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？第八篇：The Road to Success 成功之道
The Road to Success
It is well that young men should begin at the beginning and occupy the most subordinate positions。 Many of the leading businessmen of Pittsburgh had a serious responsibility thrust upon them at the very threshold of their career。 They were introduced to the broom； and spent the first hours of their business lives sweeping out the office。 I notice we have janitors and janitresses now in offices； and our young men unfortunately miss that salutary branch of business education。 But if by chance the professional sweeper is absent any morning； the boy who has the genius of the future partner in him will not hesitate to try his hand at the broom。 It does not hurt the newest er to sweep out the office if necessary。 I was one of those sweepers myself。
Assuming that you have all obtained employment and are fairly started； my advice to you is “aim high”。 I would not give a fig for the young man who does not already see himself the partner or the head of an important firm。 Do not rest content for a moment in your thoughts as head clerk； or foreman； or general manager in any concern； no matter how extensive。 Say to yourself； “My place is at the top。” Be king in your dreams。
And here is the prime condition of success； the great secret： concentrate your energy； thought； and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged。 Having begun in one line； resolve to fight it out on that line； to lead in it； adopt every improvement； have the best machinery； and know the most about it。
The concerns which fail are those which have scattered their capital； which means that they have scattered their brains also。 They have investments in this； or that； or the other； here there； and everywhere。 “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket。” is all wrong。 I tell you to “put all your eggs in one basket； and then watch that basket。” Look round you and take notice； men who do that not often fail。 It is easy to watch and carry the one basket。 It is trying to carry too many baskets that breaks most eggs in this country。 He who carries three baskets must put one on his head； which is apt to tumble and trip him up。 One fault of the American businessman is lack of concentration。
To summarize what I have said： aim for the highest； never enter a bar room； do not touch liquor； or if at all only at meals； never speculate； never indorse beyond your surplus cash fund； make the firm’s interest yours； break orders always to save owners； concentrate； put all your eggs in one basket； and watch that basket； expenditure always within revenue； lastly； be not impatient； for as Emerson says； “no one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourselves。”
译文：
成功之道
年轻人创业之初，应该从最底层干起，这是件好事。匹兹保有很多商业巨头，在他们创业之初，都肩负过“重任”：他们以扫帚相伴，以打扫办公室的方式度过了他们商业生涯中最初的时光。我注意到我们现在办公室里都有工友，于是年轻人就不幸错过了商业教育中这个有益的环节。如果碰巧哪天上午专职扫地的工友没有来，某个具有未来合伙人气质的年轻人会毫不犹豫地试着拿起扫帚。在必要时新来的员工扫扫地也无妨，不会因为而有什么损失。我自己就曾经扫过地。
假如你已经被录用，并且有了一个良好的开端，我对你的建议是：要志存高远。一个年轻人，如果不把自己想象成一家大公司未来的老板或者是合伙人，那我会对他不屑一顾。不论职位有多高，你的内心都不要满足于做一个总管，领班或者总经理。要对自己说：我要迈向顶尖！要做就做你梦想中的国王！
成功的首要条件和最大秘诀就是：把你的精力，思想和资本全都集中在你正从事的事业上。一旦开始从事某种职业，就要下定决心在那一领域闯出一片天地来；做这一行的领导人物，采纳每一点改进之心，采用最优良的设备，对专业知识熟稔于心。
