2005/07/24

麥克阿瑟為子祈禱文

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A Father's Prayer by Douglas MacArthur
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主啊!求你塑造我的兒子,
讓他堅強足以認識自己的軟弱;
讓他勇敢能夠面對自己的恐懼;
在誠實的失敗中能夠自豪不屈;
在勝利中仍能保持謙遜與溫和。

Build me a son, O Lord,
who will be strong enough to know when he is weak,
and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid;
one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat,
and humble and gentle in victory.

主啊!求你塑造我的兒子,
不至空有幻想而缺乏行動;
引導他認識你,同時知道,
認識自己才是知識的基石。

Build me a son
whose wishes will not take the place of deeds;
a son who will know Thee…… and that
to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.

我祈禱,
不要引導他走上安逸舒適的道路,
而要讓他遭受困難與挑戰的磨鍊。
讓他學習在風暴之中能挺身站立,
讓他學習對失敗的人能給予同情。

Lead him, I pray,
not in the path of ease and comfort,
but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge.
Here, let him learn to stand up in the storm;
here let him learn compassion for those that fail.

求你塑造我的兒子,
讓他心地純潔,
讓他目標遠大;
在企圖領導他人之前,先能駕馭自己;
對未來善加籌畫,但是永不忘記過去。

Build me a son
whose heart will be clear,
whose goal will be high,
a son who will master himself
before he seeks to master other men;
one who will reach into the future,
yet never forget the past.
 
當他擁有以上的一切,
我還要禱求,賜他足夠的幽默感,
使他能認真卻不致過分苛求自己。

And after all these things are his,
add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor,
so that he may always be serious,
yet never take himself too seriously.
 
懇求賜他謙卑,
使他永遠牢記:
真偉大中的平凡,
真智慧中的開明,
真勇力中的溫柔。
 
Give him humility,
so that he may always remember
the simplicity of true greatness,
the open mind of true wisdom
and the meekness of true strength.

如此,我這作父親的,
才敢低聲說:「我沒有虛度此生。」
 
Then, I, his father will dare to
whisper, "I have not lived in vain.
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