, and afraid of success. Your ability to truly live is dependent upon your ability to ignore that counterproductive voice inside your head. What you’re hearing is the voice of complacence. The moment you stop listening to it, is the moment you begin your real life. Until then, you will always be getting ready for a change in your life. But getting ready for something, and actually doing it, are two different things entirely.
等我升了職，一定要好好地生活。等事情都解決了，我一定去好好地生活！這些是你常常聽到的話吧。事情會都解決了嗎？不會。你會升職嗎？也許會的。但是等到那時你又會有新的理由而放棄好好生活了。事實上，你有成百上千個理由。總是有一個微弱的聲音在腦袋裡面說“我害怕失敗”“我害怕成功”。你要真正生活的能力取決於你能不能不理睬你腦袋裡面那個相反的聲音。你聽到的是沾沾自喜的聲音。什麼時候你停止聽它了，什麼時候你就可以開始你真正的生活了。到那時候，你就可以準備好迎接你生命中的改變了。但是準備好和真的做是完全不同的兩碼事。
“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.”“除非去做還不會做的事，否則永遠不會成長。”
Life is all about learning new skills. Once you have acquired these skills, you must constantly seek to improve them. In your industry/job, there will always be people who are up-and-coming. These people will surpass you, unless you are constantly seeking to improve yourself. Like my former teacher once told me: “The moment you are satisfied with what you have, is the moment that someone else will take your spot in the race of life.” Emerson believed that life is about growing, and there was no point in living if you don’t constantly grow. No matter what you know, or how many skills you possess, there is always more to learn about your respective interests. You can always do a better job, regardless of how good you are at what you do.生活是要學習新的技能。一旦你學到了新的技能，必然經常尋求提高他們的辦法。在工作中，必然有人後來而居上。只要你不經常給自己充電，這些人就會超過你。就像我以前的老師曾經告訴我的：“當人自滿的時候，就是另外有人要取彼而代之的時候了。”愛默生相信生活即成長，如果不成長的話，生活就沒有意義。不管人現在知道多少，以及有多少技能，各自的興趣總是有可以進一步學習的地方。不管人現在做的有多好，總會做得更好的。
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”“你決定成為什麼樣的人，你就註定會成為什麼樣的人。”
Destiny is overrated. Yeah, I said it. There are too many people attached to the idea of ‘fate’, and ‘destiny’, that they believe they can lay back, do nothing, and their fate will take over. Well I have some bad news to those people: Your destiny is not looking very good! Is there any wildly successful person, off the top of your head, who got to where they are by doing nothing? No. People who are truly great don’t rely on the concept of fate/destiny. There is no proof/evidence to support its actual existence. So here is one of the keys to life: Live life like fate and destiny don’t exist. Decide what you want to be, pick out your future, and make your own destiny. After all, whoever we think we are, we become!
我曾經說過，命運總是被高估。有太多的人認為“緣分”，“命運”是很重要的，所以他們就放鬆下來，什麼都不做，任憑命運掌管。這種人要注意了：你們的命運看起來並不好！有沒有那些非常成功的人，他們什麼都不做，就達到了他們現在的位置呢？沒有。偉人不依賴緣分和命運。誰都不能證明這兩種東西確實存在。所以，人生的秘訣就在於：像緣分和命運根本不存在一樣去生活。確定你自己想做什麼，規劃出你的未來，決定你自己的命運。最終，我們就會變成我們所想要成為的人。
“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself” “只有你自己才能帶給自己平靜。”
Perhaps Emerson’s most powerful quote. Ultimate power to the individual. Who else but yourself can bring peace into your life? It hurts to say this, but horrible things happen every day. Murder, kidnapping, rape, you name it. It happens to amazing people. The external world is never peaceful. But you don’t have to suffer at the hands of other people. Until the day you die, you can choose to be at peace with the world. You can let go of your surroundings, and be one with nature. One of Emerson’s friends, Henry David Thoreau, believed in the peace of nature. He spent a couple of years submerged in nothing but the beauty of nature itself! Now that is how you find peace! But I’m not saying that you need to spend years in the wilderness to be at peace with yourself. I’m saying that you need to acknowledge your spirituality, and the peace that has been within you since birth. When we learn to find peace within ourselves, the world around us changes. We attract more external peace, while radiating a signal of internal peace! It’s strange, but that’s how life works. From the inside-out, not the outside-in.
這大概是愛默生最有力的引言了，是一個人最終的力量。除了你自己以外，誰還能帶給你平靜呢？說這樣的話很傷人，但是糟糕的事情每天都會發生。謀殺，綁架，強姦，隨便想想就能想得出來。這些事情發生在很好的人身上。外部世界永遠不平靜。但是，你的生活不用被掌控在他人手裡。直到你死去，你都可以選擇讓自己的世界平靜下來。你可以不顧周圍，只顧大自然。愛默生的朋友之一亨利梭羅相信自然的平靜。有幾年，他都沉浸在自然的絕美中。這就是你要怎樣尋找平靜。但是我沒有說你需要獨自在野外生存幾年。我只是說你要認識自己內心與生俱來的平靜。當我們在自己這裡尋找平靜的時候，我們周圍的世界就變了。我們會有更多平靜，也會釋放出我們內部的平靜。這很奇怪，但是生活就是這樣：從內而外，而不是從外而內。
The human spirit is as strong as can be. However, society has gradually weakened it. As children, we are born with our own respective traits, attitudes, and beliefs. We are our own person. However, as we get older, we conform to society, and lose our sense of individuality. But you know what I say? No! Emerson refused to give up his right to be different, and refused to conform to society’s standard. This is what every human being is meant to do. To go against the grain, is to find your own way of life. To do it your way, like it has never been done before!
人的力量想多大就有多大。但是社會漸漸的使這種力量削弱了。從孩童時代起，我們就有了自己的性格，態度和信仰。我們是我們自己。但是隨著年齡的增長，我們就慢慢順應了社會，失去了自己。但是我是怎麼說呢？不要這樣！愛默生不放棄變得獨特的權利，拒絕跟從社會的標準。這就是人生的意義。和別人背道而馳，尋找你自己生活的方式。活出你自己，走別人沒走過的路。
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