一些公司的失败就在于他们分散了资金，因为这就意味着分散了他们的精力。他们向这方面投资，又向那方面投资；在这里投资，在那里投资，到处都投资。“不要把所有的鸡蛋放在一个篮子里”的说法大错特错。我要对你说：“把所有的鸡蛋都放在一个篮子里，然后小心地看好那个篮子。”看看你周围，你会注意到：这么做的人其实很少失败。看管和携带一个篮子并不太难。人们总是试图提很多篮子，所以才打破这个国家的大部分鸡蛋。提三个篮子的人，必须把一个顶在头上，而这个篮子很可能倒下来，把他自己绊倒。美国商人的一个缺点就是不够专注。
把我的话归纳一下：要志存高远；不要出入酒吧；要滴酒不沾，或要喝也只在用餐时喝少许；不要做投机买卖；不要寅吃卯粮；要把公司的利益当作自己的利益；取消订货的目的永远是为了挽救货主；要专注；要把所有的鸡蛋放在一个篮子里，然后小心地看好它；要量入为出；最后，要有耐心，正如爱默生所言，“谁都无法阻止你最终成功，除非你自己承认自己失败。”
？第九篇：On Meeting the Celebrated 论见名人
On Meeting the Celebrated
I have always wondered at the passion many people have to meet the celebrated。 The prestige you acquire by being able to tell your friends that you know famous men proves only that you are yourself of small account。 The celebrated develop a technique to deal with the persons they e across。 They show the world a mask； often an impressive on； but take care to conceal their real selves。 They play the part that is expected from them； and with practice learn to play it very well； but you are stupid if you think that this public performance of theirs corresponds with the man within。
I have been attached； deeply attached； to a few people； but I have been interested in men in general not for their own sakes； but for the sake of my work。 I have not； as Kant enjoined； regarded each man as an end in himself； but as material that might be useful to me as a writer。 I have been more concerned with the obscure than with the famous。 They are more often themselves。 They have had no need to create a figure to protect themselves from the world or to impress it。 Their idiosyncrasies have had more chance to develop in the limited circle of their activity； and since they have never been in the public eye it has never occurred to them that they have anything to conceal。 They display their oddities because it has never struck them that they are odd。 And after all it is with the mon run of men that we writers have to deal； kings； dictators； mercial magnates are from our point of view very unsatisfactory。 To write about them is a venture that has often tempted writers； but the failure that has attended their efforts shows that such beings are too exceptional to form a proper ground for a work of art。 They cannot be made real。 The ordinary is the writer’s richer field。 Its unexpectedness； its singularity； its infinite variety afford unending material。 The great man is too often all of a piece； it is the little man that is a bundle of contradictory elements。 He is inexhaustible。 You never e to the end of the surprises he has in store for you。 For my part I would much sooner spend a month on a desert island with a veterinary surgeon than with a prime minister。
译文：
论见名人
许多人热衷于见名人，我始终不得其解。在朋友面前吹嘘自己认识某某名人，同此而来的声望只能证明自己的微不足道。名人个个练就了一套处世高招，无论遇上谁，都能应付自如。他们给世人展现的是一副面具，常常是美好难忘的面具，但他们会小心翼翼地掩盖自己的真相。他们扮演的是大家期待的角色，演得多了，最后都能演得惟妙惟肖。如果你还以为他们在公众面前的表演就是他们的真实自我，那就你傻了。
我自己就喜欢一些人，非常喜欢他们。但我对人感兴趣一般不是因为他们自身的缘故，而是出于我工作需求。正如康德劝告的那样，我从来没有把认识某人作为目的，而是将其当作对一个作家有用的创作素材。比之名流显士，我更加关注无名小卒。他们常常显得较为自然真实，他们无须再创造另一个人物形象，用他来保护自己不受世人干扰，或者用他来感动世人。他们的社交圈子有限，自己的种种癖性也就越有可能得到滋长。因为他们从来没有引起公众的关注，也就从来没有想到过要隐瞒什么。他们会表露他们古怪的一面，因为他们从来就没有觉得有何古怪。总之，作家要写的是普通人。在我们看来，国王，独裁者和商界大亨等都是不符合条件的。去撰写这些人物经常是作家们难以抗拒的冒险之举，可为此付出的努力不免以失败告终，这说明这些人物都过于特殊，无法成为一件艺术作品的创作根基，作家也不可能把他们写得真真切切。老百姓才是作家的创作沃土，他们或变幻无常，或难觅其二，各式人物应有尽有，这些都给作家提供了无限的创作素材。大人物经常是千人一面，小人物身上才有一组组矛盾元素，是取之不尽的创作源泉，让你惊喜不断。就我而言，如果在孤岛上度过一个月，我宁愿和一名兽医相守，也不愿同一位首相做伴。
？第十篇：The 50…Percent Theory of Life 生活理论半对半
The 50…Percent Theory of Life