Be the best of whatever you are! 做最好的自己

    本文选自《疯狂英语》（中学版）2014年6期。作者马洛奇（Douglas Malloch，1877—1938）是美国诗人，《做最好的自己》是他的代表作。作者通过一系列事实，告诉大家，决定成败的不是工作大小，只要做最好的自己。

If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill,

Be a scrub in the valley—but be

The best little scrub by the side of the rill;

Be a bush if you can't be a tree.

If you can't be a bush be a bit of the grass,

And some highway happier make;

If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass—

But the liveliest bass in the lake.

We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew,

There's something for all of us here,

There's big work to do, and there's lesser to do,

And the task you must do is the near.

If you can't be a highway just be a trail,

If you can't be the sun be a star;

It isn't by size that you win or you fail—

Be the best of whatever you are!

若你当不成山巅上的一棵劲松，

就做山谷里的一棵小树——但务必

做那溪流边最好的小树；

若你当不了小树，还可以当一丛灌木。

若你当不成一丛灌木，还可以当小草，

当一株让公路更快乐的小草；

若你当不成大梭鱼就做一尾鲈鱼——

但要做湖塘里最快活的鲈鱼！

我们不能都做船长，总有人要做船员，

我们每个人都有事要做，

有轰轰烈烈的大事业，也有微不足道的小事情，

你要做的就是做好眼前该做的事情。

若你当不成大道，就做一条小径，

若你当不成太阳，就做一颗星星；

决定成败的不是工作的大小——

只要做最好的自己。

本文提到的生词：

pine n.松树

scrub n.矮树

rill n.小溪

muskie n.梭鱼

bass n.鲈鱼